[Olympal]

I had quite the opposite experience.

In April of 2022, I walked into the PPS VW showroom in Nagawara, Bangalore to check out the Taigun after booking a Hyundai i20 N line.

I clearly told the salesperson that I have booked with Hyundai and have just come to check out the car. He said no problems sir and explained the features of both the 1 liter and 1.5 liter cars. He even offered a test drive knowing fully well that I may not buy the car.

I eventually ended up buying the Virtus GT from the same dealer after cancelling my i20 booking, but that's another story.

No two dealers and no two salespersons are the same.

[drive.helios]

My experience with PPS VW has been considerably good as I wrote in my ownership review. Prior to the buying decision, I've walked into few of the showrooms - for Hyundai, Tata, MG etc. - the only sore experience came from the Tata showroom (Kropex if I recollect) near erstwhile forum new nexus mall in Koramangala. Least interested in making a sale or even a pitch. Adwaith Hyundais sales guy found time enough to explain the models and pricing and the catch phrase of minimum 6-7 months wait period, but didn't check with us to see if a TD was needed. Wanted to get a TD of MG Astor. Their staff are really good but somehow did never get one. I continue to get their marketing calls and ads on Whatsapp even after telling them to stop doing it.

Like most of others have commented - if you like the car and model, get it from a different dealer. If you are particular about Taigun - check PPS Motors Richmond Road and Apple Auto Whitefield.

[Voodooblaster]

Maybe, just maybe it’s just the universe warning you

Do try other brands if they satisfy your criteria and budget.

In case you still desire the VW, kindly purchase from another dealership

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by vamsi_k_b

I had heard good things about Volkswagen and their customer service,

What universe is this happening in?

All kidding aside, I would never buy from a dealer/salesman with a bad attitude. Do not reward poor behaviour, especially when the same product exists in multiple dealerships.

[Vyas]

When I visited Toyota showroom to purchase a Fortuner in 2017, the first salesmen was not much interested in explaining the features and provide a demo, since the car was selling like hotcakes. I immediately complained to the manager and discussed with another salesperson who behaved well(Maybe because he knew I will complain quickly). You should try giving a feedback or else, walkout and find another showroom.

[mac13]

It all depends on your luck whether you meet a good or poor salesperson when you enter the showroom. Though I feel the latter outnumber the former. Most will not offer a test drive but will only stick to "when are you planning to book the car, there are long waiting periods, book now". If you ask for a price sheet they say we'll send it on WhatsApp, which then never comes. And it's the same experience across all brands. One has to accept this as a part of buying a car in a seller's market.

[true_sedan]

Originally Posted by vamsi_k_b

I recently had a very bad experience at the Volkswagen showroom in JP Nagar, Bangalore. I went in with the intention of checking out Taigun.

I was greeted by a salesperson who seemed friendly at first. But as soon as I mentioned my budget was around 12 Lakhs ( with some flexibility ) , his attitude completely changed. He stopped talking to me and seemed uninterested in helping me.

I was shocked and disappointed by this behavior. I had heard good things about Volkswagen and their customer service, but this experience made me reconsider. I left the showroom feeling disrespected.

In all honesty I was not aware of the exact price of Virtus and Taigun before I entered the Showroom.

All my interactions with other brand dealers like Maruti, Tata, Hyundai and Honda have been really pleasant. Their agents were really trying to Help me decide. Wanted to see if this is something that happens commonly in all the Premium brand dealerships.

We live in a world where we are judged by the clothes we wear and the money we have in our account. But nothing can possibly justify the above behaviour. First off, 12 lakhs is not a small amount and second it is highly unprofessional for a sales associate to just ignore someone based on the budget. I agree with a lot of fellow BHPians here that you should approach a different SA in the same showroom because VW Taigun is a fantastic car and the possibility of owning one shouldn’t be marred by one bad SA.
Now narrating my own bitter experience at VW Coimbatore:
6 months back I had my eyes set on VW Virtus GT 1.5 DSG. I requested for a test drive with the dealership and the dealer was kind enough to send me both the Taigun and Virtus DSG. The SA let’s call him Mr. X was my initial point of contact and he was the one who arranged for the test drives. Once I finalised my car, my uncle intervened and said to me that he knows another SA from a different branch 10 kms away(let’s call her Ms. Y) from a previous purchase(Vento and Polo). So let’s deal with her as she can provide better discounts. Mind you, the timeline between meeting X and Y was more than a month. As soon as Mr. X got to know that we were negotiating with Ms. Y for making a purchase he immediately took offence. He started arguing with me that he was the one who brought the car for test drives and he must be the one to take it through. I was in utter confusion as both work in the same showroom but different branches. The argument went on for what felt like forever with Mr. X to my right and Ms. Y to my left forcing me to decide who gets to be my SA. As a customer who just want to buy a damn car I was very frustrated and so I calmly explained to them that “I don’t care who processes my purchase. So, please sort this out between yourselves as I’m not your manager.” THE MANAGER - He was sitting and watching all this unfold as if he was watching a matinee show. My strong opinion to them was never bring your internal fights to customers. As for people asking why I didn’t go with X, my simple answer is I didn’t know any better of all the politics that happen in a showroom. In my mind I’m a customer who wants a car. That’s it.

