[BulZire]

After seeing the taking off posed safari's on road few times, I myself got a mindset that my safari is also running in the same way and started getting a bit uncomfortable while driving. So i started checking the actual pose of the car in multiple instances with different number of passengers and luggage's with different weights. Yes, the safari rear bottoms out with more loads at the rear. But Otherwise it is in a perfect magnificient pose with 2[1st] + 3 [Middle]+some luggage[rear].

[ebonho]

Tata Motors on a major offensive man. Received 3 calls from three different people.

First 2 of the 3 were the ones with females in ultra chaste Hindi who rumble on like automatons through their spiel even as you try desperately to cut them off to say something or hang up.

Gave them a peice of my mind about receiving 3 feedback calls (I had received one earlier as well which I had done diligently giving them the numerical rankings and all) for the same service. Don't they have logs and a tracking system about who it is they have already callled and gotten feedback from?

The last one was more a marketing survey about why I chose the Storme, the competition considered, what I like about the Storme, what I don't, what I would like added to the Storme, why the Storme and not the Dicor, and if not the LX which other variant I would have liked and why (again automatorn mode - I told them I bought the EX and why it was better value to me personally, but the guy was not interested - why would you buy another variant if not the LX sir? )

Anyways, have already given the dealer TASS a piece of my mind as well. First they make you sign the Satisfaction note and on another feedback rating form with a lot of colored circles and stuff - right when the driver hands you the keys and is about to leave after delivering your freshly serviced car.

I mean come on man - how is a customer supposed to say he is satisfied and give detailed ranking etc. when he has not yet even SAT in his just returned car?

Second, you get a call the next day asking you if you are satisfied and to please say so in a positive manner when the call from Tata Motors comes ......

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Tata Motors on a major offensive man. Received 3 calls from three different people.

First 2 of the 3 were the ones with females in ultra chaste Hindi who rumble on like automatons through their spiel even as you try desperately to cut them off to say something or hang up.
...

I mean come on man - how is a customer supposed to say he is satisfied and give detailed ranking etc. when he has not yet even SAT in his just returned car?

Second, you get a call the next day asking you if you are satisfied and to please say so in a positive manner when the call from Tata Motors comes ......

He he Nicely related.

The feedback thing is what most - if not all - service centres try. I've had similar experiences with Chevy and Ford.

So.. Why didn't you buy the LX?

[GrammarNazi]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Tata Motors on a major offensive man. Received 3 calls from three different people.
...
Second, you get a call the next day asking you if you are satisfied and to please say so in a positive manner when the call from Tata Motors comes ......

I have faced similar bombardment since 3 years. If I utter just ONCE that I'm not satisfied, that will be followed up by 20 follow up calls. All of whom won't know "What went wrong"!

Honestly, this may feel funny now, but when this actually happened to me (3 times), it felt like the entire TML is hammering down on the customer trying to squeeze out a positive review by hook or by crook or by pleading or by sternly pressurising.

Agreed, eventually the problem may be getting solved, but the amount of trauma it created to me & amount of noise it created about "TATA this, TATA that..." got my family worried about what went so devastatingly wrong with TATA for me to get so very many calls from them.

This is one thing I'm going to specifically complain to Mr.Karl Slym if I meet him. TML employees ARE trying to pressurise us to get a better score & somehow try to extract 10/10.

The feedback form looked like this right :

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The last one was more a marketing survey about why I chose the Storme, the competition considered, what I like about the Storme, what I don't, what I would like added to the Storme, why the Storme and not the Dicor, and if not the LX which other variant I would have liked and why (again automatorn mode - I told them I bought the EX and why it was better value to me personally, but the guy was not interested - why would you buy another variant if not the LX sir?

This is not as stupid as you may think.The survey was probably prepared by a consulting firm.One of the goals is to positively reinforce your choice .Making you articulate in your own mind why the storme is soo awesome and the competition is BS. And why everyone should buy the high end variants! Youve been recruited to be a TATA evangelist my friend. !
Like the koreans who made american POWs write essays about why communism is better than capitalism,and disadvantages of being american.


Exaggerations aside, you can look up Robert Chaldinis works on how this world of subtle mind manipulation works.

[smsrini]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Tata Motors on a major offensive man. Received 3 calls from three different people.

:

Hi!

I can understand your frustration having, borne this for the last 7 yrs with my safari.

However...

Even Honda does a new car purchase survey/ sales satisfaction survey, administered by JDPower...so it's the industry way of gathering some marketing and sale related CSAT information. If you don't know what is broken, how do you fix it, right ?

Similarly the service satisfaction survey provides some information to the company on a workshop's performance. Yes it is wrong to ask for feedback when you haven't seen the vehicle, but the form with dots does not ask about the quality of repairs. That happens in the call after 2 days, which you get from Tata motors call center. The 2 days time is fair for a customer to find any problems with service quality.

The calls from the workshop before this, pleading for a 10/10 rating are pesky. Sometimes the SA calls and sometimes a lady.

I think the SA and workshop are compensated in some form for the ratings, and hence the follow up and calls.

Give your SA a 10/10 ( deserving) rating consecutively for a few times, and you have an ally on your side. I speak from experience. He will then be willing to bend backward to accommodate you when required!

The thing that irritates me most about these calls from the Tata call center is that they assume you know Kannada, just because you stay in Bangalore! duh?

Cheers!

