[RX135]

While heading towards office couple of months ago, I noticed a spanking new Honda 2-wheeler showroom near Kothrud Depot. I was quite pleased to see something nearby home compared to other Honda 2-wheeler showrooms in City. In due course of time, started receiving those small pamphlets about new showroom through snail mail and newspaper dailies.

Meanwhile, I had been closely following news regarding CBR250R and now that it is officially launched by Honda, it was time to visit showroom. Having been badly tied up with work since last 2-3 weeks, I decided to reserve this Saturday evening.

Evening 6-6:30 pm, I finally landed up in the showroom with family. There appeared to 2-3 prospective customers sitting around round tables along with salesmen. We hung around for few minutes looking around the showroom, expecting someone to show up. No one did.

Not to be disheartened, after spending few minutes, I asked receptionist lady if there is any salesman that I can talk to. Without bothering to look up, pat came reply: "You have to wait (thambaave laagel).

Assuming everyone was busy, we decided to look around bikes on the display. 15 more minutes and I had checked out all the bikes with their specifications memorized

Having bored ourselves by now, I turned attention back to the reception to find out that the lady receptionist has vanished and a gentleman has replaced her. The customers had left and we were the only ones other than one person talking to the salesman at reception. Other salesmen probably were in "pack up" mode, least bothered about our presence in the showroom.

By now, I really started losing my patience. So, wife walked up to the reception and asked the gentleman about bike. In an indifferent mode, reply came "it will come in 3-4 days for display".

That reply was the last straw on camel's back. I was planning to book the bike today, but that was enough to convince me that, "MyWings Honda" is least interested in selling me any Honda bike, forget a premium one like CBR250R. I just turned around and walked out and as expected, no other even bothered.

It was a sort of Deja Vu as I recalled my earlier encounters with other HMSI dealers, when I bought Activa 2 years back. B.U. Bhandari was then notable exception though and I am pinning my hopes on them again, though their's is the farthest showroom from my house.

Being a new showroom, I was expecting MyWings Honda to be more customer friendly, but probably Honda brand and long waiting list of Honda Scooters was strong enough to make them fall in line with the rest.

[comfortablynumb]

Well, your post saves me a visit to this place. Now it seems to me that I will have to cross my fingers when I visit any Honda showroom in Pune to TD [and maybe buy] the Unicorn. Which should I try first - Kothari Wheels or B.U.Bhandari?

On a different note, I visited Automatic, Swargate and Deccan Suzuki today to TD the GS150R. None of them even had a TD bike, and were least interested in making a sale. The only customers who managed to get some attention were those who had come for buying the Access.

What's with 2 wheeler showrooms in Pune these days?

Cheers,
Vikram

[RX135]

I am planning to send feedback on their customer care email id. Let's see if and how they respond back.

[sids911]

I have my CBR booked with Pashankar Auto, i dont believe i will get a call even after my bike arrives.

All these days the onus is on me to follow up on dates and specifications etc. They just dont care. CBR or Activa, its all just the same for them.

I never get straightforward answers anyways, I am sick to the point that i am thinking of cancelling my booking.

[xingamazon]

Well this is not the first time I am seeing such a thing about Honda m.cycles.
I was shocked by the attitude they had when I had gone to the showroom to book Activa for my wife.
They had this take it or leave it attitude. Its mainly because thier activa is in such huge demand. Also Honda I was informed does manufacture only when they have a firmed up orders. Thus they dont want to stock it seems.
I was pissed off, got a Hero Honda Pleasure instead.

[sajo]

Well, My Wings is pathetic , as per a friend/colleague of mine who recently got an Activa from there.
During the delivery period, they noticed a scratch on one of the panels. So my friend refused to take delivery and started protesting.
To which, MyWings gave a shocking reply : "This is the way vehicles are dispatched from the factory and there is nothing we can do about it. Take it or leave it."

