[Resolved]  Maruti Suzuki — Poor service and callous attitude

Cheif General Manager (Services/Grievances)
Maruti Suzuki
11th floor, 25 Jeevan Prakash
K.G.Marg,
New Delhi-1
Sub: Complaint regarding service and attitude of your dealership M/s Akanksha Automobiles, Rudrapur, Distt U.S. Nagar, Uttarakhand

Sir,
I Dr Mrigesh Chaudhary resident of II/413 Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology had purchased a Maruti Swift VXi (UA06 F 7669) in the name of my wife Dr. (Mrs.) Meena Mrigesh. We were a very proud and highly satisfied owner of our vehicle, it had been our prized possession, apple of our eye till a few days back when we decided to get it serviced and accidental repair (The doors were scratched and the front bumper had to be changed) at your dealership M/s Akanksha Automobiles, Rudrapur. In fact we were so happy and satisfied with your product that we always recommended Maruti Suzuki to our friends. In the last 2 years since we purchased our vehicle we have been instrumental in convincing four of our friends to go for Maruti (2 Swifts, 1 Wagon R and 1 Alto).

To give you a brief outline of my grievances first let me give the chronology of events that led me to write to you.

Chronology Of Events:-

I left my Swift (UA06 F 7669) for servicing and accidental repair on June 12, 08 at M/s Akanksha Automobiles Rudrapur. The delivery date was 16.06.08 but the vehicle was not ready till the evening of 16th and I was asked to come next day but again the vehicle was not ready till the evening of 17th, then again I went to collect my vehicle on 19th evening but to my dismay whatever I had asked for in the service was not taken care of, and the finishing of the paint job was very rough even the bidding of the windows were not fixed. And they wanted to deliver the vehicle to me saying everything is fine and OK. On my protesting that neither the service nor body shop work is proper they asked me to come later but since I had to go outstation with my family so I received the vehicle with pending works at around 7.30 pm. Mr. Abhishek Yadav, Works Manager was present who assured me that he will get the things done once I bring the vehicle back.
Since I had given the vehicle both for servicing and accidental repair what really happened is that the service people changed the oil, oil filter and checked the horn which was causing problem and passed the vehicle to the body shop, as rest whatever I got written in the job card and whatever I had told the person who attended me (as the person had not written all the problems in the job card saying that these things will get normally checked in service) was not taken care of. The standard of service can be understood by the fact that at around 7.15 pm when they were delivering the vehicle saying that the work is complete one of the brake lights was fused, which when, I pointed out was changed by Mr. Govind a person from body shop as people from workshop had already left.
Thereafter Mr. Ratnesh and Mr. Bhuvnesh of Customer Care Department Akanksha Automobiles came to me for feedback. I showed them the vehicle and they agreed that neither the service nor the body shop work was satisfactory and they suggested that I attend the customer meet. I attended the customer meet where I asked the available officials to see my vehicle on the spot but I regret to say that on several requests only Abhishek Yadav Works Manager inspected my vehicle and asked me to make a list of problems which he handed over to Ms Nirmala Joshi (CCM). While others were not at all interested, it was more like a party for them with refreshments and an opportunity to offer people to act as their agents in lieu of Rs 1000 commission. If this is what the customer meet is I fail to understand the logic behind holding one. They should be open for criticism also. Everything is not always rosy. That day they took the vehicle and did wheel alignment and suggested me to leave the vehicle later after 20th of July as some filter in the paint shop was to be changed by then.
Again I left my vehicle on 25th of July for sorting out the previous problems and getting the front passenger doors’ scratches removed under accidental repair This time Mr. Abhishek Yadav himself inspected the vehicle and made a list of problems and handed this new list again to Ms Nirmala Joshi (CCM). I asked Ms. Nirmala to tag both the previous and the new list to the job chart. Mr. Abhishek Yadav (WM) assured me that he personally will take care to see that all the problems are sorted out and will check all the points before delivery. He further said that he would personally deliver the vehicle at my residence, to which I readily agreed and assured him that I will drop him back. This time the vehicle was scheduled to be delivered on 28th of July but the vehicle was sent by Mr Abhishek to my residence on 31st of July, without inspecting, with The Customer Care Executives Mr. Ratnesh and Mr. Bhuvnesh. Which on inspecting I refused to accept as again the work was very unprofessional. There were blobs of paint, the paint was grainy not properly rubbed, the doors were not adjusted, and the complaints which I had given in writing were not rectified. The facts were shown to both the Customer Care Executives on the spot.
