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Old 11th October 2020, 09:12   #1
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Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

The thread on how Hyundai (and other automakers) pay commission to their SA to push unneeded services was an eye opener, eye opener because I realised that I haven't ever had such experiences.

I got my first car, a Santro Xing in 2004 and combined with the family cars starting 1998 (when I started driving and taking an interest in cars), ranging from Ford, Maruti, VAG and Renault Mahindra (Logan), have had honest capable advisors.

One such that comes to mind is Mr Gajendran, he heads Kun Kia service department today. When I took my Santro for its first service, he was a fresh out of college rookie. We both didn't know jack about our roles but from day 1 he has been nothing but brutally honest.

He has for instance gotten minor tinkering works done when other SA's would claim "saar full damage here, replace", he has not once added things like "washer fluid", the estimate given would always be higher than what the final figure would be. If I asked him to add an additive, he would counsel me against it. Once a fish cart banged my car in the side, and I as always took it to Hyundai, he actually gave me two choices, the pricing in Hyundai vs the possibilities of doing it outside for a fraction of the cost. mind you he never gave advise that went against Hyundai's interests but merely provided the customer with a full range of options. In this case I anyway opted to get it done through him in the official Hyundai bodywork shop.

I sold the Santro in 2007, but in 2012 when I went back to Hyundai with the Verna, he was still there as head of that branch for service.

In 2019 when I went to Kia there he was, transferred from Kun Hyundai, as head of their service division. He still personally looks after my vehicle, though that's not even part of his job and I know with 100% certainty that as long as he is on the job, I will never get ripped off by Kia.

Disclaimer, I still pour through all bills, when I have time, I stand next to the car and watch it getting serviced (I love this and this is a Tbhpian trait I think).

My family has had their own Gajendrans. My dad had Taansi Srinivasan (Tansi is the name of the Garage in Gopalapuram), ridiculously honest, Mr Srinivasan was a master at Premier Padminis and Ambys and Contessas (late 80's), and dad would only ever give his cars to Taansi.

My granddad took it to the next level, the original auto nut in the family, he used to take his car 100 kms from our village to Madurai (though he had options in Theni which is 5kms away) to get any car in the family fleet serviced. And he always took them personally mind you, didn't just give it to the driver. The car was always and only given to Sundaram Motors Madurai and only to one Mr Gopalakrishnan (interesting aside though, Gajendran, Srinivasan, Gopalakrishnan all variants of Vishnu or Vishnu Avatar names ). GK was only a SA there but my grandad was so close to him that he was also a family friend who was invited to all family Weddings and when my grandad passed some 5 years ago, the old GK made a 100 km trip to our home as a mark of respect.

Am sure there are many more, I was reading Vigsom's Padmini thread and he names 3-4 such exemplary SA's. So fire away.
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Old 11th October 2020, 09:20   #2
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re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

The only positive experience I've had with Skoda Service in Mumbai is with a SA called "Mr. K". He doesn't work there anymore but I don't want to cause any issues for him so not naming him.

On multiple occasions, he got rightful warranty repairs done for me on my Rapid when other SAs / the TL indicated otherwise. He also never over-sold anything to me. He infact advised me not to get the interior detailing done from the Skoda workship because it sucked. Had a good experience with him, but I think he went abroad. I think he was deeply religious and didn't like fleecing customers.

I immediately noticed the difference with the SA who replaced him - this guy was keen on upselling me everything and adding stuff to the service bill I didn't ask for. On one occasion, he tried to claim warranty isn't applicable when it clearly was.
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Old 11th October 2020, 09:33   #3
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re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

1) Rakesh SA Oberoi Fiat, Noida, now in Tata...and techies Ishender and Sanjay, led by Mr.Gopalan...excellent experience! My Punto went to them for all work till the time they wrapped up. In fact I used to pester them at times for niggles!

2) Jiwan SA : Kashyap Fiat, Noida and techies Rafiq, Raju led by Mr.Sharma (Sharma jee) never an issue.

3) Just started off with the Skoda. Cannot vouch yet but was overall good and the Dealer Principal Mr.Prashant Luthra at Brite Skoda Noida was a thorough gentleman!!

I personally feel being polite on the workshop floor, awareness of the car and a bit of appreciation for the staff concerned, at the right moments Infront of right people, go a long way!!

Last edited by lapis_lazuli : 11th October 2020 at 09:40.
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Old 11th October 2020, 09:48   #4
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re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stribog View Post
honest capable advisors.

One such that comes to mind is Mr Gajendran, he heads Kun Kia service department today.

