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-   -   Fiat revvs away from Tata dealerships. To set up its own distribution network (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/119990-fiat-revvs-away-tata-dealerships-set-up-its-own-distribution-network-49.html)

Some of us have had good experiences with the Tata-FIAT ASCs and some of us have not. I personally have had a mixed experience with 2 dealerships with respect to my Linea. Just because I had a good experience in a certain place, it does not mean that others will have the same and vice versa.

I'll give you guys an example. We own a Toyota Qualis in our family. This was bought in 2000 (the year it was released) and has currently run 3,50,000 kms till date. If you have observed, most Qualis' nowadays are repaired out of the ASC and most of them are used as taxis. The Qualis was stopped in 2006 (or 07?). It has been more than 6 years since the model was stopped and going by the logic of some of us here, Toyota should have stopped stocking spares or taking it in for service in their ASC. But, they haven't. Why? I don't know. Given that most of the Qualis' on the road don't get it serviced in the ASC, is it profitable for them to stock spares or do service to a phased out model? Again, I don't know and I don't care either. All I know is that if my car has a breakdown (touchwood:D), I can bank on the ASC for support. Each and every service for our car was done in a Toyota dealership in Bangalore, the last one being 3-4 months back. Atleast Toyota still acknowledges that there are old customers out there.

This is what people are expecting from Fiat. Acknowledge that there are people who are owning older Fiats out here. Do your best to help maintain them. After all, they are your cars. But statements like we'll help older Fiat owners to migrate to newer Fiats don't help at allplease:.

Going by what I see here, Palios are treated as outsiders in the ASCs. I have not owned a Palio. But, I cannot dismiss the issue of lack of support for them just like that. Simply pretending that everything is hunky dory is not fair. I for one am very keen on this because, one day in the future, I fear the same issue might haunt my Linea too when newer models are introduced.

I totally agree with you on this part. I also had inconsistent experience at various dealerships.

This part is something which is major issue with non-Palio owners. No offence, but I would like to re-iterate that the judgment about Palio service quality is based on a very small sample space. You need to have a first hand experience.
I have never faced any issues when it came to service, parts etc.

To soothe the mood, here is the photo of upcoming Fiat cafe at Inner ring road, Bangalore. I had a chat with the manager, and he said the shop will be ready in April 1st week.

^^ This is from KHT. I have heard that this will have full fledged caffe too and I believe the inauguaration is scheduled for the 1st of April 2013.

SpeedPujari,

Pics of the KHT facility that you have posted is just a stone's throw from my office so I will get to see the Italian beauties everyday while driving to office :)

Btw, Can anyone answer this? Once this comes up will the KHT facility in Whitefield sell only TATAs?

By the end of this month (March), None of the TATA Dealerships/ASC should have a FIAT car in their premises. This is what I got to know from a known source from a TATA dealership in Bangalore.

Could be true, because, the stand alone service for FIAT is anyway going operational before 31st March 2013.

So what you heard might be true. But again, I rechecked with my sources, he says, no circular has come yet as such. Till then they are happy to take FIAT cars for service.

When Fiat struggles to acknowledge and service owner's of their current car's then what makes us think that they will support owner's of old cars? That is the difference between Toyota & Fiat and that is the reason why Toyota's Innova at around Rs.10-15 lakhs sells 6 times the entire volume of Fiat!

The statement of the Fiat India MD that they will help migrate Palio owner's to newer Fiat's isnt' even funny. By not supporting older customer's what makes him think that Palio owner's will even be ready to consider another Fiat! Over confidence or what?

Quote:" When it comes to spares, talk about Linea and ask if anyone had faced any issue with availability.... I have not heard in my knowledge neither I have faced any till date."

I own 2010 linea with an oddo read of 55k. I'm from coimbatore n I face spare scarcity : for the past 8months I'm searching for a Right side mirror cover for my Mjd emotion (white) n I drive with a black cover which comes with active. (We can paint white in it but the active's cover has a rough/Mat finish n emotion has a glossy finish.)
I had been waiting for 20days to a left side stud/spring/pad replacement due to the non availability of spare parts.It got repaired last week.
The service/cost is ok with me n I love the car's build/handling/maintenance part too but the only issue is the scarcity of spares.
I hope this point too will be taken care when the new FIAT only service centre starts its function in coimbatore.
Best regards

Can I also make a comment on Hyundai as a former owner of Getz for 4 years?

Here goes my experience with them - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1807379 - And I never had any good experience with them. I have always come out of HASS after paying hefty bills. That is it.

Contrary to this, I am having WONDERFUL service experience with Fiat. Going by my experience, I can't even compare my service experience with Fiat to that of Hyundai. Again this is truly my own experience and I do know that many of other Fiat owners having issues with the service/spares. But, that does not mean that Fiat service is so bad like you have projected.

Note:- I am now owning the third Fiat (Linea) after owning Palio and Punto.

Did he ever say that he will not support the existing customer?

