[venkyhere]

A lot of drivel about customer focused business and how they are going to legally screw the customer. They are making a posturing show out of it, instead of nipping the issue in the bud (still not late) by talking directly to the customer and settling the issue (even replacing his vehicle). After pouring so much money into the brand, and after getting so many things right, it will be silly if their PR department's kamikaze mission brings down sales. Information spreads like wildfire in social media.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Lakshit

https://www.rushlane.com/mg-hector-o...-12345056.html


They should try to address customer grievances instead of blaming.

You need to look at it from both sides and hear both sides of the story. MG had told us that their approach would be to resolve all customer issues even if it meant a wear and tear part getting replaced under warranty.

There are many times when customers try to take advantage of situations and threaten the brand with unreasonable demands. For small issues ask for a new car etc.

The whole point of a warranty is if there is a premature failure in first 4 years or whatever duration, it is fixed by the company. No where does it say, new car is given.

The details in this case are not clear and till then I would not blame the owner or the Manufacturer till both sides are known.

[locusjag]

After Skoda went after a customer legally so many years ago, with an elephantine memory, I've avoided Skoda for a decade and ensured that no one i know - i mean no one - buys a Skoda.

I'm adding MG to this list of blacklisted OEMs. Just how stupid does a brand have to be to go after the customer? The customer might be throwing a tantrum...but you don't just go after him. Period.

* This is my very own blacklist, my prerogative.

[coolkurt]

There's just been this one case regarding the clutch plate amongst diesel Hector owners. This gentleman had the same issue twice and both times the clutch was apparently replaced.

Now the customer is spamming every post on the Facebook forums and posting pictures of his donkey treatment of his Hector.

There have been no other complaints regarding the clutch getting burnt on the forum by any other owner. So it probably has to do with the driving style of this particular gentleman. A part can't fail thrice.

I'm sure the official MG reply was by an over zealous social media rep and the same will be modified.

MG does take it's customer service seriously. I was at a Delhi showroom last week enquiring about my booking and the SA was telling me that he'd been sent all the way to Meerut with a technician because a customer was facing connectivity issues with his phone. The culprit was eventually zeroed down to Vodafone having poor connectivity at the owner's residence due to which the iSmart app wasn't working.

And two of my colleagues at work have availed the iSmart road assistance facility, one for running out of fuel and the other for a flat tyre and they were assisted within an hour and half an hour respectively.

[GTO]

Thanks to Riyaz for sending this information in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

Whoa?! Did MG just sue its own customer? That is bad on so many levels



Source & full article

[OrangeCar]

Originally Posted by GTO

Whoa?! Did MG just sue its own customer? That is bad on so many levels

Source & full article

Wooaaa.. that's scary! And a lesson, at least for me, to stay away from the brand.

Why would one want to sue its own customers? Customers come in all manners (colors, races, religion, pocket sizes, temperament, influence, etc.). Its a risk for any brand operating in any sector. Its how smart the brand is in managing such varied variety of customers that matters. Many brands, including reliable Toyota (for the Etios, in Kerala, where many people but banners on their cars for leaks), have faced customer backlash. This is the first time a brand is taking on its own customer, that I know of. And they make it public via a social media post. Extremely poorly thought out marketing move. It looks like marketing fatigue has set in at MG, making them make unforced errors.

Poor customer, put in lots of money, that too on a new entrant with zero history in India, faces issues (benefit of doubt to the customer here), and gets sued for adding to MG's revenue kit.

On a lighter note, anybody who ever travels on an MG, never speak bad about it. The on-board voice recognition system, will listen to it, identify the customer, and then sue him for driving around with people who said something bad about MG.

[locusjag]

^^ "....as the customer continues to hamper the brand's highly held reputation."

What reputation? They are forgetting that to some of us, they are just another Chinese company who bought an old British brand. To most Indians, they are a virtual unknown. Well, not an entirely unknown brand though, since we will now know them as the company that sues their customers.

[coolkurt]

Certainly hope that they didn't sue the customer. It'll be a blot on the company's otherwise impressive marketing strategy.

According to unverified posts on the Facebook group, the customer was offered a replacement car but he wanted monetary compensation for his troubles which the dealer apparently refused.

A customer, no matter how wrong, is still a customer. Car companies who have sued customers in the past haven't had it well.

[Nissan1180]

Curious to know from brand managers in the forum. If a customer is dissatisfied, do you sue him or console him?

I saw 2 videos of this customer and he clearly poses with a new car, and says that the company told him to not drive in the 2nd gear to preserve the clutch. I fail to understand this. And I failed to understand the members here who defend this explanation.