[narayan]

If any Chennai member is interested in buying a Storme there is a March and April 2013 Lx Pearl white with VST motors and discounts upto 45-50k should be possible (of this 30k is loyalty bonus if you already own a Tata car in the family)

[ebonho]

Nice inputs @GrammarNazi, @drsingh, and @smsrini !

Yeah, GrammarNazi that's exactly the colorful dots form I was talking about. Having been a corporate guy all my working career, it simply goes against the grain for me to be rushed into signing anything unless I have had the time to read and digest it. But I did here because well the TASS guys have been really helpful and cooperative and good in getting things solved quickly and efficiently and without an haggling or arguments or negotiations. Which is something I am quickly begining to appreciate about both Tata and its dealers.

Yes smsrini, you are right about the ratings done by international bodies etc. This was explained to me by the TASS CSM who said that because of the recession and the downturn in auto sales there was IMMENSE pressure on ALL auto manufacturers to get and show as high rating as possible when it came to customer satisfaction (you know - the banner headlines about being "#1 in Customer Satisfaction X years running" that sort of thing).

I just feel that some really clever minds (as explained by drsingh) have come up with some really good products in the form of these surveys and forms and questionnaires, and to do it as a check the box formality is a big waste and deprives the company and the dealers from the real benefits of the free knowledge, field testing data, and feedback from informed and pretty passionate gear heads like us who would like to be partners in the whole proces as the third corner of the triangle.

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by narayan

Guys I have a query on the rear suspension. I have noticed in the Safari,the rear bottoms out big time with 3+2 seating (2nd and 3rd row). So much that the front will be pointed upwards like an airbus about to take off. Does the Storme also show the same tendency or it looks more neutral under load?

Hi @narayan,

Congrats for the booking the vehicle.

I understand many people have already replied to your observation, but I could not resist myself quoting the White EcoSports I saw few days back, which had rear bogged down with 2 gents in the rear (total 5 passengers, & some luggage as well). I have posted the same in EcoSport thread as well.

IMO this is a problem with almost all SUVs, except the Chevy Captiva, which has got some electronics to aid the vehicle out of such situation. I have personally seen almost SUVs, new or old, except Captiva, Duster & Fortuner, but, firmly believe the latter two will also suffer the same fate if loaded with people & luggage).

Hope this is helpful.

[condor]

Originally Posted by smsrini

Give your SA a 10/10 ( deserving) rating consecutively for a few times, and you have an ally on your side. I speak from experience. He will then be willing to bend backward to accommodate you when required!

I thought the feedback would anonymized ..

Originally Posted by smsrini

The thing that irritates me most about these calls from the Tata call center is that they assume you know Kannada, just because you stay in Bangalore! duh?

Exactly ! I think they should look at the product & then take a call on language to be used.
A Safari owner is most likely not a candidate for local language. If the car is an Indica, it could be a cabbie too - there the local language would be preferable.

The least that they could do is ask the respondent his language of choice.


I also dont know what does the caller do if I ask him to call back after a week when I want more time to give feedback ? Reason I ask is I dont remember a follow up call being done in such cases. Does the caller give some random (good) feedback ratings and close the call ?

[storme'd]

Originally Posted by condor

I thought the feedback would anonymized ..

Exactly ! I think they should look at the product & then take a call on language to be used.
A Safari owner is most likely not a candidate for local language. If the car is an Indica, it could be a cabbie too - there the local language would be preferable.

The least that they could do is ask the respondent his language of choice.

I also dont know what does the caller do if I ask him to call back after a week when I want more time to give feedback ? Reason I ask is I dont remember a follow up call being done in such cases. Does the caller give some random (good) feedback ratings and close the call ?

I am sure most of these calls will be monitored. They would need this for quality control considering they are running a call centre. Don't know if anyone hears the recordings though😜

Also overall this feedback session is a farce; they literally force you to give a good feedback. I personally look at the Pune number and don't answer those calls only 😛

[Trapezio]

I bought a Hyundai a year before. I must have have received (and still continuing) between 15 to 20 calls till date!

Three or four were remainder calls from the dealer suggesting how I should rate. One of those calls even had a 'mock test'.

Unfortunately from the last month I am getting bombarded with sms messages as well!

Phew! Buying a car is tough eeh? LOL!

Sorry to digress.

[CharlesA]

My 2 week old storme pulls to the left fron day1. Tyres and alloys have not made any difference. Two days spent trying to allign the wheels but it stills slightly pulls to the left and this is not due to banking of the roads. Yesterday the brake fluid light started glowing, fluid was full and by the time i reached the service center it vanished. Quality seems to be a mixed bag. The good thing is the service centre starts working on the vehicle without delay. The vwhicle is fun to drive though, wish it was niggle free....

[narayan]

Guys

Have any of you done any bumper protection accessories/fitments ?

Also I am once again requesting info on the Storme alloys. Is 16" and 7.5J sufficient info to shop around for the alloys ? What is the PCD ?

[condor]

Originally Posted by narayan

Have any of you done any bumper protection accessories/fitments ?

No good options yet for Bumpers - the only one is what is on the Storme explorer.

Reg alloys, pcd is 160, rim size is 6.5J. It is standard Safari size, so any good tyre/alloy dealer can help you. Try for 6.5J or 7J ..

If you want to do 7.5J, then you may need to get wider tyres (wider than 235/70).

Originally Posted by CharlesA

My 2 week old storme pulls to the left fron day1. ...

@Charles, what tyres / alloys do you have / have tried ?
And where are you getting it checked ?