[GTO]

Its a lucrative market segment that needs a player with an extremely high level of commitment. Now, Mahindra hopes you will take your car to them for a value-priced after sales service experience.

I will quote a previous post of mine (from the Bosch Thread (Bosch service center feedback?)) to explain the segment they want to enter / create :

Originally Posted by GTO

Heres is what Bosch is trying to accomplish.

Current scenario in India for automotive repairs / service :

At one end of the scale is the unorganised segment offering cheaper, faster but unreliable service to your car. There is a lack of credibility but many owners are forced to choose this option due to convenience or lower cost.

The other end consists of manufacturer authorised service stations which are not only much more expensive in terms of money but also time. The wait periods are long, and the locations are restricted. The only upside is guaranteed quality - original parts, trained service staff and no malpractices.

Bosch's plan:

Is to create a position within these two extremes i.e. offer Bosch authorised service stations that are fully equipped with the right information technology, genuine parts inventory, trained tech staff and high service quality while at the same time beat the cost of the authorised service station and convenience of the unauthorised segment. Their pricing strategy is somewhere in between the two ends.

The idea looks very promising. I do hope some people can give a review on whether Bosch has been able to accomplish their commitment of high quality at a realistic price.

This is expected to be an extension of the First Choice used car division. Does Mahindra have what it takes to finally make it where others have failed?

[vabs78]

Looking at their reputation from the AutomartIndia days, I will take this with a pinch of salt.

[tsk1979]

Mahindra(and its arch rival Tata) first should learn how to service their own cars, and how to treat customers.
I would take this with 42 tonnes of salt

[phamilyman]

^^^^

Completely agree with tsk. seems like someone sold the right business plan to the wrong company

Or they hallucinate that by installing a brand new set of dealerships, they will be able to rein them in, and actually instil a service attitude. And maybe pigs will fly.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Mahindra(and its arch rival Tata) first should learn how to service their own cars, and how to treat customers.

Originally Posted by vabs78

Looking at their reputation from the AutomartIndia days, I will take this with a pinch of salt.

You guys got a valid point. Mahindra has not proven themselves by offering consistently high service to their own cars! How are they going to manage other brands?

This leaves me wondering....why couldn't Bosch get this right either? We have heard soft rumours about many other attempts but no one seems to get it right. Why? I firmly believe there is a sizeable chunk of car owners looking for better service than the disorganised segment, at rates lower than authorised centers? Servicing / repairing cars is proven to be a lucrative business too.

Maybe its just a matter of time.....

[tsk1979]

Independent workshops will flourish only when they offer better service at a lower cost.
Bosch does not do so. The service quality in Noida is poor, and the cost is approx the same.
Moreover they do not even have stocks of high quality spare parts like Bosch Wiper blades, etc., etc.,
One walk into the workshop and you wonder why not go to a roadside guy.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Independent workshops will flourish only when they offer better service at a lower cost.

If I have to take a similar example on the bike front. There was a lot of scope, and Castrol Bike Zone provided this opportunity.
They did well initially, and failed to live up to the reputation.
Initially I gave my bike at a Bike zone for servicing, and as time progressed, they said that you need to take an appointment for servicing, and later they refused to accept a Suzuki Samurai.

Unless franchisees are properly monitored for quality and service parameters, it will fail for sure.
And with multibrand, there is scope of one dominant brand owner trying to intimidate other brands through this setup, and other brands back off support to this otherwise "independent" venture.

[maddy42]

I will recall an experience i had with mahindra ***. I had gone to get parts for my bolero and so when we made this trip to mangalore we visited the dealers store. We wanted 3 items.
1) The bolero plastic which is a part of the front dash. It is a squarish kind of piece.
2) The power windows motor as the cable of the power window motor was broken
3) The clutch pedal return spring.
The guy had to check out his inventory book to get the code of the part 1 and then he has a look at our vehicle and went searched for it in his stock but he didnt have it.
He didnt have part 2 and 3 and i was like what!!! When will these guys start stocking parts rather than making us run around like this!!!
Well i hope mahindra gets it right but i doubt it.

[spadival]

What will the dealers do then? I dont think they will sit around and watch their customers disappear. Everyone knows dealers make very little money selling cars and actually make a lot servicing them.