This car may have issues, like other cars. Sadly, the flop in China might not make a technically educated forum available for owners.

Also, some members are posting about roadside services being available within an hour. I may be ignorant, but even Maruti isn't so quick unless it is within the main areas of the city. It would be great if verification of actual accounts are included to help prospective buyers, since social media censoring is in full swing. Otherwise, the vested interest mentioned by MG might actually be true for another context.

[gutsy]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

There's just been this one case regarding the clutch plate amongst diesel Hector owners.

Are you certain? I was casually browsing the MG Hector's FB Page and some of the Hector Owner's club, and I found a number of such references, for eg:



Wondering, the same diesel engine comes with Compass too, are there any such cases reported rampantly by Compass owners too?

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by gutsy

Are you certain?

Wondering, the same diesel engine comes with Compass too, are there any such cases reported rampantly by Compass owners too?

The problem of a burning smell has been reported by a few Hector diesel owners and a couple of them have got the clutch replaced. Strangely, it's got something to do with driving in the 2nd gear with half clutch for a longer duration.

The clutch burning issue has been reported on the compass as well. It's a known issue.

https://youtu.be/meGAYdd1HUQ

https://youtu.be/D5ZPSXUupIQ

[Pulse500]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

The problem of a burning smell has been reported by a few Hector diesel owners and a couple of them have got the clutch replaced. Strangely, it's got something to do with driving in the 2nd gear with half clutch for a longer duration.

Not entirely true though. In some cases, the clutch design, materials, parts could be defective, fluid leakages, or there could be adjustment / calibration issue.

I had a torquey 2005 Hyundai Accent Viva CRDI, drove for 90K+ Km extensively through ghats, loaded and unloaded, not a single issue clutch plate burning, slipping, or shuddering ever in its life. Sold off the car last year. I also own 2011'XUV500, on which I had clutch issues (shuddering and/or slipping on up-slopes at random for a few days). Such issues also could have resulted more than normal heating of clutch but then I never allowed it to get burnt. Same driver, more or less same driving style, two different cars.

Mahindra did repair/replaced the clutch plate, pressure plate, DMFW under warranty. The original parts did not show signs of excessive wear or burning, but the clutch bearing or pressure plate may have sub-optimal design which resulted in either clutch not evenly engaging every time or having uneven pressure or bouncing resulting in shuddering.

Possible cause: Excessive deposits of clutch dust / caking on the bearing or shaft. See how the clutch release works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRIijFHb_4M

Mahindra always treated me well, took product feedback and each complaint well, tried to solve each reported issue, although they know there are some design flaws or limitations.

BTW, during TDs of Hector-D a couple of months back, I did feel its clutch to be 'hard'. Not just the pedal movement, but also the engaging mechanism (not smooth or linear, sudden engagement, sometimes stalling the car). I thought a new clutch plate would be slightly rough for a few thousand Km, or may not have optimal adjustments. Initial rough engagement may have made some drivers to adapt to driving 'half-clutch', eventually leading to premature wearing. (I am driving a 8 year old XUV500 and a year old Nexon-D, so you know where I come from)

[coolkurt]

Here's the confirmation for what I'd posted earlier regarding the entire donkey rant by a customer.

MG had offered to replace the vehicle or provide 100% compensation but the customer wanted a compensation value more than the value of the car.

The same has been confirmed by the MD of MG Motors India, Mr Rajeev Chaba in reply to a tweet.

[gutsy]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Here's the confirmation for what I'd posted earlier regarding the entire donkey rant by a customer.

MG had offered to replace the vehicle or provide 100% compensation but the customer wanted a compensation value more than the value of the car.

The same has been confirmed by the MD of MG Motors India, Mr Rajeev Chaba in reply to a tweet.

It's not confirmation, it's a highly condescending response.

..what else should we do? Hell ya, lets take action against the customer. Lets sue him and threaten him publicly.

Can we even trust this MD, who was embroiled in GM Tavera scandal earlier.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by gutsy

Can we even trust this MD, who was embroiled in GM Tavera scandal earlier.

MG did make the effort to offer a refund or replacement to the customer once it was clear he wasn't satisfied with their product. So full marks for that. Their response however, lacked forward thinking.

You've been unnecessarily raking up the Tavera Scandal which happened 6 years ago. All the CEOs and MDs of GM India were sacked post that. The government report did specify corporate fraud but was satisfied with the parent company's response and no further action was taken. Karl Slym went on to become the MD of Tata Motors.

A customer, no matter what, is a customer, and it's an immature move by MG to pursue a case against him. I've given the same feedback to the MG folks I know in delhi and I'm sure others have to. Hopefully the company reconsiders it's decision and withdraws the same.