[geeash]

Skoda is a disgrace to the automobile universe. I was surprised to see so many threads which voiced customers great displeasures. Is there any chance to chuck them out of the indian contigent?

[clonedintellige]

Let us be realistic here folks. I think it is fair to say that even though Skoda is not so famous for their cars around the world except in India. We cannot deny, barring Fabia ( IMHO, I don't see any VFM in that car) Skoda has/had built a reputation of making fun to drive cars with a gem of a diesel engine among other things that they actually got right. This is not to take anything away from people who have had a traumatic experience with Skoda, but if we pray and hope for Skoda sales to drop dead like a stone, I think we are slightly getting carried away here.

Let me try to explain and try to put things in perspective here. Firstly, We all agree Skoda/dealer is wrong to steal perfectly functional parts on the car and then commit a bigger crime by replacing them with duplicate parts. I'm not a lawyer but Skoda could and should be dragged to court for this serious and very dangerous crime. Secondly, to deny all the wrong doing and even defend its dealer and further more threaten the customers and harass them with the intention to silence them, is absolutely unpardonable. The absolute last straw in this whole unfortunate series of events was to then come here, on our very own forum and threatening us and trying to curtail our fundamental right to speak out and express ! I seriously doubt Skoda would try this tactic anywhere else in the world, for the fear of being cut to size by being barred from selling their product or even being kicked out totally. Maybe, rightly so too. There is no doubt in my mind that Skoda is responsible for how their dealers conduct business. Unfortunately, so far it has miserably fallen short on showing us the same respect they had earned in our country. But, I will still like to add that we need Skoda to carry on doing business in our country, primarily because they do contribute to our economy by employing people and paying taxes. These series of unfortunate instances certainly call for strict penalty, but lets not give them the capital punishment because, like it or not, kicking out Skoda will also harm numerous innocent people for whom Skoda provides an opportunity to afford 3 meals a day.

IMHO, the biggest achievement for T-BHP is not in forcing Skoda to shut shop, but to make them eat their words and compel them to treat its customers better which also means forcing them to radically restructure their A.S.S and fully compensate their harassed customers like Harish and many others.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by clonedintellige

We cannot deny, barring Fabia ( IMHO, I don't see any VFM in that car) Skoda has/had built a reputation of making fun to drive cars with a gem of a diesel engine among other things that they actually got right.

+1 to that. They do built some excellent cars. I actually feel terrible for VW / Skoda Europe. They are the ones who actually design & engineer the cars. The only one thing that Skoda India has to do is sell and service them. How much easier can it get than that? Yet, the parent company's efforts are washed away thanks to Skoda India's terrible management of service.

There is no doubt in my mind that Skoda is responsible for how their dealers conduct business.

You can say that again. It is Skoda India - alone - who is responsible for maintaining its dealer / service standards. Even after this entire issue came up, have we seen any changes? Nope, not yet.

IMHO, the biggest achievement for T-BHP is not in forcing Skoda to shut shop, but to make them eat their words and compel them to treat its customers better which also means forcing them to radically restructure their A.S.S and fully compensate their harassed customers like Harish and many others.

As Navin and I have continually stated, we'd much rather see Skoda turn over a new leaf in India. While we were optimistic after meeting with them, sadly, over the past 2 months, there have been absolutely ZERO updates or initiatives. Now, if you don't make amends in a crisis situation, what is to be expected in the long term?

I do hope that Skoda India improves its customer service standards to *atleast* acceptable levels. However, until and when that happens, we will be watching closely. And will continue warn potential customers of the brand.

[maglev]

After the experience I've had 2 days ago, I guess Skoda is finally moving towards the right path. My dad's Octavia had both its fans ( Radiator & Aircon ) in the Engine compartment blown out completely, both stopped functioning & the bigger one even emitted smoke. This happened because a rat had apparently chewed a few wires causing a short circuit. As a result of this, at first the A/C did not function and then the car started to overheat. I called up a few Skoda workshops and none of them had both the fans in stock not only this they were not even sure of the fact that even if they ordered them from the factory, how long would the fan's take to reach the workshop.

The car became useless, it was cleaned & covered up & we waited for almost 20-25 days after which I started looking for the fan's in the grey market. In the grey market there were other specific issues such as: no warranty being offered, nor was there any way with which I could confirm the RPM of the grey market fan's in comparison to the OE fan's.

Then somehow I got to know about Continental Auto, Mathura Road. I called these guys up and to my utter surprise they had both the fan's in stock and the service advisor even told me to arrange for the crane on my own, so that the car could be towed to the workshop, as this would not only turn out to be cheaper but prevent damage to the head gasket as well.

