[nishantbhatia84]

Ah! Interesting thread this one!
I voted 'YES' and here's why:
Back in 2015 I had decided to quit my job and drive with Uber on a full-time basis, and hence was looking for car options suitable to run in the cab segment.
I had my eyes set on the Ertiga as one of the options, as Maruti was willing to fit in a cng kit on the Zxi model, without impacting warranty.
The experience:
1. Had visited the Sai Service showroom at Link Road, Borivali West - the sales person was annoying as hell - kept pushing the Vxi down my throat even though I had made it absolutely clear to him that I'm not interested in lower variants. The worst part was him keeping on re-iterating that he knows how the taxi segment works and one should absolutely not buy a top-end variant as ABS and Airbags are useless when in the city!
2. Since I was adamant on going with the Zxi variant, the sales guy prepared the estimate and handed it over to me. They did not have any test-drive car available that day and he promised me a test drive the next day.
3. I received no calls / messages from the sales guy, and the test drive too never happened. I did not bother to follow-up as by that time I had already decided on a car with another manufacturer.
4. Around 6 months later someone from the Sai Service audit team called me for feedback about why I did not close the Ertiga deal with them. I narrated the entire story to him and he just apologized and ended the call. The next day the sales guy who had attended to me in the past called me, and started to cross-question me about why I mentioned that he did not follow-up, claiming that he did try to follow-up but my phone wasn't reachable. All I asked him is that if that was the case why did he not bother to call back at a later time, or drop in a sms to me? To he had no answer as his bluff was exposed. I was really angry by this time and warned him that if he ever dared call me again, I shall post a written complaint to Sai Service and Maruti along with a recording of this conversation, and hung up.

Apologies for the rant, all being said, I would've surely picked up the Ertiga as had already made up my mind about it, but the lax attitude of staff at Maruti led to them losing the sale to another manufacturer!

[ashokabs]

This makes a lot of sense though there are always some who consider a sales experience important part of buying a product. Many of us or maybe most would read all about an expensive buy and research it properly before going to the showroom. In the case of a car or two wheeler one goes to the showroom to get the feel of the car and the test drive kind of seals the deal. Let's take the Tata Motors experience. They had poor cars sold mostly as taxis and the unfortunate dealers were not making money. Gradually everything went down the tube and we had the most awful experience in their dealerships. Not only were they decrepit but also could not hire good employees owing to being cash strapped. Now they are making decent - some would even say good - PVs and are getting sales. However, it will take a long time before the dealers will be able to bootstrap themselves into a position like Honda or Hyundai or M&M showrooms with good sales staff. However, if we rejected their products we would be the losers. I bought a Tiago through Concord Motors, Delhi in Q3 of 2016. Fortunately the experience was really excellent. However, I had taken a test drive and looked at all the reviews and decided I would buy it anyway. The sales person was in touch with me and I learnt after about 6 months that he had left and joined Nexa! So you can see even retention of good people is a problem when a manufacturer is down in the dumps and in a showroom owned by the same manufacturer.

[drmohitg]

It is true to a large extent but not applicable to all brands. My experience with Nissan was just dismal. The dealership I bought the car from, close to my home, shut shop in under 2 years. Following that each service, I had to go to a new dealership for either the lack of a good experience with the previous one and at other times just because it has shut shop too. And to my surprise, they were all equally bad. The low sales translated into every dealership just trying to scorn the existing customers off during service.

So I would think twice before buying a car where the initial experience is bad to begin with. Yes you live with the car but you need the assistance of a competent sales and service network to make that marriage a happy one.

[caramit]

I voted yes.

Way back I had shortlisted Optra through web research but the Chevrolet showroom experience in Noida just made me so uncomfortable that I dropped it.

Recently I had to let go my 10 year old diesel Innova and I in two minds between another Innova and Tata Hexa. The Noida Tata dealership just could not live upto a respectable business... bungled on test drive, bungled on follow up and I HAD to drop Hexa.

I had gone to the showroom expecting a rejuventated Tata post Nexon launch!!