My personal experience with Kothari (On Tilak Road) was just as poor. Butt..I keep hearing that they are better than the others. So I shudder to think how the others might be.
Do give Kothari a shot. Dont let let go of this attractive price tag.

I was pissed off, got a Hero Honda Pleasure instead.

Ditto here. The sales staff at HH was almost Maruti like in comparison.

PS : Have you sold the RX135 ?

[knob]

This is happening everywhere. Customer care has become all time low these days. I was going to get a kinetic a while back and was completely shocked to see the sole distributor in my area had scooters sitting in the rain and sun with stickers peeling and faded and scratched paint. Finally when I selected one but its idling was completely screwed and all they said was take it or leave it, you wont find anything better!!

[RX135]

Originally Posted by sajo

Do give Kothari a shot. Dont let let go of this attractive price tag.
...
PS : Have you sold the RX135 ?

I am planning to check out B.U. Bhandari. Will give a shot to Kothari as well. I had higher hopes from MyWings since it is closer to my house and it's a new dealership. When I posted, I was secretly hoping that someone would have had different experience with them, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Selling RX135? Do you think I'll let go of my handle? Nope, it stays.

Originally Posted by sids911

I never get straightforward answers anyways, I am sick to the point that i am thinking of cancelling my booking.

Why am I not surprised?

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Which should I try first - Kothari Wheels or B.U.Bhandari?

I don't have experience with Kothari (Tilak Road), but B.U. Bhandari were reasonable. I'll have to visit them myself :(

[sajo]

MyWings is pretty close my friend's (and mine too!) residence. Thats the reason they went there to begin with.

The reason most (all?) Honda dealers behave this way is because they have absolutely no fear of escalation at all. Honda doesnt take them to task, no matter what they do. So why would they bother with basic things like being courteous to the customer and attending to their needs ?
They dont even need any sales staff..just a guy at the counter who takes orders would do. The product basically sells itself.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

What's with 2 wheeler showrooms in Pune these days?

It's the same everywhere.
2 wheeler sales happen in such large numbers, that these dealers are taking things for granted. It's the same across all brands. Except for a few dealers who are in the business for a very long time, all others are really arrogant.

[ani_meher]

I would second the same observation. Honda showrooms are like government offices, no one cares what you want. My attitude in this case is just go there and make yourself feel at home! Go and check the display bikes, take out brochures, even misguide people This gets their attention real fast.

On the JM road showroom, more than one times I did this. Went their in evening, and the sales person informed they don't give test rides after 7pm! As if there are no headlights! Hell with that, I promptly went to the service center below the showroom, and told them that the saleperson sitting above has asked you to give me a test ride Worked! Try it.

[Sheel]

I really don't know as to why Honda India w/o fail manages to pick its dealers who are arrogant, have zero knowledge about automobiles and are complacent in their views.

A dealership has just started at my place and the experience while visiting is far from satisfactory and I don't what goes in massaging their ego.

There are no spares as yet ( more than a month since inaugural), no Motorcycles and sales staff aren't even committing any dates.

[Spitfire]

You haven't seen anything at all man.

One should visit the HAIKU HONDA Showroom on HAL Road, Bangalore. I got shouted at by the sales person and he went on to doubt my credibility and knowledge. LOL!!

I had gone there to book a Honda CBR 250.

This place takes the cake and the baker's wife too..

[RX135]

So, looks like we all have issues with our expectations.

We need to lower the expectations (and probably self-esteem) whenever we visit any 2-wheeler showroom, especially the one has anything to do with wings.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by RX135

So, looks like we all have issues with our expectations.

We need to lower the expectations (and probably self-esteem) whenever we visit any 2-wheeler showroom, especially the one has anything to do with wings.

Lol! Reminds me of the following dialog from Calvin & Hobbes:

Hobbes: So the secret to good self-esteem is to lower your expectations to the point where they're already met?

Calvin: Right. We should take pride in our mediocrity.

Hobbes: Remind me to invest overseas.

Cheers,
Vikram