I reached the workshop at about 9:30am. These guys changed the fans, Scanned my car using the scanning computer they have. Apart from this they checked all the oils, filters, etc even fixed a broken corner Head-Lamp winker using elfy. The car was ready by 12. I was only charged for the parts (Fans) and fan replacement labour.

Apart from all of this now comes the surprise!!

They gave me a booklet containing coupons worth Rs. 5000/- the coupons ranged from free balancing/alignment to free washes and even a free dry clean. This is something which I did not expect even in the wildest of my dreams.

I finally left the workshop with a .

I even got a call from them yesterday asking about a feedback to which I gave a very positive response.

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by maglev

Apart from all of this now comes the surprise!!

They gave me a booklet containing coupons worth Rs. 5000/- the coupons ranged from free balancing/alignment to free washes and even a free dry clean. This is something which I did not expect even in the wildest of my dreams.

I finally left the workshop with a .

I even got a call from them yesterday asking about a feedback to which I gave a very positive response.

thats a great experience. but are you sure that they are entirely free coupons. because tata have also come with such scheme in pune. basically this is not a TATA motors scheme, but a scheme of a authorised service centre.
this scheme is launched so that people get their tata cars serviced at thier service stations only. they give a coupon in 1000 rs.
but the clauses are.

1. first service free
2. second paid
3. 3rd free
4. 4th paid and so on till 6th service
5. 1 free wheel alignment and balancing
6. 20% off on spares
7. 20% off on labor
8. referral and exchange schemes etc..

they claim there is a total benifit of 45k rs over 2 years to the customers.
but this scheme is only to drive customers to their service station.

[McLaren Rulez]

Well I think no Skoda owner would risk his car with the local mechanics unless they're really good mechanics. Skoda's are pretty complex compared to Tata (at least I always had that impression) so its a win-win situation for both the customer and Skoda in this case.

[maglev]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

thats a great experience. but are you sure that they are entirely free coupons. because tata have also come with such scheme in pune. basically this is not a TATA motors scheme, but a scheme of a authorised service centre.
this scheme is launched so that people get their tata cars serviced at thier service stations only. they give a coupon in 1000 rs.
but the clauses are.

1. first service free
2. second paid
3. 3rd free
4. 4th paid and so on till 6th service
5. 1 free wheel alignment and balancing
6. 20% off on spares
7. 20% off on labor
8. referral and exchange schemes etc..

they claim there is a total benifit of 45k rs over 2 years to the customers.
but this scheme is only to drive customers to their service station.

This offer is from the dealer and not Skoda, coupons are valid for 2 years from the date of issue. To be honest even if its a way to get me back to them for future servicing/repair needs, I won't mind! the quality of the work done was really really good. I was there the whole time!

[McLaren Rulez]

You know, all I want is for Skoda to apologize to harishv and compensate him. They make such fantastic cars and it would really impress me if the company owned up to its errors as that would show how committed they are to India. I'm sure a lot of people would think better of Skoda if they did that. Skoda, are you reading???

[navin]

Originally Posted by maglev

This happened because a rat had apparently chewed a few wires causing a short circuit.

I was only charged for the parts (Fans) and fan replacement labour.

Apart from all of this now comes the surprise!!

They gave me a booklet containing coupons worth Rs. 5000/-

1. Is you car under warranty?

2. The service you mention above (expect for the5000 worth of coupons) should be considered normal.

Given the number of bad reports about Skoda dealer A.S.S it is nice to hear of a few good experiences.

[maglev]

Originally Posted by navin

1. Is you car under warranty?

2. The service you mention above (expect for the5000 worth of coupons) should be considered normal.

Given the number of bad reports about Skoda dealer A.S.S it is nice to hear of a few good experiences.

The car is not under warranty, I have been charged earlier at other service centers for the computerized scanning at the time of running repairs. They do it free of cost during routine servicing but during running repair such as this one, they do charge for it. These guys did it for free as well as inspecting almost everything.

P.S.: This is my first experience at this Service Center.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by clonedintellige

Let us be realistic here folks. I think it is fair to say that even though Skoda is not so famous for their cars around the world except in India. We cannot deny, barring Fabia ( IMHO, I don't see any VFM in that car) Skoda has/had built a reputation of making fun to drive cars with a gem of a diesel engine among other things that they actually got right. This is not to take anything away from people who have had a traumatic experience with Skoda, but if we pray and hope for Skoda sales to drop dead like a stone, I think we are slightly getting carried away here.