[phamilyman]

Not in the first few thousand km sir.

[DCEite]

Mahindra First Choice Services Ltd., a part of the $6.7 billion Mahindra Group, today inaugurated its first CarXSpace multi-brand car service outlet in Chennai. Spread across 15,000 sq. ft, the outlet is located at Thiru Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy Industrial Estate and will service all brands of cars across segments. This is the company’s third outlet since launch and its first outlet in South India.



“We are delighted to introduce the CarXSpace brand experience from Mahindra First Choice Services Ltd., to Chennai. In India, the car servicing market mainly comprises authorized repairers and independent garages. Our market research has shown that car owners would prefer a service outlet such as ours with a value proposition built on trust, customer experience and convenience,” said Mr. Rajeev Dubey, President (HR, After-Market & Corporate Services) & Member of the Group Management Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.



“The new CarXSpace outlet at Guindy has eight compact bays and trained technicians will service a limited number of vehicles per day, ensuring each customer gets individual attention. Customer centricity is a key aspect of business at CarXSpace with each customer receiving photographic evidence of work undertaken on his car. Since our inception in May 2008, we have serviced 35 different car brands and are being perceived as a one-stop shop for multi-brand car servicing,” said Mr. R. Subramani, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Services Ltd.



CarXSpace aims to redefine the car servicing experience in India with a range of unique services available at very competitive rates, as compared to authorized dealerships. The company employs technicians who can cater to multi-brand servicing requirements. Only original spares and accessories, directly procured from companies at competitive rates, are used. CarXSpace also follows stringent quality measures including photographic evidence of parts being changed and a mandatory 50 point check which is performed on all cars with an Engine Analyzer. Moreover, car owners are given a warranty that their cars will not need repairs for the next 4,000 kilometres.



Vehicles will be washed only with car shampoo and soft water as the mineral content in hard water may cause scratches to the body and underbody of the car. Each outlet will have a water softening facility for this purpose.



Car owners can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee in a soothing ambience while their vehicles are being serviced. They can also avail of a unique pick-up and drop service for their cars and a ‘night only service’ where repair work will be undertaken only at night. In case extensive work needs to be carried out, the company will provide a temporary car to the owner for his use.



The company’s first CarXSpace outlet was launched in Parel, in Central Mumbai, in April 2008. Since then, it has seen a steady of increase of both corporate and individual customers with an average of 15 cars serviced per day. The outlet has undertaken both mechanical and body shop repairs for 27 different car models.



The second outlet was opened in Andheri in Suburban Mumbai, in September 2008 and is already servicing an average of nine cars per day.



Mahindra First Choice Services Ltd. is part of the Mahindra Group’s newly launched After-Market Sector which also includes Mahindra First Choice Ltd., which undertakes purchase and sale of pre-owned vehicles and the Mahindra Spares business (both Mahindra and non-Mahindra). The new vertical seeks to create a business ecosystem in the after-market space which mirrors the ecosystem for new vehicles.



The vehicle population in India currently stands at 6 million cars and is estimated to grow to 17 million by 2015. This implies vast, untapped potential in after-market services encompassing multi-brand pre-owned vehicles, servicing, spares and the financial instruments and exchange platform which support this value chain.

Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> Mahindra First Choice Services launches CarXSpace outlet

[METISWHG]

the night service part is a good deal. those day services used to be difficult to manage somehow

[Sahil]

Has anyone used their services in Mumbai.. how good are they? And how much cheaper is their pricing compared to authorized service centers?

[vinucv]

As my vehicle is now out of warranty, was looking out for some multi-brand service center and landed up here. Could someone please share their experience about Mahindra firstchoice or any other such centers in Chennai ?
My car incidentally is a Mahindra Xylo

[Nilesh5417]

Jagdish Khattar's carnation also was one of the entrants in this market. Its launch was with much fanfare but i hardly see any workshops/dealerships around. Don't know anyone who has availed their services either so no feedback.

So that is Bosch & Carnation that i know of. Now did they fail cause they are traditionally not known as really strong brands in the minds of retail customers? Will Mahindra trump because of its strong brand association as a vehicle manufacturer? Maybe people will actually give Mahindra a try cause they are "known".