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-   -   Sagar Automobiles - Headed By Arrogant, Irresponsible, Unfriendly, Sarcastic People (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-dealerships/23760-sagar-automobiles-headed-arrogant-irresponsible-unfriendly-sarcastic-people.html)

(If you want are in a hurry to get the gist, rush to the conversation section)

Background
I got a letter from Sagar Automobiles, BANGALORE a month back that they have to check and replace ECM for Swift Diesels. Subsequently I had been there on 24th April and produced the letter and requested for replacement. It took them around 30 minutes to come back and tell me that the part is out of stock. They took my number and promised to call me when the part arrives (they were not ready to give a tentative schedule of when it will be available). Nothing turned out for the next one week and losing patience I called their service advisor Natesh and enquired the status, he said the part is not available yet and will get back to me once it arrives (and even now no schedule was quoted). Finally I got a call on 3rd May that the part is in stock and I can come down anytime and get it replaced in one hour.

May 05, 2007 11:45 AM : Reached Sagar Automobiles, Bannerghatta road, met the person in service desk and told him that Natesh promised for the ECM replacement. They said they can get it done but have to get a job card and asked me to wait. I waited waited waited for more than 45 minutes and lost my patience.

I called up Natesh and asked him if this is the way things work and he said the job card will be done in another 5 mins, I got pissed. Nothing seemed to move forward and I got frustrated and told the service personnel on the reception desk that I was totally unhappy, she immediately offered the complaint book without even asking why and trying to solve the problem (I dint know then that whatever written in the complaint book will be read to walls). I then called up Natesh and he readily said meet our Service Manager without thinking for a moment (Even then I dint realise I am going to approach a go an speak to walls). Finally I was taken to the great GENERAL MANAGER - SERVICE - Mr. Anil Rao.

Conversation with the GM
(With the hope that he is going to escalate the issue and help me out)

Vishnu : I m extremely unhappy with the service and I have been waiting for an hour and even the job card hasn't been given while Natesh told me entire replacement would be done within the time I finish a coffee.

GM : That happens, we are very busy and running over booked so its common for the job card process to be delayed. We cant help it and nobody does it wantedly.

Vishnu : (Frustrated by the answer) you mean to say that it is usual for it to take 1 or 1.5 hours to assign a job card ?

GM : Yes, its usual for us to take 1.5 hours, there is nothing uncommon about it. He started screaming at me saying he went and waited in airport for 2 hours, and its usual for people to get stuck in traffic for couple of hours, so is the process here. Waiting is there everywhere, and customers have to wait even in our workshop to get the Service.

Vishnu : This is frustrating, waiting for 2 hours in airport doesnt mean I have to wait in your service station for hours together for job card everytime. (This is the third time I have been waiting for long).

GM : Thats how it works here. We cant do anything about it. We have tons of customers flowing in everyday. Our workshop is running full for the last three days so we work this way.

(It was sounding to me like we dont care about some person complaining about us)

Vishnu : Why am I being penalized for that by waiting for hours. I will better take the car to some other service station who is willing to give me service on time.

GM : Sure, with pleasure, go ahead, take your car and leave.

Vishnu : (Argg, what a moron is this guy) I said, this is not my first car and I have owned Fiats and Hondas before and have never had such an experience with the service manager.

GM : Experience....hmm, I am the most experienced person under this roof. I have 12 years of experience in service and I know everything. Our service center works this way, we cant make it faster. If you want better service go with the cars and service centers which give you faster service.

Vishnu : What an arrogant answer, I dint expect such an anwer from a person in this seat.

GM : Time is running, tell me what do u want to do, if u want leave the car for service, we are going to take 3 hours for ECM replacement (as apposed to their original promise of 1 hr). We have lunch hours inbetween and we cant help.

Vishnu : This is too much, I cant wait here for 3 hours. I came well ahead of the lunch hour and its ur delay in starting the work that made it this worse.

GM : Forget what has happened, I cant do anything about that. Tell me what u want to do.

Vishnu : I m not at your mercy to get it serviced here, I will look out for a better place to service. The mistake is not on my part when you, Natesh and the service reception guy caused the havoc.

At this time, one Mr. Ramesh, a service advisor interruped and told me that he can get it done and asked me to cool down. He said he will pick the car on monday from my office and get everything done. I was totally baffled by the conversation with the GM though Ramesh was trying to persuade me that they will do the needful.

GM : Now what do you want me to do, fire Natesh is it? ok I will fire Natesh, you proceed. (this was in a very very sarcastic tone)

(Vishnu) I walked out of the room in anguish. I was feeling pathetic for having bought a Maruti and for having associated with such a service station.