[nikhilarni]

Originally Posted by gkveda

For me, In simple words,
Milk is what matters and NOT the color of the cow.
Friendship is what matters and not the color/size/rich/poor/ or shape of the friend.
.

Well Articulated Gkveda

Originally Posted by GTO

My advice = If you really like the car, please do NOT drop it just because of the sales experience. Reason? You have to live with the car, not the salesperson. Don't let the 15 - 30 minutes of a bad experience with that salesperson affect the MANY YEARS that you'll spend with a car. It is the actual product & driving experience that will keep you smiling in the years to come, not the dealer. I mean, seriously, think about it = an exceptional sales experience + average car OR an average sales experience + exceptional car. Which one would you really pick? We all know the answer to that.

Again, you have to live WITH THE CAR, not the salesman.

Interesting thread, GTO sir.


Funny, I was talking to a colleague who wanted to buy a car, and was seeking inputs from me about the dealer I got mine from.

The conversation revolved more about the dealer experience than the features / make and model of the car he decided.

And I actually remember telling him, get the price negotiated and pick the car. The dealer doesn't matter, since he would anyways be servicing the car elsewhere and didn't have to see the dealer / salesperson again in his life.

This is good thread, esp for first time buyers, guiding them to think with the brains and not the heart.
You don't like a dealer, go to another dealer, but don't drop the car you like, considering the amount of research and analysis you might have done to narrow down the search.

[Endofdayz]

Yes i Rejected Honda city Diesel back in 2014, due to very annoying sales guy. I was trying to book top end diesel and they were pushing me for SV variant.

As regular customer i casually checked if they have any discount on newly released model.

salesguy:"Honda is premium brand and do not believe in discounts. they need not sell cars giving discounts. It sells by itself". Post this he refused to give test drive too.

I walked away and till now Honda has never made it to my list.

[sgiitk]

Why not! Ultimately you have to get all service from the dealer. If he 'cheats' once then how can you be sure when you are hooked.

[rishi_kapoor]

Personally, I will discard brand immediately because dealer represents brand and if brand cant manage sales force experience then its not worth it. Sooner or later you will regret buying that brand.

[PetaWatt]

Originally Posted by GTO

Attachment 1867155

You have to live with the car, not the salesperson.

When I was shortlisting the cars one and half year back, I dropped Tata Nexon from the list because we were made to wait for 30+ minutes for the scheduled test ride. We were on time that was confirmed earlier. We left without taking the test ride because we felt if these guys are not respecting their commitment before selling the car, what they will do during the service? If company can have unprofessional salesman, then probability of having unprofessional service personal is high.

[Xaos636]

Voted YES.
I went to a dealer in Kerala to book the VW polo GT on a fine Saturday morning with the booking amount. This was back in 2017 March and it was the 2017 model that I will get (no info of the same was available in VW India website). Waited a good 20 minutes to be attended and I was the only customer in the showroom(Maybe I appeared to them like I couldn't afford a VW). Had to ask everything and then only got a reply. Sales guy wasn't sure about all the features of the car. He did not know the GT TSI came only in automatic. He even offered me a GT TSI in manual.
After around half an hour talking to them and getting some clue about the car, then he said it came with 16 inch alloys(It was 15 till then) and a new spoiler. It was like he suddenly remembered what he learned the previous day. But still said GT TSI had a manual. Anyway, I was happy to learn about the 2017 changes. When quoting the on-road price, the sales guy added around 30k more than what he said to me a week ago through phone. The difference? The 2017 model came with a Sport Kit. It included roof sticker (black), side stickers on all 4 doors, some seat cover costing 15k and some other nit bits. God, I cannot imagine getting stickers on the doors, no matter how well they looked. Made it clear to them I do not want that and they said it’s a compulsory accessory. Really? Seat cover and roof stickers are compulsory? I noticed a change in their tone as well after this. I don’t know what the reason for their comments were, and then they were clueless about delivery time. They had pending orders of 30 VW Polo GT’s as per the sales guy I talked to, and mine would come anywhere between 2-5 months. I put the DSG issues aside, I put the poor rear leg room aside, I put the poor brakes aside, I put the poor service aside and still decide to go with the car, and the dealer just made sure I don't get one. There was no other showroom anywhere nearby so I had to drop the car from my list. There were no follow ups or anything after that from the dealer. The dealer by the way is Volkswagen Calicut.