Let me try to explain and try to put things in perspective here. Firstly, We all agree Skoda/dealer is wrong to steal perfectly functional parts on the car and then commit a bigger crime by replacing them with duplicate parts. I'm not a lawyer but Skoda could and should be dragged to court for this serious and very dangerous crime. Secondly, to deny all the wrong doing and even defend its dealer and further more threaten the customers and harass them with the intention to silence them, is absolutely unpardonable. The absolute last straw in this whole unfortunate series of events was to then come here, on our very own forum and threatening us and trying to curtail our fundamental right to speak out and express ! I seriously doubt Skoda would try this tactic anywhere else in the world, for the fear of being cut to size by being barred from selling their product or even being kicked out totally. Maybe, rightly so too. There is no doubt in my mind that Skoda is responsible for how their dealers conduct business. Unfortunately, so far it has miserably fallen short on showing us the same respect they had earned in our country. But, I will still like to add that we need Skoda to carry on doing business in our country, primarily because they do contribute to our economy by employing people and paying taxes. These series of unfortunate instances certainly call for strict penalty, but lets not give them the capital punishment because, like it or not, kicking out Skoda will also harm numerous innocent people for whom Skoda provides an opportunity to afford 3 meals a day.

IMHO, the biggest achievement for T-BHP is not in forcing Skoda to shut shop, but to make them eat their words and compel them to treat its customers better which also means forcing them to radically restructure their A.S.S and fully compensate their harassed customers like Harish and many others.

,

Agree totally, we need skoda to continue the business out here, and improve their service levels, hope they first solve the unresolved issues that are pending. I do wonder what kind of marketing guy they have out there in the company who does not get the fundamental about bad word of mouth (in this case web content).

[clonedintellige]

Originally Posted by maglev

After the experience I've had 2 days ago, I guess Skoda is finally moving towards the right path. My dad's Octavia had both its fans ( Radiator & Aircon ) in the Engine compartment blown out completely, both stopped functioning & the bigger one even emitted smoke. This happened because a rat had apparently chewed a few wires causing a short circuit. As a result of this, at first the A/C did not function and then the car started to overheat. I called up a few Skoda workshops and none of them had both the fans in stock not only this they were not even sure of the fact that even if they ordered them from the factory, how long would the fan's take to reach the workshop.

The car became useless, it was cleaned & covered up & we waited for almost 20-25 days after which I started looking for the fan's in the grey market. In the grey market there were other specific issues such as: no warranty being offered, nor was there any way with which I could confirm the RPM of the grey market fan's in comparison to the OE fan's.

Then somehow I got to know about Continental Auto, Mathura Road. I called these guys up and to my utter surprise they had both the fan's in stock and the service advisor even told me to arrange for the crane on my own, so that the car could be towed to the workshop, as this would not only turn out to be cheaper but prevent damage to the head gasket as well.

I reached the workshop at about 9:30am. These guys changed the fans, Scanned my car using the scanning computer they have. Apart from this they checked all the oils, filters, etc even fixed a broken corner Head-Lamp winker using elfy. The car was ready by 12. I was only charged for the parts (Fans) and fan replacement labour.

Apart from all of this now comes the surprise!!

They gave me a booklet containing coupons worth Rs. 5000/- the coupons ranged from free balancing/alignment to free washes and even a free dry clean. This is something which I did not expect even in the wildest of my dreams.

I finally left the workshop with a .

I even got a call from them yesterday asking about a feedback to which I gave a very positive response.

I can barely think of anything else sounding much sweeter than a happy customer whole-heartedly praising a service support provided by the dealer. Wasn't continental Auto also discussed here for all the wrong reasons here in an earlier post? If so, this is definitely a welcome surprise !

I don't know if this change in attitude is an outcome of T-BHP(ians) efforts in drawing Skoda's attention to all the wrong doings, but if all Skoda dealers across the country can emulate this, I guess it will go a long way in undoing the damage that they have inflicted upon themselves !

[VahanPujari]

Originally Posted by clonedintellige

but if we pray and hope for Skoda sales to drop dead like a stone, I think we are slightly getting carried away here.

But, I will still like to add that we need Skoda to carry on doing business in our country, primarily because they do contribute to our economy by employing people and paying taxes. These series of unfortunate instances certainly call for strict penalty, but lets not give them the capital punishment because, like it or not, kicking out Skoda will also harm numerous innocent people for whom Skoda provides an opportunity to afford 3 meals a day.