My family has had their own Gajendrans. My dad had Taansi Srinivasan

My granddad, the original auto nut in the family, used to take his car 100 kms from our village to Madurai and only given to Sundaram Motors Madurai and only to one Mr Gopalakrishnan
Very noble GKs.

I am the new avatar of your granddad - I take my car to Surat, 170km away, for jobs that I cannot perform myself; don't want to look for a suitable garage locally.

Reason? I feel more comfy doing that. It is all about trust and a long term relationship.

Quoting from my thread on an Etios GD below

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigsom View Post
The guy from whom I got the car is a motor mechanic.He came and got the engine started .

He wasn't satisfied with the performance of the engine so swapped that injector with a good one from his other car, and we thus ended up starting up both my car and his car on the roadside in the night.

I must thank my trusted FNG duo of Senthil and Nandakumar for helping me through this effort.

The first emergency described at the start of this thread led me to my first visit ever to an auth. service center viz.Lanson Toyota Pallikaranai.

I was impressed with their professionalism , particularly the help rendered by the SA Bharath Kumar
1. I'd like to first acknowledge the integrity of KT Shajahan from Perinthalmanna from whom we got the partly flood restored Etios.

The car developed an issue within, say, an hour of being taken, and he could have easily washed his hands off the issue or evaded my calls.

He was there after 4 days as promised, started up the Etios on the roadside, and even put a good injector from his Etios GD so that our Etios purred to his satisfaction.

2. The garage of Senthil and Nandakumar doesn't exist now. The Corona lockdown sounded the death knell for their camaraderie.

The place on Nungambakkam High Road is now going to see a new building.

Senthil now operates out of Avadi and works well on mechanicals and basic electricals.

Nandakumar now concentrates only on scanning using a Launch scanner.

3. SA Bharat Kumar of Lanson was another angel for me; not sure if he is still around.

Last edited by vigsom : 11th October 2020 at 09:53. Reason: Edits
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Old 11th October 2020, 09:50   #5
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re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I have never had any bad experiences with any of the cars I owned. The sales and the services personnel are still like our family friends and attend all our personal and company's functions.

Varun motors Begumpet sales and their ecil service have been fantastic as expected. Hyundai sales and service at Kompally have been great too.

But the best service experience has to be with our lovely team Tata at Pranavi motors. They take care of my our Hexa like it belongs to them. Nothing is ever pushed in fact they postpone stuff to the next service to keep my bill down.

I have never taken my car to their place, they always pick it up. Picked up dot on time and dropped back dot on time perfectly done. My hexa is at 59k right now and I haven't had anything except punctures. If one can find a great service center for their tata purchases, noting can beat those vehicles in value for money quotient. Entire credit in my case should go to Hari Prasad garu at Pranavi motors Kompally. I keep posting this on the Hexa thread that if anyone lives in these areas you should take your tata vehicles to them.
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Old 11th October 2020, 10:09   #6
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re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I would like to share my good experiences with my SAs.

1. Mr. Kishore from Harsha Toyota, Kothaguda, Hyderabad :

My Innova Crysta had a small dent on the rear bumper when a biker rammed into it at a red signal. My SA looked at it, asked for 15 minutes and fixed it for free. He not just got the dent removed but also buffed / polished the area of contact so that the scratches aren't seen anymore. He did not charge anything at all. I offered to pay, but he said it is not a big thing and he did not open any job card for it.
I was very happy with his professionalism and honesty. I never faced any issue at Toyota service centers from last 16 years Qualis to Crysta all cars were treated well and SA, mechanics at Toyota are trained properly.

2. Mr.Murali from Varun Motors, Begumpet, Hyderabad :

Someone stole my brand new cabin AC filter, or the might have forgot to place it back after cleaning. (I installed a new one on my own, purchased it from MGP 15 days before the scheduled service). After the service completion, I opened glovebox and found the ac cabin filter clips missing , I got a doubt and opened the filter lid, and I was shocked and complained the same to my SA, he gave me a brand new one for free and scolded the mechanics and cleaning boys for misplacing my ac cabin filter.

3. Mr. Ravi from Ashoka Yamaha, Mettuguda , Hyderabad :

My Fascino had engine mount issue from day of purchase itself, I purchased it in Ranigunj branch and used to service it there. None of the mechanics and SA's and even engineers could diagnose the issue. Mr. Ravi and his team finally solved the issue after detecting it as over tightening of engine mounts more than required torque specs from factory itself. He went the extra mile for me, kept vehicle for almost a month, after many trail and error replacements and checks (clutch rollers, CVT belt, clutch carrier assembly, etc) they detected it as engine mount issue.