[veedub89]

Voted No.

While I have never eliminated a prospective car from my shopping list based on the sales experience, I have used the sales experience to take a final call when confused between 2 or 3 different cars which I like equally.

The logic being that since I love the car, the attitude of the dealer/sales person matters to me in the long run while the car is with me.

All this assuming of course that every car manufacturer has only one dealer in my city. Which in Chandigarh is true for most of the manufacturers.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by GTO

My point is, don't let one ill-trained person on the showroom floor decide YOUR choice of car. If you love a car, be adamant about it. Pick another salesman, talk to the management, go to another dealer, escalate the issue to the manufacturer, be more aggressive with your followups...just get in the driver's seat of the damn car you love!

Voted No.

I agree 100% with this statement and I can't see myself regretting for not getting a car which I like the most because of the attitude of the dealers. This was the exact way which made me buy my Lightning Blue EcoSport with sync 3 from another state! Even if the service is bad, if parts are available, the car can be maintained well by the owner independently. Especially us bhpians, we are very particular about out car's health

[mpp19]

It's a trade off at the end of they day isn't it? We are dependent on the dealer for both sales and after sales service.

While I agree partially, if it's one salesperson then stick to your car, but if you see a trait then clearly there's something wrong.

But again, you can go for another dealer, another location etc. that depends on various other factors. Like you say, we live to drive we also need to give the right care for our cars.

[rkris]

I am at a very similar state to what the title of the article states. I own a Fiat Punto that is 9 years old and I'm in Chennai. I've had a series of bad experiences with authorized Fiat Service Centres and a few other recommended supposedly good ones. With Fiat pulling out of India and the SCs being pathetic, I'm feeling as if I don't have a choice but to give this car off. Anybody see this situation any other way?
P.S.- It has been less than a month since my car met with an accident and I had to spend about 50k just to get the HVAC system and the front bumper fixed.

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by Biraj

Am I losing out on good products because of my approach? Possibly. But I don't have any regret as I get the support and attention that I require from the brands I choose.

As they say - "Never say never" My principle of rejecting products based on dealership experience has put me in a dilemma.

I booked the Kia Seltos DCT on day 1 (16th July). Waited for a week to hear from the local dealer (Supernova Ahmedabad) and then called the dealership after not receiving any communication. The guy who answered the call asked for multiple details and then screenshots of the booking, confirmation page, etc. Finally, he confirmed that they have the booking. He then collected the documents from me and informed that the booking process is complete.

I received a message on 2nd August about unveiling and scheduling the test drive. I called the number mentioned and scheduled one for the Sunday. I was told that they only have a 30 minutes slot and in case I miss it then wait for a week. Understandable, considering the euphoria amongst potential customers. I wasn't able to make it on Sunday due to medical reasons thus, called and cancelled my appointment.

I called the SA (presuming he is one as he took the documents and confirmed the booking) on Friday and asked for scheduling the test drive. His response was to call the other number as he can't help with arranging one. I found this a bit weird as either:

1. An SA is unable to schedule the test drive
2. There is no SA allocated to a customer

Now, I have decided not to book the TD till this initial euphoria settles because (1) I am a bit of a nonconformist to bureaucratic/procedural schemes and (2) a 30 minutes time slot is possibly not enough for me to put my money on a new brand/car.

To be honest, I can't call it a negative dealership experience but certainly lacklustre. There's an obvious lack of urgency or willingness to sell from the dealership, which may be a result of the tremendous response they have received.

The dilemma is whether to buy the product based on reviews and a 30 minutes test drive or cancel my booking.