(Excuse if I am posted this review at wrong place. I feel I have done so !!!!!!)
I am planning to buy a new vehicle(car/jeep/suv), so I am in analysis mode these days. I am a regular reader of reviews on mouthshut. Reading reviews on Mahindra dealer, I thougth I should also share my experience with fellow readers.
I am quite impressed by the Mahindra Bolero. So, one fine day on 18 April, 2005, I decide to visit one Mahindra dearler: Sterling, Faridabad. I was hoping to test drive the Bolero before taking a decision on this. So, here is what happens.
The lady at the reception directs me to the marketing guy. This guy takes me to his desk and opens a big fat file that has pamphlets of sooooo many vehicles and starts running through the features and specifications. I don’t know whether this guy is aware that the list of the features and specifications is available on net !!!!!!. Interestingly this guy doesn’t have even a single copy of pamphlet for me :-(.
Well then comes the next important thing. I ask this guy to show me Bolero. Well the response really shocked me. They didn’t had even a single Bolero to show not to talk of ’test drive’. Then this guy takes me to their workshop to ’show me’ a Bolero. ANOTHER SHOCK here. Their workshop is like a shed of some old manufacturing plant that deals in melting scrap iron. And on top of it they more Scorpios and Boleros parked in their workshop than in their showroom !!!!!. No need to make guesses for the reason. In the workshop this guy points me towards a Bolero (most probably this vehicle has come for repair/servicing ) and asks me to have a look (like a kid who has never seen a elephant in life).
When I ask him for test drive, he promises to arrange for one in week’s time:probably the coming weekend. But that weekend is still to come even after 3 months :-(.
Still I am wondering on the fact that if this is state of Mahindra dealer’s marketing, what would be the state of their after sale service -- when in typical indian style ’ab tu murga phas chuk hain’ ha ha ha .
Really after going this I am having another thoughts at buying a Mahindra vehicle.
And compare this to the response of Maruti dealer’s whom I visited to check Swift couple of days back. The sales guy not only knew about all the details of the vehicle but was also eager to show them. They also had cars for display purpose in their showroom. More details on later.
Also the details of the Mahindra dealers available on their site are outdated, like phone numbers have changed etc etc. Another information on their site is also not very detailed. (Compare it with Maruti’s site)
Couple of quick questions to Mahindra’s management team especially Mr Anand Mahindra: (If any one has his email id, please pass on the same to me):
# Mahindra’s should learn from the success story of Maruti in india that wide dealer network is also key to success apart from a good vehicle.
# When will Mahindra upgrade their dealership both in terms of infrastructure and customer service?
# For years Mahindra has experience only in selling tractors or commercial jeeps. It is that couple of years that have entered the private market with their Scorpio and Bolero. But they should learn to distinguish between selling a Commander/Tractor and Scorpio/Bolero.
# They should also realise that in today’s busy life no one has time for repeated visits to dealerships for sale or after sale requirements.
My gut feeling is that if Mahindra doesn’t improves its dealerships, then the Scorpio will fall flat on its back . I am sorry for this observation.
____________________________________________________________________
11/9/2005
4 years back this day, the impregenable fortress of the mighty US fell to terroist attack and world realised the threat of terrorism. They didn’t realise it when we were screaming at top of our voice. and rest is history as these literary people call.
Sorry about going off the track but quickly coming to point.
As they say the hunt continues and I am not the man who gives up. So I continue my hunt for vehicles and test driving Bolero, before taking a final decision.
Unable to find any other M&M dealer’s detail both offline and online, I try a bit different approach. I search the net for M&M’s corporate offices in the Delhi Area and with GOD’s grace I am able to find the complete contact details (I never imagined this). Interestingly, the information is up to date that is the phone numbers work and the emails don’t bounce. So I shoot them a mail and also call them.
Surprise, when I call them M&M’s official are quick to give me the phone number of their dealer in Okhla Industrial Area(I forgot the name of the dealer.).
Then I call the contact person of the dealer on his mobile and we have discussion on the price variants, features blah blah. During this conversation, he tells me that he has one Silver Colour Bolero GLX ready for delivery. Well then I come to the point: TEST DRIVE. Now this guy starts running through his list of Bolero Sales in last few days. Well none of my business but I listen patiently (read: no other choice). Then this guy promises me to call in couple of days for the status of test drive.
So, Guys what are you thinking. Yes, he surely calls me on the promised day and tells me that M&M will be launching Bolero DI with Turbo, AC in the month of September. He insists that I should go for DI engine (even if it’s more noisier and lacks POWER STEERING.). Alas !, I think this guy does not knows that I can’t afford a chaffeur driven vehicle. Also I love to drive ha ha ha.
So, he promises me to arrange for the test drive of DI in the month of September. Well guys two weeks of Sept have gone and still no test drive. But lets be optimistic.
One thing for which I am not sure is whether this guy mentioned Sept 2005 or simply Sept. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Any how the wait is still on.
Well another surprise. I get a call from M&M office in response to my email and they give me the number of Sterling’s official. It seems that M&M has some sincere guys.
So I call this Sterling’s contact person and after the usual discussion, he gives me the contact number of his Faridabad office and the name of the contact person. (I already have the number of their FBD office he he he.)
Last week I call them around 1700 hrs and come to know that this person is out of office for road show. I leave the message and my mobile number with the receptionist and she assures me to pass my message.
I wait for two days but still there is no response from their side. So I again call them up and this time I am lucky. The contact person is in office. So after going through formal discussion, I come to the point : Test Drive. So what do you expect guys ?? Read on:
I get the same old answer that the test drive will be arranged in 2-3 days. The guy is polite enough to ask my address, so that they can come to my place with the test drive vehicle. Well I give him my mobile number and thank him for his time.
Since this last discussion was on friday, so I am hoping I would get a call this week.
THE WAIT CONTINUES......
Let’s pray that all this doesn’t dampens my spirit of buying Bolero. Can anyone inform Mr Mahindra, the mechanics outside M&M are capable enough of refurbishing old Classics, Gypsys, Jongas. He should visit Mayapuri, Shri Ganganagar, Moga (to name a few places that I am aware of), if he doesn’t trusts me.
I will update this with the outcome of above discussions.