These SAs were really good and know their job, I also had great experiences in Independent garages (FNGs) compared to ASS's, they used to get the job done at 1/10th of the price quoted by ASS's. Had many such good experiences at FNGs especially with Renault, Tatas and Skodas.

Last edited by WhiteSierra : 11th October 2020 at 10:12.
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Old 14th October 2020, 11:18   #7
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I would also like to post my pleasant experience here. I get my car serviced at Sharayu Toyota Aurangabad and everytime i visit the workshop, they do their best to delight me. They never try to sell me something that i don't need and personally follow up with the mechanics team to ensure that each of my complaints is taken care of.

Infact, if i have any query about my car i can call them any time and they always reply and try to resolve my issue.

I have had to visit other toyota service centre when i was out of station and even then i had a similar experience, so i am beginning to think it has something to do with the brand.

They are so particular and transparent in their work, that they have ensured my next car will be a Toyota.
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Old 14th October 2020, 11:37   #8
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I would like to share my story with a HONEST SA.

His name is Kevin Dsouza, at Shreenath Hyundai Jogeshwari, Mumbai workshop.

There are so many instances when he advices me of what is really required.

One instance when I asked him about additives, he said not required.
Never ever pushes for something which is not required.

Also he has a deep knowledge and understanding of cars, which he explains at the time of advice.
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Old 14th October 2020, 11:43   #9
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

Always found VW PPS Hyderabad & VW Nashik service advisors amazing for my GT TSI service. No unnecessary pushes, if i said remove XX they would promptly do so without any arguments. Even in terms of mechanical failures (bush/LCA) they have recommended only the stuff which was absolutely necessary and without the entire systems.
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Old 14th October 2020, 12:05   #10
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I've had great service experience with Mandovi Bangalore for the last 8 years. My Swifts have been serviced with them throughout and the experience has been nothing short of great satisfaction.
Mr. Rafiq and Manjunath have been my constants over the last 8 years and understand my requirements very well.

No unnecessary add ons unlike other SA's who push for Wheel balancing alignment, Wiper wash, engine flushing, fuel filters and a long list of consumables at every service interval!

They've been honest and straightforward and have been at the forefront for a warranty claim when my old swift had issues with a creaking suspension beam. It was replaced silently without any fuss or questions.

The other things that I like is that I can walk in anytime and they'll great you with a smile and chat over machine coffee.
They too read up TBhp occasionally and do enjoy talking to TBhpians! The only reason that I've stuck to Maruti is due to this service center being a stone's throw away from home and the fact that these guys are available to help you out anytime with a smile.
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Old 14th October 2020, 12:53   #11
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

I've had a fair number of good experiences with Advaith Hyundai - Bellandur, Bangalore over the last 6 years, both for unscheduled walk-ins as well as scheduled services.
For my Grand i10, my SA has been a chap named Manjunath for the last few services. He is great. Honest, friendly, and communicative.
I'm not sure of who the SA has been for my father's Creta, but I've never heard him complain, except until recently. Covid may have changed their fortunes, so I believe they were trying to add a lot of unnecessary, frivolous services and charges to the bill. To their credit though, they struck those off without any protest.
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Old 14th October 2020, 13:49   #12
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

This was a much anticipated thread idea. With All the negatives associated with inner workings of a car dealership this thread helps us acknowledge the good these guys do for us.

Mr. Ahshok Mann, Renault-Jaipur
He was the GM for the dealer handling most of the Renault outlets in RJ and was the person running the show for the dealer principle. He has a vast knowledgebase of running and maintaining car dealerships and is technically sound too. Learnt a lot from him after getting in touch through an escalated complaint regarding uneven tyre wear on our 2012 Duster. Renault co-tech in Auraiya was once praising him. A guy from the trade I met on the train who was soon to join KIA, dreaded thinking of sitting in front of him being interviewed for a position in the past. He has since moved on to Mercedes with TNT.

Mr. Devendra, Renault-Jaipur
He has been looking after both our Dusters from the last 3 years. before him there were a few other people but the bond with him is stronger as a result of repeated interaction with him due to a number of issues cropping up on the cars in that period. Warranty claims, technical issues, non-satisfactory wheel alignment, replacement of parts in workmanship warranty and the likes were handled by him quite nicely. He understands wheat we expect and gets the job done. I call him to cross check work proposed by other Renault ASCs if the car cannot be sent to his. And he always picks up the phone even when I haven't sent the car for a service.

Mr. Shivram, RE-Mangalore
A gem of a technician. Humble and soft spoken. Have seen him work in two dealerships during the time when RE was re-branding itself and the classic had just been launched in the market. For the 4 years I was in touch with him, he got the job done on my older (not popular) Thunderbird with the same affection he had for the newer bikes. He was the one who found a bend in the frame when I first bought my bike and got it removed taking full responsibility of assuring the newbie owner that the job is doable and that there is no reason to be disheartened.

