60000 KMS - 16th Oct 2014 :
I reach Concorde Dairy circle for my service appointment. I updated the SA about my clutch issue in addition to scheduled 60000 KMs service. SA tells me that he will have the clutch inspected and IF it needs replacement, they will inform me and then the car will be delivered to me on 17th Oct afternoon (I for a fact know that the clutch needs replacement).
Engine flush was added to the service list. He was very interested in pushing for AMC, which I ended up buying, of course, on my own will. The point is, the focus is more on selling additional stuff like engine decarb, bardahl additives, Engine flush, AMC etc. Especially, when AMC is being sold, the promise is you need not pay anything from your pocket Sir! I will tell the story when i come to 70000 KMs story next.
I called up on 16th evening and I am told they are checking the car and will be ready on 17th. 17th Oct I dont hear anything. 17th Oct afternoon, still nothing. Evening around 6:30 PM, i get a SMS saying your car is ready and contact SA for delivery. I call the SA, the phone is not reachable.
I set out on 18th Oct morning to get my car and the SA tries to put me on defensive by saying "Sir I was trying to reach you yesterday but your mobile was not reachable". I show him the SMS and told him if it was not reachable, how did I get the SMS? I also had received calls from others at around that time. So, he quickly changed focus to some other topic and then, breaks the news that clutch they have checked and can still run 5000 KMs.
RIDICULOUS. So you took two days for a simple oil change and some bundled services that you were marketing!!!??
I pay over 10K for the AMC and then, the car is given to me. There is no customer satisfaction feedback form that was given - very convenient!
I let go of that experience as one-off as I have always had pleasant experience with them so far.
Fast Forward today:
2nd April 2015: 70000 Kms service
I take an appt on 1st Apr for service on 2nd Apr for 8:30 AM. I reach there by 8:40 AM. I was given a token and tag. I am asked to wait. I wait till 9:30 AM. The same SA comes to me. Looks at my service history.
I had done clutch replacement at around 63500 KMs in Jan 2015 and was handled by the same SA. He had with a lot of sarcasm told me then, that Engine Decarbonization is required after clutch replacement for a FULL SATISFACTORY EXPERIENCE. Funny! But since, I had not got the decarb done for last 20K+ KMS, I agreed, although I did not see the need for it. The decarbonization inflated the bill by 1375/-Rs - that is a different story.
I was under the impression that the service interval is 10K kms or 6 months whichever is earlier. It turns out that (as per SA) it is one year. So he told me that I can continue to run my car for another 2.5K Kms as it has done only 67K KMs and then come back, or get it done now. I chose to do it today - no complaints there.
Then we walk to my car. He says the car has AMC. When he sold the AMC to me last time, he said, "Saar, next time service you will NOT pay anything due to AMC, other than wheel balancing weights."
Today, he starts writing the stuff on the Job Slip.
He writes engine oil and filter replacement and puts Rs 500. I ask him why, he says that is for cleansing agent. Load of bull! Then, Engine Flush 700/- and some foam cleaning 1100. I ask him what on earth is that? He says cleaning is checking all the bushes of the car for 1100 Rs. My question is then, what the hell is supposed to be done in the services when they say inspect belts and bushes?
I politely tell him to take out engine flush and foam cleaning. Still, I am given an estimate of 1300 Rs of which Rs 500 is mud flaps, which is ok. Why should i still pay 800 Rs when I have AMC?
Then comes the best part. He tells me that he can give the car only tomorrow 3rd Apr. I tell him I need it today. He tells me he will TRY. I tell him no trying, I need the car today as there is no major work other than oil change and other small stuff like wheel alignment and balancing and mud flap. I told him that if he can not commit, I will not leave the car today. He very coolly takes the slip back from me and says come another day. I conveyed to him that I wasted over 1 hour, cancelled meetings for this service and this guy has the audacity to tell me to come another day as cars that came for service yesterday have not made it out, when I have a valid appointment! He sensed my mood and took the car for service grudginly and said I will have to give him lots of time today. I told him it is ok to be late, but I need the car today.
What is the value in taking a service appointment if you do not have enough capacity to service cars? Decline and give me an appointment on another day when you can really service my car. Couldn't help but think that the SA behaved the way he did because I refused the foam clean and flush! :)
Make no mistake, Inddie is fantastic car. But my current and last service experiences have been sub par. I think I really have to find an independent garage who can do routine service without fuss and go to concorde only when something is broken and needs replacement. I may not have a choice as long as I have ext warranty - till march 2016. Certainly, I will have to find another TASC other than Concorde.
Attitude towards customers is all it takes to break the confidence, trust and customer loyalty. Was very excited with Zest launch and Hexa concept and wanted Zest (or upcoming kite) to be replacement for my Inddie and Hexa to be replacement for my Corolla Altis at the end of 2016.
Must say, after spending lakhs of hard earned money and thousands in service so far, this leaves a bad taste.
Update 21:00 Hours: Got a call from SA at 4:25 PM that the car is ready. I reach there by 5:30 PM. Made to wait till 7:10 PM and the car is given to me. The car is delivered to me literally with words "Saar, dont mind, I have expedited tomorrow's delivery for today". Sigh!
Have no clue in terms of what went wrong in the last 6-7 months and why the service experience has dipped this way! Only thing I can think of is increased focus on Zest which probably resulted in lower priority to vista owners.
- Aravind Kamath Posral
