continuing from hereLet me rewind -
15th May - fill car, notice it only did 8km/ltr. Been using the car early morning to go to the gym/ cubbon park. As engine is cold and roads empty, never pushed it, felt throttle was dead- thought it was thin air density!
Now Play
17 May 7.30: Decide to give it the usual Sarjapur grind - a little more sluggish but not too concerned.
12.30 Go to Koramangala for an appointment - never pushed it in thick traffic.
1.45: Return to Sarjapur - notice that it behaves like a Vtec - all action at 4000 RPM. On Outer ring road - Getz tailgating me closely, downshift into 4th - no gears. Stop, switch off, put into reverse, then first. Car moves but slight judder. Drive into campus - open bonnet and inspect cables - nothing amiss. Car reverses and goes forward/back. Consult Old Man / Psycho. Maybe shifter is off
5.15 - depart - on outer ring road - car feels sluggish - decide to go straight to Mandovi despite Pratham located opposite my office
5.30 - car gives up totally before Silk Board - some decent auto guys help me push it onto a service road. Call Mandovi MOS - in Indiranagar - ask me to contact the central Maruti line
5.40 -Call the central line - give car and location details. Assured that I will be contacted in 10 min
5.45 - Call the Old Man - second best stress reliever
5.45 - receive SMS that I wil be contacted
6.15 - Old Man rings - what happened?
6.20 - no response - call central line - assured that I will be called in 10 min
6.30 - Pratham calls. Explain problem. They will arrive in one hour as he is towing a car back to Sarjapur - Dread wait - raining heavily and ending back in my office opposite Pratham. Get a bottle of water. Switch on engine, a/c and music - (full tank so I might as well enjoy). Dreading towing across ring road in thick traffic
7.00 - Pratham calls to say he is on his way. ETA 15 min
7.02 -Ring Old Man to update him - Old man decides to come over despite, rain, lousy customer meeting and dense traffic
7.05 - SMS that technician on his way
7.40 - MOS Omni arrives - traffic thick and locating car caused delay
7.50 - Decides to tow - luckily it is a team so I empty my stuff. Old man 10 min away. Watch as the car is acrross ring road. Relived that it is being professionaly done. Asked to come in to sort paperwork tomorrow
8.05 - Spy the Bling machine - sink in and listen to the awesome sound and pray for T-bhp network and the Old Man.
8.30 - Reach home and Old Man and I have the best stress remover - Good Old Single Malt
18May
8.00 am - Take the Bus to work
9.20 am - Arrive at Pratham. Car parked in reception area.
9.25 am - Service advisors hanging outside tell me to go to desk. Desk tell me go find supervisor. I blow up and say a few words about customer service.
9.30 am - Person assigned and car check in process begins - check car out - 100% safe, keys in ignition (all night ?) Retrieve ipod left in a hurry. Towing eye taken and left back in tool kit.
9.45 am -Told might be clutch abuse - driven with handbrake on. We'll open up and see. I refute this. Wait for verdict. Assured of call by noon
Till.1 pm - no call
1.00pm - Call mobile no of service advisor - no response
1.40pm - call again - Advisor picks up and says he is outside and will call soon
2.30 - call - no answer, call ,no answer X 4
2.45 - get onto shuttle to my airport road office - call - no answer -get sms that in a meeting, pls call later
3.30- call ,no answer X 5. Call landline - asked for service manager - why ? Reason explained. Assured of a response in 10 min
3.40 - Told to expect a call from the mechanic dismantling the car in 10 min
3.50 - Mechanic calls and explains pressure plate worn out and plate totally gone. Clutch abuse story starts - I refuse to accept this. Given the mobile of the Service manager to call. Call and no reply X 2 - company culture ?
4.00 - rush into a meeting so cannot follow up
4.45 - success - spoke to Service Manager and explain problem - he said that he will look into it and revert
5.15 - hop across to the Leela where my honda is waiting - my wife windowshopping in the Leela.
6.00 - Call service manager again - mechanic has gone on a test drive - he will revert
19th
Decide to take my Honda to work as no insight on whether car will be ready.
10.00 am - Call Service Maanger - Get no answer - am in a mega training session so decide that I will not get distracted
2.30 - Call service advisor - Car taken on test drive and some gearbox casing damage found - to be replaced under warranty. I suggest that I pick up car tomm at 10am rather than rush them
20th May Ring up at 9.45. Told to come
Reach at 11.00 - Car on a test drive. Service relation person actually waiting to meet me. Mentions that there is a warranty issue so job is not closed but will release car. They are awaiting communication from Maruti Told to wait for 30min. We go out to see someone
Return at 12.00. Car is brought. I ask to see what was done. Am shown the emails and photos sent to Maruti. Photo shows clutch plate unevenly worn and pressure plate looking like a coir board cast off. Email mentions that "Customer might have driven with handbrake on and refuses to accept this" They want to know the total service history. I invite the mechanics to look at the brake drums of the car if this is the case. Also to inspect the Honda and trace the previous 800 under the True Value scheme. Anyway, I said let us see what the verdict is My wife decided she would take the Honda
Drove home and here I am
Make your own conclusions on the transaction. Will await final verdict. At least I got the car back and there is a willingness to look into my grievance.
Luckily 1st service was with Pratham
You know where the second service will be !