[prabhu7944]

My experience was totally opposite at VW mount road - sundaram. I made it obvious during my 1st visit that am only checking out the car and might take months to buy. However the sales lead was ok with it. He made me wait as demo car had gone out. Even while speaking to his team in his mother tongue (telugu) which I understand, he mentioned about me with respect. After the test drive he mentioned the positives of VW. Since I told him I own a ford he was repeatedly saying good things about ford and VW like safety & quality aspects. He spent a long time with me talking about his work experience etc. I had already decided ok buying taigun and that day I decided I will buy only from him. It is over a year, he makes it a point to wish me on festive occasions and help me out with any sort of query or assistance. This is pure relationship management.

[GeeTee TSI]

Relatable, when I reflect on the opposite treatment I was lucky to be subjected to. I had been to TAFE Skoda MG Road in my Polo GT with the intention of checking out the Kushaq, but the Octavia nearby was very 'distracting' and I became the quintessential indecisive customer, asking about the Octavia whilst checking out the Kushaq. But the SA just arranged for an Octavia TD (and I never had a Kushaq TD!) A similar SA to what the OP was faced might have eased me out, I suppose.

With the efforts involved in reaching a new customer, a walk-in should have been treated as a goldmine, had the SA been trained for the job

[viXit]

Originally Posted by GTO

He doesn't know that he could (potentially) convince you to buy a 16-lakh car or that, when you are shopping for a 40-lakh car after 10 years, you'd go back to him if he gave you excellent service.

Sales and service advisors rarely, if ever get the big picture.

I realized why, when I called up my trusty Service advisor I knew from honda and found out he was at hyundai. So I decided to call him when the Grand i10 was due service, Alas, he was at Ford by then.

They jump ship so frequently they couldn't care less if the dealership burned down one day after they leave.

[Rajamass]

I feel sorry for what happened to you.

Many showrooms' personnel are untrained "professionals", so this sort of behavior is not uncommon. When we went to buy our VW Vento at Palace Cross, Bengaluru in 2015, I saw a Jetta next to our Vento and was checking the design and interiors. The sales lady embarrassed me immediately by saying "Sir, it's 25 lakhs".

[d.w.w.]

Back in 2015, I was ignored even before sharing my budget. I was looking to buy the new Elite i20 and visited almost every Hyundai showroom in the city looking for the best deal. Whenever I walked in to the showroom alone, the sales staff will just hand over a price list and take me to the demo car and just leave. They don't care to explain anything. Even I was denied test drive telling the test drive car is not available at the moment and has gone for repair , but as as I exited the showroom I saw the testdrive vehicle parked behind the building. They did not even call back to check if I was interested to purchase.

But when I walk in with my family, the treatment suddenly change. These will be a dedicated staff , we will be given a detailed walkthrough of the car, discuss loan options , proactive test drive offers and even received follow up calls. Finally took my business to the showroom that provided the best experience.

[prabhu7944]

Originally Posted by Rajamass

I feel sorry for what happened to you.

Many showrooms' personnel are untrained "professionals", so this sort of behavior is not uncommon. When we went to buy our VW Vento at Palace Cross, Bengaluru in 2015, I saw a Jetta next to our Vento and was checking the design and interiors. The sales lady embarrassed me immediately by saying "Sir, it's 25 lakhs".

You could have embarrassed her by asking why she quit selling soaps and joined here...

[k491]

Originally Posted by vamsi_k_b

He stopped talking to me and seemed uninterested in helping me.

Elite Motors owns both VW JP nagar and VW Hosur Road, I think it's their culture to ignore customers, judge them based on various factors etc.

I have already mentioned about their ignorant treatment towards me in my Polo GT Legend Delivery post.

Going into more detail, I was always a bike guy, I opted to buy a bike when my dad insisted on buying me a car. Dec 2021, I got a new job and I had a travel a lot, so It was time to buy a new car as my search for Polo GT TDI or Octavia TDI wasn't fruitful. I visited the VW Hosur Road Dealership (in my bike) to enquire about Polo GT Matt Edition, as soon as they saw me walk in with a helmet in my hand, they jumped to the conclusion that I couldn't afford their cars. I told them I was interested in Polo GT and would buy immediately, but the Managers response wanted me to get rid of immediately. He said the Polo's have been booked completely and production has been stopped. He didn't bother to ask me to sit down or take some time to make me consider the recently launched Taigun ( I was actually considering Kushaq if couldn't get the Polo).

It's just pathetic, no more words.
Skipping 4 months ahead, VW announced Polo GT legend, I wanted to have that no matter what, So I called them up again to enquire they said all bookings are done and cut the call.

Thankfully my gym trainer pointed me at Ramani Cars, Hosur. Each and everyone at that showroom are leagues above the excuse of SA's at Elite motors that you and I had the unfortunate run in with (Not everyone are bad, just my luck to end up with a rotten apple).
I called Ramani Cars, I they put me in touch with someone who could speak Kannada so that my experience would be smoother, They told me about the availability of last Polo GT which was in Flash Red, I told them I will take it and I booked the car next day. They even helped me with processing my loan as I was having some trouble getting loan approved.

Since then I made my friend buy Virtus Highline AT at Ramani cars hosur, one more friend is about to book his Taigun 1.5.

What Elite motors lost is not just a walkin customer, but a network of VW enthusiasts who now will take their business to Ramani Cars.

I would recommend anyone staying in and around Bangalore South to visit Ramani Cars for their next VW Purchase. It's worth travelling the extra distance for a blissful and stress free experience.

[100Kmphormore]

Key Motors just after Sarakki Signal was where I faced the same situation. Wrote a stinging review on google and was called in an hour by the showroom GM Mr. Dharampal with the errant salesman, apparently a BBA fresher with no experience. He apologised and has provided no bad experience after that.