friends,
i will remind you all here, the one thing that affects skoda more than anything else is publicity about their misdeeds. i am sure money is of no concern for them.
at the height of my media campaign against skoda, i received a call from mr. gullubhai menda, owner(director) of jmd auto. he expressed his desire to see me. he also stays at lokhandwala, andheri where we met.
he wanted me to meet ashutosh dixit, gen mgr skoda and settle the matter. although he might not agree now, he told me - ad verbatim - ' khatam karo yaar, bechne me taklif hoti hai '. i agreed and we met at the coffee shop, j.w.mariott at 12 noon on 19th august 2008 for 1 hr and 10 mins.
here in all fairness i would like to add that gullubhai, his son dhrupad and the entire staff of jmd auto were very courteous and extremely helpful and sympathetic towards me during my entire ordeal. however, being a dealer of skoda, gullubhai and jmd have their limitations in helping me and corroborating my story.
also, after my meeting with ashutosh dixit, i came out with the feeling that he sounded sincere until he tried to give me a receipt for the spurious parts, saying - As discussed with you there have been parts found spurious/non genuine in your car at the time of our investigation. However we would like to mention that the parts found spurious/non genuine cannot be ascertained that they have been fitted at our dealership. As a special gesture and goodwill we at Skoda keeping in mind customer satisfaction would like to inform you that the below parts have been replaced in your car free of cost. We at Skoda would be retaining the replaced parts for further investigation.
despite having inspected and confirmed by their engineer ramakrishna surabhi, that the parts were put by their dealer, nummer eins, skoda wanted me to accept this statement in the receipt thereby weakening my case in the consumer forum, also implying if the dealer has not put the parts who else but i have done it.
i refused to accept this statement in the receipt. they refused to release the car.
here are some of the comments made by ashutosh dixit during our meeting. i have a recording of the entire conversation. 19th August 2008
From 11.58 a.m. to 1.10 p.m.
We met at the Coffee Shop, JW Marriott , Juhu, Mumbai
Ashutosh Dixit (AD), General Manager, Skoda Auto India Pvt Ltd
Gullubhai Menda (GM), JMD Auto
Dhrupad Menda (DM), JMD Auto
Harish Kanchan (HK)
Excerpts of the meeting - Mr. Dixit’s statements –
12.05.00
AD
I would say first of all on a special this thing, I would say. I would apologize on behalf of everything. I do not know what is. I would not go into things to find you know or play a blame game here. I would say that simple apology on behalf of everything, whatever happened, I do not know whether it was right, wrong, or somebody was doing his job or somebody was not doing his job, I do not know. I would say that as a customer that is something I can say anytime.
12.07.51
AD
Honestly, this whole episode you know while it has been a lot of inconvenience for you, lot of bad publicity for us, but you know I am also a person who likes to look at the brighter sides has brought in so much awareness inside and so much strengthening in our internal process.
12.09.05
AD
See honestly we have taken it so strictly right now and I think I do not want to say this but you will see some very serious repercussion on the people who are not doing the things in a right way and as a company I cannot afford to have these kind of practices.
12.10.32
AD
In fact that is what I am saying that from our side, from that point onward. One thing which has definitely which has happened is that we are focusing so much on our internal process so that we do not have a chance for our dealership. So on so much that there are lot of new things which have been now incorporated in terms of….. There is ad hoc audit which is done by now the team here and it will happen more frequently without any information.
12.13.52
AD
I think the good thing that should have been there and I do not know why it has happened, it should been that the part should have come to us. We are replacing these parts free of cost, whosoever is paying for it is our internal thing right and we will decide whether these parts have been replaced in our workshop or outside our workshop, what is the quality of these workshop, where these parts are coming from because tomorrow it can happen with anyone.
12.15.10
AD
There are certain realities that we all know and there are certain things which you will see clearly how it is changing. I would say in a way you have done good to us by honestly, I would accept it, unofficially that it is a good that you have brought in a point which is I do not know whether people are involved or not involved but it will definitely ensure that in future there is no involvement. because I can vouch one thing on behalf of management 100% that this group of people who are heading today in Skoda are definitely do not have any kind of intention for our dealers to get into this kind of thing. They have absolutely no thing.
12.16.09
HK
What action have you taken against Nummer Eins?
AD
Lots. Unfortunately lots. You will not believe. that is what I am trying to say, even he(jmd auto) is affected, even the third guy(other dealers), anybody because today process part is getting more and more strong to insure that there is no possibility of and I am now insisting on getting every job card and it will happen. Insisting on getting every job card which is getting signed for and I will also tally against the off take of my spare parts. Then apart from that the regular audits and other things whatever, because it is not only for you, it is for me also. Please understand it is a business for me also, the spare parts. When he is not buying a spare part from me and from the market, I am also losing a business.
12.19.01
AD
But even if there is if would say any laxity or any deficiency anywhere in the system, believe me I am a person and other management person on behalf of whom I am asking, we are the people and I am saying that let us get first our house in order to start blaming others. So what we are first doing is that from our side there are 100% correct passes and then we are going to crack down one by one by one to insure there is not even a possibility of somebody doing this thing. I am not even saying that somebody is doing or not doing, there is not even a possibility of somebody doing this. We cannot afford it.
12.24.32
AD
I think let us do it in a way. For your satisfaction with your car is most important so that is one part I would like you to check and tell us that you are now completely satisfied with the repair of the car.
12.25.00
AD
I would say still you check. The second part is that I have absolutely no problem in giving you in writing that we are taking these parts back in Skoda custody inspect and take action against anybody who is involved.
12.35.03
AD
I think one feedback I definitely take it back with me in which I have to discuss it in my level with other people like our sales, service and marketing is that we need to honestly probably strengthen our customer care division a little bit in a more clear cut process but I can also tell you one thing on behalf of may be Karthik and I know you have not had a very good experience, but I do not think he was intentionally doing anything. It was just his judegment of the thing which could have been wrong. Could have been wrong
HK
I have only one issue, why do these parts go back to Nummer Eins?
AD
No it should not. I am telling you.
12.32.04
AD
I promise you this that once we resolve it peacefully, I will ask you to meet, Mr. Thomas Kuehl once, together. We will meet him together on these issues.
12.49.13
AD
Fight this case against Nummer Eins but do not highlight that also in media. I can only request you because in some way Skoda again comes back in the picture. The moment you go to the press.
HK
You mean to say that six months of this what he has done to me and this crime that he has done, I let this pass.
AD
Can I make a statement there? If you are not satisfied in 45 days, then you do whatever you want.
HK
Done. I will do nothing for 45 days, whatever is pending I will put it on hold and if anybody calls me I will ask them, request them, to put it on hold. One or two might go off the block which I am not promising you, but from my side I promise you in 45 days I will not start it. I will not start anything fresh
12.50.05
AD
Woh bolte hain na jitna aap khodoge, utna aur ganda niklega.
12.50.21
AD
For everything in the past, you accept my apology.
12.52.07
AD
Very simple. They will also give you a letter which we have got from them. You give him this car, you give him this letter and you take sign on that letter whatever may it be and by 6 o’clock, you can close everything. finished. Removal of the parts cannot be in writing. For us it is in writing, but what else we are also agreeing that we will not pursue this against Skoda or against Nummer Eins in next 45 days. Skoda is out of it anyway. Against Nummer Eins for the next 45 days and just for you to see that what is the kind of action that Skoda is taking on this issue across the dealers and it is not against one guy but it is across the dealer and when you are satisfied with that, go personally and finish it off because even I would say that you have my word for it. I cannot afford to have this kind of customer satisfaction from any dealers. I am very clear. |