Volkswagen Navi Mumbai - PATHETIC. EDIT: And now VW Chembur too

normally_crazy · 1st October 2010, 22:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo

Actually its a good thing. There is always the trusted Jazz

Yes - used Jazz' are awesome VFM

anilkalvani · 2nd October 2010, 17:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by jatinpatel

The best experience i had was with VW Mumbai West(santacruz branch), they allowed me to TD both petrol and diesel Vento without any fuss. Pushed both the cars under hard accleration and braking no one had a fuss about it. Overall a good experience.

Only negative part was that they did not had any polo for TD.

Would recommend this dealership.

+1 to that. I had absolutely *touchwood* no issues with VW West, Santacruz West. They were prompt & i got a test drive not once, but twice. The first time when i had gone was the last day of Ganpati Visarjan hence i did not get a very long Test drive but the second Test Drive was adequate where i did floor the beauty pretty hard. (The Vento). Hope my future experience will be good. *fingers crossed*

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Also the way the word "GERMAN" is used every 4 words in a sentence clearly suggests that they are trying to build an aura around the car.

It is so irritating and ridiculous.

Swale - I am also looking at the Polo 1.6 - if we book togather they might get the cars earlier what say ?

If i had anybody even squealing that German bakwas with me, i'd really give him a verbal bashing

I suggest you do try the VW West Santacruz West showroom.

R32_GTR · 4th October 2010, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

.......

The sales rep's name is Mr Hitesh Lulla - BEWARE of HIM guys.

I will wait till tomorrow evening before I mail VW.

I am not going to buy a VW car from these guys. The whole experience was PATHETIC again.

VW better look into this asap or they will lose customers. Add to it 3 months waiting on all models.
...........

We were to go book a Vento Highline Auto at VW Chembur. Most importantly, rather than repeating the same story all over again.. the experience was horrendous (AGAIN!!!).

I don't know what made them hire this ape. My wife was itching to slap the fool on multiple occasions.

I had a bad experience with this guy 2 weeks ago but I still filed out the inquiry form hoping that some one from VW Chembur would call me.

Since no one called as promised, I went there again on Saturday.. Only to see the guy again who I tried to avoid completely. But to my bad luck, we did end up with him. (the look on wifey's face was disturbingly hilarious!!)

Although I had the feeling of deja-vu, Mr hitesh Lulla started the entire process a fresh.

My wife completely snapped and gave the guy a earful (Now Mr Hitesh Lulla will never forget us for the rest of his life). Now I'm disappointed that she didn't slap him.

No test drive vehicles (Vento Auto / Polo 1.6)
No display vehicle (Vento Auto / Polo 1.6)
No finance break-up

Some quotes that I heard over the last 2 weeks:-

"The VW Polo 1.6 is not launched yet" - Hitesh Lulla to another potential customer.
"Production has not begun on the VW Vento Auto" - Hitesh Lulla
"The are people waiting for their car since 8 months, but I can give you the Vento Auto in 3 months, but I can't guarantee it" - Hitesh Lulla
My personal favorite:- "Where do you work? depending on that we can see if the delivery can be hastened" - Hitesh Lulla to my wife.

The worst part is, I had a cheque for the booking amount in my pocket, but VW Chembur never gave me a reason to hand it over to them.

I'm booking the ANHC auto next week.

Regards,
Prasad Iyer

normally_crazy · 4th October 2010, 21:29

Looks like there is no change in the attitude - sad. VW is walking the Skoda way - slowly but surely. There is still time to improve but will they make the effort ?

R32_GTR · 5th October 2010, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Looks like there is no change in the attitude - sad. VW is walking the Skoda way - slowly but surely. There is still time to improve but will they make the effort ?

I don't see any improvements for the next 6 months atleast. they will be ticking off a lot of current and potential customers.

There is a serious back log of deliveries that needs to be met.
Major shortage of VW ***'s and dealerships, thus adding to even more unforeseen backlogs
If they had stuck to selling Jetta's, Passat's, Touregs and Pheatons; it would have helped in maintaining their brand image.. but not in the Polo / Vento market. the consumer mind set is completely different.
They managed to keep the price band extremely competitive (One could even say LOW) but they're still being arrogant about being VW.
Even their corporate office is arrogant. First hand experience, since my company is marketing / promoting their VW Polo cup events in India.

There is tons of market research that should have been done before making for a hasty launch coupled with some serious levels of incompetance.

I don't know if I'm allowed to do this or if I'd get an infraction for this; but you'll can starting following them on FB (Volkswagen India) or twitter (twitter.com/volkswagenindia).

they seem to have got some external soical media agency to do their Mass Com work (Like a lot of companies these days). Its also a good laugh.
Most of them seem to be VW employees or FnF's of VW employees.
The quality of followers is also not necessarily "TBhp types".

Good luck to all those who want one, to all those who have booked one and are waiting endlessly for delivery and to all those who have got one and are facing issues with VW!!

