Feb 21, 2011 06:45 PM
6246 Views
The Place: Berkeley Automobiles, Chandigarh.
The Date: 21st February, 2011
The Time:10:19 AM
I drive into the Service Station in my 4-month old Swift Dzire. Three service “Executives” swarm around my car asking me how they can help me. I tell them that I want to go in for the 2nd(free) service.
10:23 AM- The computerised Job Order is ready! One Service Executive(S.Ex), Mr. Baljit, takes charge of my car. He wants me to go in for “under-body” anti-rust coating. I decline. He has by then, already made hand-written entries on the Job Order for Wheel Balancing @ Rs.45/- per wheel and Wheel Alignment @ Rs.275/- on the Job Order. In response to my questioning look, he justifies by saying that as the car has run 5000 km, these services are advisable. I murmur my assent.
10:30 AM- The S.Ex examines my vehicle for dents/scratches, tool kit, spare wheel, petrol in the tank and painstakingly mentions everything on the Job Order.
10:40 AM- I leave the service station. My car is still in the parking lot of the agency.
11:03 AM- I notice that my Job Order specifies Wheel Balancing for all 5 wheels. In the hope of saving Rs.45/-, I ring up the S.Ex and tell him that as the spare wheel has never been used ever since the car was purchased, it need not be balanced. To my surprise, he cheekily tells me that I have been too late in bringing this to his notice – the wheel balancing and wheel alignment has already been completed and the car is just waiting to go in for washing! “Wow! What speed!” I tell myself(and him, too). 5 wheels balanced and aligned too within 23 minutes! Good job, Berkeley! I shall recommend you to all my friends!
1:10 PM- My good friend, the S.Ex rings me up on my mobile to inform me that the vehicle is ready for delivery. I ask him if he wants me to come after their lunch time(1:30 PM) or right away. “Come right away, ” he says, and who am I to refuse?
1:20 PM- I reach the service station(My office is just behind Berkeley). My vehicle is ready for delivery. I hand in my copy of the Job Order but the Office Copy is nowhere to be found! Mr. S.Ex asks me to wait for 5 minutes so that he can trace it. A couple of phone calls later, he tells me that it will take another 10 minutes. I have no option but to wait.
1:45 PM- The Job Order is located. The front office desk operator is asked to prepare the Bill. Looks like he is new to the job. Apparently not very familiar with the computer that Berkeley has placed before him, he takes an average of 5 seconds to locate and punch each key.
1:55 PM- My bill is made, but Mr. S.Ex. discovers that it has been made for the work done on some other car! Mr. Operator is asked to “Re-do from Start!”
2:00 PM- The correct bill is finally ready! I am required to pay Rs. 682/-. I give the S.Ex Rs.1000/-. He deposits it with the Cashier and gives me my balance. He hands me my car keys and Gate Pass and ushers me out. I discover that the balance given to me is short by Rs.10/-. On bringing this to his notice, he returns to the Cashier, who locates his calculator and works out the balance three times(Mental Maths is unheard of these days), before giving me my Rs.10/-
2:07 PM-I drive out of the service station in my squeaky-clean, almost-like-new Swift Dzire.
Moral of the Story: If you want to get your car serviced at Berkeley, be sure that what you sign for is exactly what YOUwant – not what the S.Ex wants! And more importantly, ask them to start preparing your delivery papers before they start working on you car! If both jobs finish simultaneously, consider yourself lucky!