Comparing a people mover innovas sales to fiats? Compare innova taxi to tata or mahindra taxis sale for a better picture.

No he didn't but it's also a fact that he said he will help Palio owner's to migrate to newer Fiat's didnt he? We know in what context he said that too.

I am not comparing Innova sales to Fiat's. Read the post in the spirit in which it is written.

Here is one example of why Fiat struggles even after 15 years in India.

My Punto was due for it's 60,000 kms service, since it's supposed to be a major service, I decided to stick to Fiat ASC which is Fortune Nerul. The place has shifted to a new location. I knew that from forums. Where it has shifted, I don't know. Neither Fiat nor the dealer communicated to me about the new address. It took a colleague of mine who does outdoor work for our office to go around looking for the service center! None of the phone number's were working. Fiat's website had the same number's which don't work and the same old address. I doubt something like this has happened anywhere in the world for any car maker. A customer goes around like a detective looking for an ASC where he can service his new age Fiat car. And, people here believe Fiat's promises of taking care of Palio customers!

Once in service, the SA promptly says the timing belt has to be replaced as it's a 60K kms service. From what I know, it's only the 90hp MJD that needs this job to be done. Luckily, the part is not in stock so they say once the part reaches they will call me for the replacement. On asking how much the part costs, they told it's going to cost me Rs.20,000!

Today, my colleague went to get back the car. For 4 hours he waited there since there was no power to make the invoice! Finally, I told him on the phone to get a manual bill & we can get the printed copy later. This, by the way, is a repetitive problem at Fortune Invariably, they give a manual hand written invoice and then the customer has to follow up and wait for 2 hours to get a printed invoice. Suddenly, my colleague calls me and says the dealer says he will put down on the invoice that 'Customer has refused to replace timing belt'! I tell my colleague to ask the dealer to show me the circular where it's mentioned that the 75bhp variant needs timing belt replacement. Besides, the part is not in stock, how did the customer refuse replacement of the part?! That's when the dealer agreed to put down on the invoice that the part is not in stock and customer will be informed of the same when it's in stock.

The bill? 60K service with no complaints in the car. Total bill Rs.10,937. The job card slip, manual invoice & printed receipt still show the old address & phone number of the ASC! If they don't have the new stationary, the least they could have done was used MS Word and attached a print out of the new address & phone number's along with the invoice.

Ya he said he will help to migrate. This kind of statement has never said by any other manufacturer. No one helps to migrate from one car to another.
I see it in a constructive way.
But i wouldnt conclude that he says he wont support Palio owners. If that was his intention he would have not agreed to help them migrate to new car too.

Fortune should send letters to their customers from Database. When Pandit in Pune shifted i got a letter at home from Tata motors.

Many have bad experience with Fortune including the TATA owners. Fortune has been already reported to Fiat too many times for exhorbitant labor charges too.

On the contrary TCRS has given extra ordinary service to Fiat owners. Fortune attitude has always been bad to TATA customers and so the same for Fiat.

The timing chain on 75bhp need not be changed at all @ 60k service.

Also there is a transition going on. The TATA service centres have stopped stocking Fiat spares in the cities where exclusive FASS are opening.

But what if the existing customers do not want to migrate? What if all we want is decent level of service for the Palio and parts that are reasonably priced? To me a headlight costing 11k for a 3.6L car just doesnt make sense.

And how did he assume that existing owners want to get rid of their cars? Dont you think that would mean owners losing money on depreciation (even if we assume we would get a decent resale from FIAT itself).

I dont think they have done themselves any favour by opening up ASS's on their own. I am not sure but I have a feeling they are losing out on even the existing customer base. None of my friends who own FIAT's, want to stick with the brand anymore.

In regions where Fiat has established new showroom and service centre, Tata dealers will not service and sale Fiat cars w.e.f 01/04/2013.
Where Fiat is yet to establish it's own dealers, the agreement with Tata will continue upto 30-09-2013.

I am also fully satisfied with the service rendered by Concorde Motors, Dairy Circle/Mysore Road, Bangalore. I voted for 'Meets Your Expection' in this poll. In fact, I find that FIAT ASS fairs almost at par with the ASS of other leading manufacturers in India when it comes to the percentage of dissatisfied owners ['Below Your Expectation'+'Improvement Needed'] in the service experience poll:

1. TATA: 45.45% - The Highest [5th rank]

2. Honda: 35.80% [4th rank]

3. Maruti Suzuki: 34.56% [3rd rank]

4. FIAT: 33.42% [2nd rank]

5. Hyundai: 30.40 % - The Lowest [1st rank]

It is surprising to note that TATA Motors tops the list with the highest percentage [45.45%] of dissatisfied owners and Hyundai [30.40%] is at the bottom with FIAT [33.42%] securing the second rank next to Hyundai only!:)

FIAT may be in the bottom of the monthly sales chart, but not in the percentage of dissatisfied owners' list!:D