Mr. Amit Mitra,
Customer Relations
Dear Mr. Amit
Sub: Quality of Service
I had purchased ACTIVA vehicle no. MH05 Y 1784 in the year 2004. From the date of booking of the vehicle till today, I have been harassed or made to suffer by the hands of your Authroised Dealer V.J.Honda, Ulhasnagar. You may verify the history of this vehicle. You will observe that there were so many complaints about the vehicle from the first day of purchase till today. Many times the original parts were required to be replaced within 6 months of purchase. There was a strong reason to believe that the vehicle sold to me was with substantial manufacturing defects and the original parts were removed from the vehicle and used parts were replaced.
The Authorised service center, V.J.Honda, Ulhasnagar do not service the vehicles as per the norms (so called) prescribed by your Company. These norms are well displayed at the entrance of the service centre for information and not for implementation by the service centre. From the fact that the number of vehicles serviced daily vis a vis the infrastructure and technical manpower employed for the purpose by the service center, it is evident that it is not practicable by any sense of imagination that so many number of vehicles can be serviced with such lightening speed by maintaining the quality standards for servicing.
The vehicles are just washed, the brakes are tightened and the vehicles are cleaned. The customers are forced to pay more, on many grounds, eg. oil change, oil flush, replacement of original parts, etc. Even after paying for these, the vehicles are not at all serviced, but the charges are recovered.
• I had given my vehicle for servicing on 30th December. I received it back on 31st December. I was told that the servicing as per HONDA’s norms has been done
• On very next day, i.e. 1st January, it could not started electronically (button start). I taken it to the service centre. The battery was changed.
• On the very same day, after replacing the battery, the problem continued, then the Relay was changed.
• The problem still continued, on 14th January, there was a brakedown, I could mange to take it to the service centre (6 kms). The wiring was changed.
• The problem still continued and there was again a brakedown on 24th January. the service centre, after lot of requests (though I am under AMC) and rigorous follow up sent the mechanic to take the vehicle from my residence to the service centre (6kms)
• The vehicle was kept for observation for two days.
• The switch was changed
• The problem still continued, I was fed up with the high handed behaviour and very casual approach towards the customers and harassment at the hands of the authorised service centre.
• Lodged a complaint with your Pune office on 10th February, as there is no Mumbai office. I was told that the Regional Head was traveling to Mumbai for sales meet and launch of new model. The said gentleman is so busy that he had not even bother to contact me till today. i.e. after a month.
You will observe that all the parts related to the button start operation has been replaced and servicing carried out but still the problem continues. I have doubt whether all the above, viz. servicing, change of battery, change in relay, change in wiring, change in switch has been carried out. The customers are not allowed to even view from outside the repairing work of their vehicles or enquire about the carrying out of the repair/servicing work.
When I taken up the matter with the so called deputed service advisors at the dealer, there was very little interest for customers grievances. The attitude is such that the customers are beggars. There are plenty of customers who are dissatisfied with the services provided by this dealer. However, though they agree but has no source and knowledge how to approach HONDA. The customer executive/service advisors are very rude, arrogant in dealing with the customers. The telephone nos. mentioned against their great names (displayed at the entrance) are not yet activated. Few numbers which are working, but these officers do not have the time to attend the call. You may try and take a very good experience of this attitude by pretending as a mock customer.
Once I called to the service center for my grievance, I also heard the officials of V.J.Honda clapping, chitchatting and happily saying that –
“ HONDA has no option but to continue with V.J.Honda as dealer/service center for the reasons best known to the officials of HONDA involved in allotting the dealership. Any complaint or grievance of whatsoever nature by the customer will not have any impact on officials of HONDA as adequate CARE has been taken of those concerned officials. In spite of our dealing the customers in high handed manner and poor quality of service, HONDA has continued and above all has given further agency and authorized service centre recognition for the places at Dombivali, Thane, Bhivandi and Badlapur.”
I am not at all interested to know, -the business style of HONDA or what Business ethics or practice is followed at HONDA. Our concerns, as customers are the value for the money which we pay. We, the customers are purchasing the vehicles of HONDA, a brand name, which stands for its excellence in technology, workmanship and very efficient and prompt after sales service.
With utmost regret and disappointment, it is to mention that all those ethics, the fair business practices followed by erstwhile HONDA are the things of past now. In the present world, the new generation led HONDA has turned to be one of those many cheap companies who has short term vision to maximize the business and lose its name and reputation which it had earned globally over the years.
The servicing of my vehicle is due in next 10-15 days, I pray GOD that the vehicle is actually serviced as per the so called norms of HONDA and I hope that the original parts are not removed from the vehicle.
From the detailed reply you will also agree that HONDA has failed to maintain the excellence in the quality of the product and efficient Services and customer satisfaction for which it was known.
Many competitors are entering this vehicle segment. HONDA’s market share will bound to be and must be reduced substantially in this vehicle segment in near future because of its very poor quality of vehicles and irrational allotment of dealerships.
I do not want to go legally and make a nuisance value. The just and honest intention is to make you know the concerns, that too, because you advised me to do so with your prompt reply.
I wish all the best for your future endeavors and career in HONDA.
I am thankful to you for the patient reading of this lengthy reply, which I feel will see the dust bin immediately.
I will be surprised if you reply and take action on this feed back and arrange for detailed and thorough servicing of my vehicle in next servicing. I do not want any favour, but only a value for my hard and honestly earned money. I agree and prepared for paying the actual cost for ACTUAL work done.
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