The team at Tata Motors have done a commendable job in designing low cost yet beautiful Nano. They have also done great job in turning around JLR. Team has also done some commendable job in making efficient and spacious cars like Indica and Indigo. Great work by every member of this team.
But they faltered at one place. Providing some kind of customer service. Not good, only tolerable customer service. Tata Motors is absolutely taking their customer for ride. I have booked Tata Manza Saffire (Silver color) from Goyal Motors, Patiala by paying Rs 50,000 as booking amount . I was promised a delivery of vehicle in 20-25 days, which comes to March 24, 2010.
After struggling to get delivery date from saleman (Robin), I am now struggling to get my car. Saleman assured me that I will get my desired car in my desired color on March 25.
Then on the morning of March 25, Salesman again called that he cannot give me a car in Silver car. Only car that is available is in White color, you want to take it or leave it. Your choice. He passed on the phone to his superior, Mr Bhupinder Singh (apparently brand manager), who also arrogantly told me that we cannot do much and this is the only car available and you can take it or leave it. Contacting Tata Customer Service is another obstacle race. There are fancy customer care pages all over their website but you cannot actually find any email id wherein you can lodge your complaint. They have comment box on their website but it restricts complaint to only 1000 words. On one hand we have Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, who flaunts his email ID like his iPhone and on another we have India's most respected group which does not even give email ID of his customer support. I called call centre number on their website, which I tried. A polite person gave me number of Regional Manager (Karun Grover). I called him and he transferred my call someone who further gave the phone to one his colleague (Shivangi). She promised me to give some solution to this problem in couple of hours. She did call me as promised but with no solution. She gave me list of reasons and list of problems why it cannot be done. She wanted to me settle for some other color but why? I chose this color after lot of delibration and I want only this color.
Such pathetic service from a brand which makes India proud in designing Nano. I think Tata Motors feel that Indian common man will be happy to get cars at cheap prices and customer service can be compromised. But I think this is not true anymore. Times are changing. Product development can be copied easily but good customer service can go a long way in making brand indespensable. I think I just made the biggest mistake of life by booking car with Tata Motors. I am not sure, I am unlucky or it is a part of Tata Motors DNA.
