To
The In-Charge,
Maruti Sazuki Customer Care
Dear Sir,
I am Jawahar Lal Aggarwal, M. Com., M. Phil. ICWAI (I), aged 58 years.
I am working as Head of the Department of Commerce & Business Management
in DAV College, ABOHAR (Punjab)
I am Maruti customer for the last 15 year.
I purchased Maruti 800 in March 2001 with Registration No. HR 16 C 2242.
I purchased Alto LX in June 2006 with Registration No. PB 15C 9008.
I purchased Swift Dzire in February 2011 with Registration No. PB15E 9908.
During these 15 years, I have visited many Maruti Workshops for service, repairs and spares and I did not have a chance to make a complaint but my last visit to your Rohtak based Jagmohan Motors’ city workshop has been horrible, not expected of a Maruti concern. You are a world class company known for the quality of your product and service standards besides customer satisfaction. The details of my experience are as follows:
On 31st May, 2015 I, along with my family, was going from Abohar (Punjab) to Delhi in my Dzire car. I was driving the car myself. The road between Hissar and Rohtak is under construction due to Four Laning work in progress. 20 KM away from Rohtak, in an attempt to save a cyclist, my car hit with the median of the road and got damaged. Thank God, there was no personal injury. I contacted the local Maruti workshop and they arranged a crane for towing the vehicle to the workshop. I arranged a taxi to complete my journey. When I visited the Sukhpura Chowk workshop of M/s Jagmohan Motors, the unending process of harassment and humiliation started. There is one Mr. Ishwar Singh, who seems to be in-charge of repairs of accidental vehicles. Here is the sequence of events:
1. Firstly, when I reached the workshop, I was asked to take my vehicle to the Maruti workshop, at Sonepat Road, Rohtak. The crane driver refused to move the vehicle to the other place. After arguments, the vehicle was allowed to be parked inside the workshop.
2. It was hot summer afternoon, we were shocked and confused as a result of the accident. We were not offered even a glass of water nor allowed to sit and relax for some time to become normal.
3. I was asked to deposit Rs. 12, 000 as advance towards depreciation charges. I protested to it as I have got my accidental repairs from the Maruti workshops at Abohar and Ludhiana and I was never asked for such a deposit. Mr. Ishwar Singh did not listen to any argument and asked me to take my vehicle away and get it repaired from outside. I told him that I am leaving my vehicle worth rupees four lacs and moreover, I was not having that much cash with me.
4. At the time of accident, I had Rs. 6, 000 only with me. Out of it, Rs. 2, 500 was paid to the crane driver, Rs. 500 was spent on our lunch and there were Rs. 3, 000 only left with me. I was forced to part with that money and I travelled to Delhi cashless. I had to borrow money from a friend to pay for the taxi.
5. When it came to documentation, again he showed his might by refused to accept the driving license issued by Punjab Government as valid. He asked me to produce some driving license from Haryana. How ridiculous is it.
6. It was only with the intervention of an influential person known to me that Mr. Ishwar Singh agreed to accept the vehicle for repairs.
7. When I asked for the estimate, he told me that it will be possible only after inspection of the vehicle by the surveyor. I visited the workshop on 12th June and again asked for the estimate and I was told that the vehicle has yet to be inspected. Till date I have not got any estimate.
8. I told Mr. Ishwar Singh that I am going back to my native place, i.e. Abohar and will depute someone to take delivery of the vehicle. He agreed.
9. On 16th June, 2015 I got a SMS from the link BZ-MSILDL that repair work of my vehicle will be complete and car will be ready in 45 minutes. I replied on the link asking them to send me the bill and the Bank Account No. of the firm, so that the amount is transferred online and arrangement is made for taking the delivery of the vehicle. I gave them my email ID. I did not get any reply.
10. On 18th June, 2015, I got a call from Mr. Ishwar Singh that the vehicle is ready. He told me that my driving license has not yet been verified, so he asked me to deposit the entire amount and apply for the refund of the insurance claim amount after the verification of the driving license.
11. Thereafter, I visited the local office of National Insurance Company Ltd. as well as the office of license issuing authority and was told that they have not received any request for the verification of my license.
12. On 19th June, my friend went to Jagmohan Motors workshop to enquire about the delivery status of my car, he was told to produce the Driving Licence verification certificate to get the delivery of the car.
This is what has happened so far. As a loyal customer of Maruti, I never expected such a shabby and third class treatment at a sale and service point of a global giant, what you really are. If this is the trearment given to an aged, educated, aware and rule abiding citizen, what we can expect in case innocent customers. My experience at Jagmohan Motors, has really shocked me. It has forced me to think hundred times before I decide to purchase my fourth car from Maruti or to recommend the same to any other person. The man was very arrogant, indecent and totally unfit for the job. It can’t be that I am the first or the only victim of that fellow. He cannot have grown to this position and posture overnight. It means that he had been allowed unchecked to misbehave and ill-treat the customers in past also and his misconduct has not been reported at all or if reported, it has been ignored and no action has been taken against him.
Just think, in this age of touch screen technology, where the entire world is being controlled on tips, inflow and outflow of information takes place simultaneously and instantly, these people could not get a document verified in three weeks time. And now I am being asked to pay the full amount without any fault of mine. Moreover, it is not the duty of the customer to get the documents verified.
I am not only your customer, but as a teacher, I am also your Brand Ambassador because as a teacher of Management and Marketing, I often discuss in my classes, various cases related to the Good Business Practices and policies of your company and quote examples to explain the Maruti’s concern for the customer and sensitivity with which customer grievances are handled. I had never thought of such a shabby treatment at a reputed service centre.
As a socially well connected person, I have to travel frequently, particularly at the week ends, as such, it is very difficult for me to be without my personal vehicle for such a long time. Anyway, I have managed to keep my commitments by hiring taxies. I have tolerated the physical inconvenience and unnecessary expenses, but the harrasment and humilation due to the insensitive and irritating behaviour of your people at Rohtak has really disturbed and upset me. It has caused me a lot of inconvenience and mental torture. I feel handicapped without my car as my movements are restricted.
I have tried to convey my feelings. Though the number of words used is very large, but my expressions still fall much short of the real experience I had. Today, one does not expect such a treatment even at a police station. Now, it is up to you to decide and dispose of this complaint, keeping in mind your image and position in India’s automobile market. Please do remember that a single complaint against MAGGI has landed the company in boiling hot waters. In this age of social media and global networking, such slips prove to be very damaging.
J. L. Aggarwal [protected], [protected]