IMHO, the biggest achievement for T-BHP is not in forcing Skoda to shut shop, but to make them eat their words and compel them to treat its customers better which also means forcing them to radically restructure their A.S.S and fully compensate their harassed customers like Harish and many others.

Well, I disagree.
What you're saying is what everyone here was trying to do for more than 2 months. Earlier people here said the similar things wishing Skoda will improve their A.S.S. & its in our interest that they remain here blah blah.

What happened? Is the resolution reached? No. Are problems of those who suffered at the hands of Skoda solved? A Big No. More & more recent stories are coming some even more horrible. Suggest you put yourself in harishv's, kapiljolly's, that banglorean's, evo's & someone recent (whose Alloys & Music System got stolen) shoes, undergo the pain of going thro' such harassment. You know what - in addition to moneytary losses, its the time, effort, mental agony & above all feeling duped & still not able to do anything is what killing these guys. After going thro' all that Will you still be able to wait & wait & wait "hoping" Skoda to improve.

I remember that I had mentioned this earlier & this will be a repeatation but hell with it. If these Skoda stories are going to continue coming, its better Skoda packs up & goes back (dont know how). Our country has much stronger economy & one Skoda won't make any difference. Some other MFR will come or some other MFR sale will increase who'll absorb those Skoda employees. Also, would someone like to work with a company that cheats the customers or steals from the customers rather than working for the other comany which comes up or increases capacity.

[clonedintellige]

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

Well, I disagree.
What you're saying is what everyone here was trying to do for more than 2 months. Earlier people here said the similar things wishing Skoda will improve their A.S.S. & its in our interest that they remain here blah blah.

What happened? Is the resolution reached? No. Are problems of those who suffered at the hands of Skoda solved? A Big No. More & more recent stories are coming some even more horrible. Suggest you put yourself in harishv's, kapiljolly's, that banglorean's, evo's & someone recent (whose Alloys & Music System got stolen) shoes, undergo the pain of going thro' such harassment. You know what - in addition to moneytary losses, its the time, effort, mental agony & above all feeling duped & still not able to do anything is what killing these guys. After going thro' all that Will you still be able to wait & wait & wait "hoping" Skoda to improve.

I remember that I had mentioned this earlier & this will be a repeatation but hell with it. If these Skoda stories are going to continue coming, its better Skoda packs up & goes back (dont know how). Our country has much stronger economy & one Skoda won't make any difference. Some other MFR will come or some other MFR sale will increase who'll absorb those Skoda employees. Also, would someone like to work with a company that cheats the customers or steals from the customers rather than working for the other comany which comes up or increases capacity.

Your disgust is justified and believe you me, the first thing that came to my mind when I was going through the posts was- "what would I do, if it was me?" which is precisely why I can fully sympathize with Harish, Kapiljolly and others. If you read my posts again, not once have I condoned what Skoda or their dealers have done. It was wrong and there can never be two ways about it. I also agree that one cannot wait for ever. But bear in mind that you will seldom see a change happening at breakneck speed. Sure in Harish's case, it has been dragged on for over an year (if I am not wrong). You could say that it is easy for me to say this, since I haven't undergone this personally, but corporate restructuring never happens at the pace it is expected to happen. I'd even go on and say that it shouldn't, because the whole process of restructuring is to understand what went wrong, how to fix it and what are the ramifications of bringing about a change. The minute a company takes its eye off these factors and tries to look at a quick-fix, chances are it is goofing up somewhere else and in time, that mistake is bound to raise its ugly head somewhere down the line. Besides, this matter is in court and we know how things get dragged on there. Less said the better.

We are all clear that Justice needs to be done to those who were deceived. I'm still not convinced kicking them out of the country is the ideal solution. I say this because I also put myself in the shoes of the chap who is employed with Skoda- someone who had nothing to do with any of this, and trust me he probably doesn't even have an inkling of what is going on. Imagine his plight when he gets fired for no fault of his with the burden of having to provide for his family. Sure, our economy is fairly strong even in this period of recession and you and I would hardly lose sleep over Skoda being thrown out, but we can't speculate that all those who lost their jobs will be absorbed by another manufacturer. Besides, the fact still remains- A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and we are most certainly not the weakest link. I'm sure you get the drift of the point I'm making here.

But all said, I'd like to see justice being done, even if that means Skoda ceases to exist. But not before the decision is fully deliberated. And, despite how cliched and irksome it may be...patience is a virtue my friend

[Shantanu1972]

Sounds like the better looking Volkswagen (Skoda) is really much much worse than the crappy VWs that sell in the US.