Cheers

naveenvenkatesh · 5th October 2010, 15:34

I had been to VW, Palace Cross about 2 weeks back. I had my wife with me. My parents were also with me to check out the Polo and Vento. It was a Sunday afternoon.
We went in and check out the Polo. There was a Red Vento also parked next to it. We checked that out as well. I wanted to see the boot space of the vento and stood there for a good 10 mins for the sales rep to come around and unlock the boot.
But i finally gave up. We had to go for lunch and my parents had to leave for Mysore. So we left the dealership.

We were in the showroom for a good 15-20 mins but no sales rep was ready to speak to us.
One rep was showing a family of 3 Polo/Vento twins.

VW has a long way to go!

nowwhat? · 5th October 2010, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

We were to go book a Vento Highline Auto at VW Chembur. Most importantly, rather than repeating the same story all over again.. the experience was horrendous (AGAIN!!!).

If you are looking at auto, I think the ANHC AT is still the benchmark.

For me, the Vento diesel looks tantalizing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by R32_GTR

No test drive vehicles (Vento Auto / Polo 1.6)

I doubt if VW dealerships will ever have the 1.6 as a TD vehicle anytime soon. But how difficult is it to TD the Vento petrol and the Polo 1.2 and decide? Or am I missing something?

noopster · 5th October 2010, 17:43

Why blame just the dealers? It's more than a little obvious the VW has goofed up rather badly on forecasting the demand for its Polo and Vento models. On top of that, VW dealers are used to selling slow-movers like the Jetta, Passat and Beetle (does the Phaeton sell at all?) and it seems clear that most of them are still using the same infrastructure to try and sell these cars in a lower, more accessible segment with obviously higher footfalls in the showroom.

I don't see why VW doesn't do the following on priority:
- Open more dealerships. One VW dealer serving entire Pune +PCMC is ridiculous! Apart from easing the overcrowding issues, internal competition is always healthy: keeps the dealer community on its toes.
- Train your staff. My own experiences at VW Downtown Mumbai and VW Pune have been pleasant enough. But I still get the feeling that some of the staff were winging it. There *must* be stock answers to questions like "why is there no Diesel AT option?" (I was told "Sir aap highway pe diesel use karte ho aur city mein AT kaam aatee hai. Dono saath mein kaise aayengay?"

).
- Provide enough marketing collateral. At VW Downtown (after the official launch) there was ONE Vento brochure! No dealer seems to have an official accessories list. They don't even tell you about the accessories pricelist that's available online (we know that courtesy another TBHPian).
- Share your production plans. I don't want to be told "4 months" every time I ask when I can expect my new VW. And different dealers have different versions of when the "rare" colours (blue and beige) are making an appearance.
- Buffer the dealership staff. VW Pune on Sunday morning bore an uncanny resemblance to a fish market, with only 3 fish sellers, including the showroom owner. To be fair, the owner and both his staff members made every attempt to address everybody's questions and requests (and believe me some of them border on the ridiculous!) but why is it so difficult for the company to provide/budget for some additional staffing during peak periods? I'm sure the resultant increase in bookings will more than make up for the cost of hiring such people, who can be trained and deployed quickly and flexibly.
Also, if I were VW top management, I'd have sacked that notorious salesman named by so many by now. At least one TBHPian has backed off from a VW purchase because of that dude, and since I am in the process of selecting a vehicle myself, I know it's not a decision made lightly!

lamboguy · 17th September 2011, 10:30

While I totally agree with the adverse opinion about VW Chembur, I must say I was VERY impressed with VW Downtown, Mumbai and VW Thane.

I had been to VW Chembur since Jetta was newly launched and that it was nearby to my place. The Sales guy attended us in a jiffy (we were the only customers there). But sadly the guy knew absolutely nothing about the car. Infact me and my dad educated him more about the car. Also, since there was no TD vehicle available, i told him to inform me when it does come. No intimation till date.

Since i had called up just dial for the VW Chembur's number, I got a call from VW Thane the next day. I informed them similarly to provide me a TD once the car comes. I got a call from VW Thane in a couple of days and the car was sent to my residence in Ghatkopar from Thane (for those unfamiliar with mumbai, its not that near). When I TD the car, i realised i was the first person they sent the car to for test drive. I was flattered.

Similar story with VW Downtown, I intimated them on phone that i was coming for the Automatic test drive.The car was already booked for test drive, still the exec went out of the way and scheduled me in immediately. The car was kept ready and I was directly given a long the test drive on the worli sea face and all the info even without having to enter the showroom.

PPS · 17th October 2014, 15:23

Volkswagen open new dealership at Borivali.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-new...ai-391131.aspx

Quote:

Volkswagen has inaugurated a new dealership in Mumbai – Volkswagen Mumbai North, Mody Auto Corp. Pvt. Ltd. The Volkswagen Mumbai North dealership is located at Borivili West, and has a capacity of displaying seven cars at any point of time. The workshop, a 14-bay setup, is located on Mira Road in Mumbai. This new facility hosts dedicated workshops for accident repair and body paint.