Mr. Ashok and Mohit, TSM for RE
Got in touch with Ashok via a mail cc'd to him after raising a complaint with RE customer care. I had to find out how to source parts for my Thunderbird when the old dealer closed the outlet and the new one hadn't opened. He provided details of a genuine spares dealer who couriered the part against an online payment back in 2012. The experience was like boodmo, before it was conceptualized. Relocated from Mangalore to UP. Went back to him in 2019 to source a replacement for a leaking fuel tank they supplied for the same Thunderbird, and he got me in touch with Mohit (who looks after UP region). Mohit expedited the case and provided the status of parts and their revised delivery schedule. RE has been great with their support for non-routine issues.

I must say though, It is never a good experience in the first visit these days. You need to build a relationship before getting desired results from the service centers. I can understand how people who drive less and visit the ASCs only once a year can have only bad experiences to share. Specially fuelled by the concept of fulfilment/satisfaction which is easily achievable in consumer goods space which they deal with on a more frequent basis.
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Old 14th October 2020, 14:31   #13
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

What a lovely thread Stribog

This is my second VAG car (albeit the same variant) in just under 6 years, but have to admit that after sales S&S has only gotten better.

Just a week back during Gandhi Jayanthi weekend, my 2019 GT TDI had a peculiar issue where the Speedometer stopped working. The strange issue was that RPM meter was working fine, the oil and outside temperature readings were also fine. Obviously since the speedo was not functioning, the rest of the stuff such as Instant FE, Avg FE, Trip meter, Distance covered and so on were not responding either. The VW service were closed on 2 October and I had to leave my car home and change the long weekend plans.

I then called up my trusted SA Natraj from Palace Cross road service station (Rajajinagar) who requested me to get the car on Saturday by 10am. But what I really like about this gentleman is he is very honest and upfront. He did warn me that if its a compact issue, it may well spill over to next week since this visit was not planned, but assured me that he would get the car working.

True to his word, he and his team was able to sort the issue out the same day and completed the test runs successfully. However, since the whole procedure lasted well into the evening, he offered to deliver the car next day (Sunday).

Natraj had taken care of all the delivery formalities and informed the workshop security about my visit on Sunday. I literally had to just walk in, collect the keys and drive out with my car!!
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Old 14th October 2020, 15:12   #14
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

After my experience with Diya Motors, Kollam with my ZMA, I do not prefer giving my motorcycle to the ASC and prefer to do my own maintenance so interaction with SA's are very limited.

But one experience that still stays in mind is the kindness shown to me by Mr. Dhandapani working with Bajaj, Karur, Tamil Nadu.

It was circa 2015 and my P220 was brand new so I didn't bother with stocking on essential spares, the end result was that my clutch cable had snapped when I was riding from Kollam to Bangalore, just after Tenkasi. So I ended up riding close to 300km's without disengaging the clutch before I could spot a Bajaj ASC on the side of the road.

Once I stopped. I went inside and was met by Mr. Dhandapani, the shop floor was completely packed and I was certain that I'd be sent off or asked to leave the Motorcycle there, but after listening(I don't speak Tamil well) to my plight and after knowing that I'd have to cross Salem and then Bangalore(read: Quite of bit of traffic, very hard to ride without disengaging clutch in stop and go traffic) he immediately pulled one of his mechanics who was working on another motorcycle and asked him to replace my clutch cable then and there.

I still have the bill saved;

Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here-picsart_101403.11.23.jpg

I hope he's doing fine.

Cheers,
A.P.

Last edited by ashwinprakas : 14th October 2020 at 15:15.
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Old 14th October 2020, 17:08   #15
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Re: Weekend Goodwill - Share your positive Service Advisor tales here

Quote:
Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli View Post
1) Rakesh SA Oberoi Fiat, Noida, now in Tata...and techies Ishender and Sanjay, led by Mr.Gopalan...excellent experience! My Punto went to them for all work till the time they wrapped up. In fact I used to pester them at times for niggles!

Absolutely, It was because of them, that i had an absolutely phenomenol service experience with my linea. Both Ishendra and Sanjay are still in touch with me even though Oberoi fiat shut down some 4-5 years ago. I spoke to Ishendra just last week. He is in Faridabad now working with some tyre complany. Ishendra still remembers what all work was done in my car. Sanjay works with JEEP at Landmark, Delhi.

Last edited by car-dent : 14th October 2020 at 17:13.
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