GM : He stepped out and asked for my visitor pass, I gave him that and it was showing 1 hour past my entry time, he said why are you jumping when its just one hour since you have come here and not really one and a half hours.

Vishnu : You are not going to understand the preciousness of my time. What a wonderful responsible answer from a person in this seat.

I know I wasted an hour more by writing this, but no regrets, I dont know any other way to fight with such people at such high levels. I will fax a copy of this to Maruti too.

Message to other Maruti users - NEVER GO TO SAGAR AUTOMOBILES, THEY ARE OBSESSED WITH THEIR SERVICE VOLUMES AND THEY HAVE IRRESPONSIBLE, ARROGANT, IMPATIENT ONES HEADING THEIR HIGHEST POSITION IN THE LADDER. ESCALATION WILL FALL IN THE EARS OF THE WALLS SO NO ONE MINDS WHEN YOU ESCALATE IT, THEY HAPPILY GIVE U THE COMPLAINT BOOK AND ASK U TO WALK TO THEIR GREAT GM.

FIND A SERVICE STATION THAT RESPECTS YOU AND COMMITS ON THEIR TIMELINES. I FOUND FIAT SERVICE CENTERS MUCH MORE FRIENDLY AND APPROACHABLE THAN THIS.

FINALLY THANKS MARUTI FOR ALL THE INSULT I HAD.

most horrible experience. these type of people spoil the reputation of a company like MUL.

that guy should be fired w.e.f.

please send a MUL a copy and also a link to this thread. Escalate the matter to the top.

People here will have contacts here with MUL directly.

Also mail a copy of this with the link to the thread to sagar saying you have posted it here so that 12,000 people across india what cheats you are.

you are a customer who has paid 5.5L for a car you deserve respect and demand an apology from MUL and the Sagar GM should personally come and apologize. demand no less.

sorry if it's a bit harsh but that attitude has got my blood boiling. If i was there the manager would have had a bloody nose by now.

Its really pathetic to see this kind of service from sagar and even more is the arrogancy put up by the manager .. Such people dont deserve to head such departments if they cant treat their customers properly .. Its really disgusting to read about this ..

Do put up the link to this thread and e-mail it to the MUL guys .. And see how it works ..

Terrible experience! You definitely should take it up with MUL. Because of volumes, the workshop might be busy, but the manager should have dealt with the situation better. He atleast should have tried to make it faster. Waiting 1.5 hrs for getting a job card filled is too much! Sundaram, even when it was the only Fiat dealer, treated me better.

Vishnu, they have gotten too big for their own good.
Use this: MUL Regional Office South-II
080-2127384/85, 080-5112017/18. Ask for Service Division. They listen. Even if you don't intend going to Sagar Auto ever again. Make sure you are ehard. Especially when it's a recall issue by the manufacturer. Alternatively ask for an E-mail address and send them a link to this thread.

Ouch, that GM stinks. Talk about attitude. If word gets around, he isnt gonna last in that position for too long.

Please do fax a copy of this to MUL / email this linky to select personnel and keep us updated on the developments.

The behaviour of the manager is definitely condemnable, but i am not sure if your approach was also right. If you were in that much of a hurry, you could have left your car with the service centre & gone. The 1 hour time frame given by the service advisor should not be taken so seriously. There are delays everywhere & an allowance should be made for that. But the non-issue of a job card is something serious. They should have arranged for that.

But please take it up with MUL, you will surely get a positive response.

agree: Show the MUL guys , the attitude of their service centers about their coustmers...please tell me that why they have compared two hour stay at airport with two hour stay at service station.

Well, its not so much about the wait as it is about the GMs response to the same. Everyone goofs up; If I do....its a straight away apology. But look at that idiots even more idiotic replies.

This is arrogance at the high !!! As suggested by others, pls copy/paste this experience and send to MUL....They shud be penalized, They have treated like a bonded labour !!!

Abhi

A bad experience indeed!

I guess most of the Maruti dealers / Service centers have the same attitude and behave in such arrogant manner, thanks to the high volumes they handle!

Talk to Maruti Udyog - I believe they're quite serious about bad service experiences, & then go to another dealer.

Only 12 years exp and he talks like he invented the wheel and the internal combustion engine !!

In this particular case, I think the GM should be demoted to mechanic's position and a mechanic should be promoted to GM's position. I am sure his attitude problem will be corrected.

damn its same everywhere, thought buying a maruti product will have less A>S>S issues, and i have my 1 st free service due already :(

somebody email this to maruti instead of sx4!!

Most of them do not have any attitude , I believe maruti makes one of the best attempts at customer care.

If any of the other manufacturers had even half the volumes think of the agony you would have to go through.

Talking from personal experience MUL dealers in Pune and Aurangabad are reasonably good, courteous, and try their best to satisfy you.