Hayek · 17th October 2014, 15:46

BTW, VW Navi Mumbai and VW Mumbai East are now with Autobahn - presumably the same as the Prabhadevi Skoda dealers. Personally, I have been reasonably happy with Autobahn Skoda (more so than with my Superb). Wonder if there are any experiences with these dealers after the change. For my Vento, I have used VW Downtown - and am happy with them too. May make sense to change the heading given that the dealer has changed

4th October 2010, 21:29	#34
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	Looks like there is no change in the attitude - sad. VW is walking the Skoda way - slowly but surely. There is still time to improve but will they make the effort ?
	() Thanks

5th October 2010, 15:34	#36
naveenvenkatesh BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: US/India Posts: 344 Thanked: 151 Times	I had been to VW, Palace Cross about 2 weeks back. I had my wife with me. My parents were also with me to check out the Polo and Vento. It was a Sunday afternoon. We went in and check out the Polo. There was a Red Vento also parked next to it. We checked that out as well. I wanted to see the boot space of the vento and stood there for a good 10 mins for the sales rep to come around and unlock the boot. But i finally gave up. We had to go for lunch and my parents had to leave for Mysore. So we left the dealership. We were in the showroom for a good 15-20 mins but no sales rep was ready to speak to us. One rep was showing a family of 3 Polo/Vento twins. VW has a long way to go!
	() Thanks

5th October 2010, 17:43	#38
noopster Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 9,238 Thanked: 12,904 Times View My Garage	Why blame just the dealers? It's more than a little obvious the VW has goofed up rather badly on forecasting the demand for its Polo and Vento models. On top of that, VW dealers are used to selling slow-movers like the Jetta, Passat and Beetle (does the Phaeton sell at all?) and it seems clear that most of them are still using the same infrastructure to try and sell these cars in a lower, more accessible segment with obviously higher footfalls in the showroom. I don't see why VW doesn't do the following on priority: - Open more dealerships. One VW dealer serving entire Pune +PCMC is ridiculous! Apart from easing the overcrowding issues, internal competition is always healthy: keeps the dealer community on its toes. - Train your staff. My own experiences at VW Downtown Mumbai and VW Pune have been pleasant enough. But I still get the feeling that some of the staff were winging it. There must be stock answers to questions like "why is there no Diesel AT option?" (I was told "Sir aap highway pe diesel use karte ho aur city mein AT kaam aatee hai. Dono saath mein kaise aayengay?" ). - Provide enough marketing collateral. At VW Downtown (after the official launch) there was ONE Vento brochure! No dealer seems to have an official accessories list. They don't even tell you about the accessories pricelist that's available online (we know that courtesy another TBHPian). - Share your production plans. I don't want to be told "4 months" every time I ask when I can expect my new VW. And different dealers have different versions of when the "rare" colours (blue and beige) are making an appearance. - Buffer the dealership staff. VW Pune on Sunday morning bore an uncanny resemblance to a fish market, with only 3 fish sellers, including the showroom owner. To be fair, the owner and both his staff members made every attempt to address everybody's questions and requests (and believe me some of them border on the ridiculous!) but why is it so difficult for the company to provide/budget for some additional staffing during peak periods? I'm sure the resultant increase in bookings will more than make up for the cost of hiring such people, who can be trained and deployed quickly and flexibly. Also, if I were VW top management, I'd have sacked that notorious salesman named by so many by now. At least one TBHPian has backed off from a VW purchase because of that dude, and since I am in the process of selecting a vehicle myself, I know it's not a decision made lightly!
	() Thanks

17th September 2011, 10:30	#39
lamboguy BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 138 Thanked: 123 Times View My Garage	Re: Volkswagen Navi Mumbai - PATHETIC. EDIT: And now VW Chembur too While I totally agree with the adverse opinion about VW Chembur, I must say I was VERY impressed with VW Downtown, Mumbai and VW Thane. I had been to VW Chembur since Jetta was newly launched and that it was nearby to my place. The Sales guy attended us in a jiffy (we were the only customers there). But sadly the guy knew absolutely nothing about the car. Infact me and my dad educated him more about the car. Also, since there was no TD vehicle available, i told him to inform me when it does come. No intimation till date. Since i had called up just dial for the VW Chembur's number, I got a call from VW Thane the next day. I informed them similarly to provide me a TD once the car comes. I got a call from VW Thane in a couple of days and the car was sent to my residence in Ghatkopar from Thane (for those unfamiliar with mumbai, its not that near). When I TD the car, i realised i was the first person they sent the car to for test drive. I was flattered. Similar story with VW Downtown, I intimated them on phone that i was coming for the Automatic test drive.The car was already booked for test drive, still the exec went out of the way and scheduled me in immediately. The car was kept ready and I was directly given a long the test drive on the worli sea face and all the info even without having to enter the showroom.
	() Thanks

17th October 2014, 15:46	#41
Hayek Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,912 Thanked: 15,446 Times	Volkswagen Navi Mumbai - PATHETIC. EDIT: And now VW Chembur too BTW, VW Navi Mumbai and VW Mumbai East are now with Autobahn - presumably the same as the Prabhadevi Skoda dealers. Personally, I have been reasonably happy with Autobahn Skoda (more so than with my Superb). Wonder if there are any experiences with these dealers after the change. For my Vento, I have used VW Downtown - and am happy with them too. May make sense to change the heading given that the dealer has changed Last edited by Hayek : 17th October 2014 at 15:48.
	() Thanks