During the whole episode I was continuously being told that this problem is of body shop and that is of service. My argument is that the customer is not concerned with internal problems. Only one person who is capable of interacting with both the departments and is responsible for both the departments should handle the customer. The customer is not required to run from one department to other. On asking whom to talk to and who the boss is of both the departments I was told that some Mr. Agarwal is the General Manager and I can contact him. But on asking his contact no. I was told that his no. can not be divulged without permission. Well, if the person can’t be contacted by an aggrieved customer what is the justification of his post?
The most horrifying thing was that the rear seat had been damaged when the vehicle came for delivery on 31st of July. Somebody had deliberately stabbed the seat and cut the cloth and the foam through and through! This also was brought to the notice of the Customer Care Executives at the spot, and conveyed to Mr. Abhishek over phone. I refused to accept the vehicle and returned the vehicle with a written complaint to GM Akanksha Automobiles. I had categorically written that, ” I refuse to accept the vehicle, till the problems are rectified and the damaged seat is changed. To damage a customer’s car, if a complaint is lodged, against negligence of duty is not acceptable at any cost.
On Saturday 2nd August I rang up Mr Abhishek to enquire about the status of my car he told me that they are trying to obtain the foam and the cloth from open market. When I asked him why not genuine? He told me that the seats are not supplied by Maruti and are obtained from open market only. On asking him that can he give me this in writing he declined. I told him specifically that I want only original seat. To which he replied that he will talk about it to the GM. I was highly surprised when today (4th August) Ms. Geeta (CCM?) called me up and told me that they have purchased a new seat cover from open market and the car is ready for delivery and that the seat cant be changed.
Till date the car has been with Akanksha for 19 days! They keep on giving dates which they never intend to honour. On 25th when I left the vehicle Mr. Tripathi of Body shop told me verbally to expect the vehicle on Wednesday but when I received the job card there the delivery date was mentioned 28th of July ( Same thing happened with me before). I would like to ask that when they know that they can’t deliver on a given date then why they give it in writing? Is it to fool Maruti which keeps a track on the expected date of delivery, but not the real date of delivery? My humble request to you is that please keep a track on the real date of delivery and the cause of delay also! Further they have damaged it! I have lost all faith in Akanksha. Since the vehicle is with them for so many days and they are showing their angst by damaging my vehicle, I request you, to kindly get it inspected by Maruti Official before delivery. So that I am sure that they have done no further damage by replacing something in my car. I feel that I could do a better paint job with a brush then what your so called climate controlled paint shop is doing. FURTHER ON INSPECTING MY CAR YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CARELESS AND NEGLIGENT ATTITUDE OF YOUR OUTLET which is bringing disgrace to a company of such repute and Stature!
I HOPE THAT MY GREIVANCES ARE TAKEN CARE OF AND A MARUTI PERSONNEL INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO VERIFY THE STANDARD OF SERVICES AND PRACTICES BEING FOLLOWED AT AKANKSHA AUTOMOBILES RUDRAPUR. All my grievances are there in writing, but nobody at Akanksha seems to take any notice. You will agree that it is highly inconvenient to leave a vehicle for such a long time.
Regards.

Dated: August 4th, 08 Dr. Mrigesh Chaudhary
II/413 G.B.Pant Univ. of Agri. & Tech.
Pantnagar, Distt.- U.S. Nagar,
Uttarakhand, India
Mobile No.- [protected]
CC-
1. Suzuki Motors, Japan for necessary action please
2. Akanksha Automobiles, Rudrapur