ALTO LX delivered on 8.05.2007, by Bimal Auto Agency, Whitefield.
Pros:
Easy finance from Maruti – Citibank: Hardly would you find any banks ready to grant a loan if you have less than 2 years of work experience. The sales-agent and the finance-agent guided me about the Maruti Finance. Though I had only 8.5 months of total work experience, they got me the approval of loan from Citibank with minimum documents and without any co-applicant or a gurantor:
Id proof(PAN) Address proof(Rental Agreement) Signature, date of birth proof(through PAN itself) 5 cheques for ECS, each bearing the denomination of the EMI
My loan repayment tenure is 3 years. Hence, I got EMI of Rs. 5838(quite easy on my pocket), total interest of Rs. 35, 000(approx), and a very competitive rate of interest of 12.6%
Etiquette of the salesagent /finance agent: Overall, satisfactory. They are quite good during the initial stages. They will always call you back if they miss your calls.
Because of the help showed during the finance steps, I was quite impressed; though some areas need to be improved a lot here:
Customer Care: Very responsive and take good care of the customers’ grievances.
Attitude:The dealer does not ignore the customers. He wants to make sure that each customer is satisfied. If you compare this review with the other ones present here, you will find that this agency has improved over the time.
Improvements needed:
Need proper communications between staffs:Sales agent tells you " price for body - colored bumpers is Rs. 4000, but we will give a rebate of Rs. 500, so you pay Rs. 3500" The accessories agent will tell you " It is Rs 4000 and no rebate".
Insufficient information given by sales agent / finance agent / bank agent:India is a developing country. Gone are the days when mostly middle-aged or old-aged people, who had the experience of life, buy cars. I am just 23 years old. I expect everything to be explained to me. The bank agent will just take 30 - 40 signatures on a car loan booklet and you will never know what you have signed at. They don’t tell you all the things themselves For example, the rate of interest is 12.6%. This I came to know today – more than a week after delivery! Furthermore, since they took the signature on the booklet on 26th April, according to their rules, they granted the loan in April(I think on 30th April, I don’t know exactly when because the bank agent never informed me. I just came to know my loan is ‘approved’). Consequently, the first EMI was due on 1st May, second from 2nd June, even when I had not given the down-payment for the car. Even though I paid the first EMI, I need to pay the second EMI on 1st June! If I had known this, I would have signed the booklet on 1st May so that the second EMI would have been due on 1st July. This would have been easier for me for this month. I don’t know whom to blame. If they had not poked me too much about booking the car, I would have taken my time.
They should make commitments if and only if they can fulfill.For example, the first time I went to the show-room I did not have any government issued id(like PAN, DL, Passport, etc). They needed such an Id proof. They promised that through their agent, they can get the things done in one day. Anyhow, midway I received a PAN so that their purpose was over. Since I did not have a DL, I requested them to help me through their agentand they enthusiastically accepted. I need not write anymore. I have applied on my own.
After the entire process is over, they should respond to the customer’s calls as enthusiastically as before:Please do not send sms(an abrupt way of communicating with customers) telling them, “I am in a meeting” if they cannot receive the call. Always call back the customer whenever you neglect their calls. Do not tell anyone else to convey the customer, “He left his mobile here, call later.” If I say, “Please tell him to call me back, ” you get the reply, “Ok, Ok, I will”
*If you buy a car from there, make sure the sales-agent with whom you were dealing is with you at the time of delivery
*Otherwise,
you shall have to introduce yourself as to ‘who you are’ to the executive that will be finally delivering the vehicle.
you will find that the number plates are missing on your car. Someone will help, definitely - you would be asked to go and track the plates yourself.
Make the accessories price list negotiable:
If they do this, it makes the customer feel that they have some influence over the transaction. If the price is 12, 255, they won’t reduce a penny. Still better, you can get car accessories of very good quality from Big Bazaar at a low price. The car cover that I got from Maruti is worth Rs. 1590 and has caused so many scratches on my car’s body. You get a car cover at Rs. 500 from Big bazaar of a better finish quality. Trust me.
My alto’s front grill is worthless:I felt like replacing the car’s black grill with a chrome-plated one. The accessories agent said, the chrome one costs Rs.3660. I thought of exchanging the new black grill with the chrome one. I asked the price of black grill so that I could pay only the balance. I got an abrupt answer, “For black ones, No price!.” Well, I can snatch the grill of my car forcibly out and throw it in a toilet without any hesitation. Or, if it gets damaged in some accident, Maruti will replace with a new one without any charge, because – it is worthless! Anyway, they do not have chrome-plated ones.
*Overall, a satisfactory transaction.
Just give a try. You cannot find perfect dealers anywhere. You need to sort out the best amongst the present ones. If you are a experienced person, no problem at all.
*Update: 14th June 2007
Service:** Very good service. The service department is really good. The moment you enter, someone would greet and direct you. They delivered the car within 3 hours after the first service. They washed, polished and perfumed the car very well other than tuning, oil - change, etc. The sales advisor, Mr Puneeth was very prudent and courteous.
Body Repair: Very well they made up the dent and the loss of color. The repaired part is as good as new. Again, they polished and washed the car nicely. Very courteous people. They would accompany you till the payment queue. You need not do anything. They take care of everything. When I was leaving the car to them for body repair, Mr Ashok Mogaveera, supervisor, took care of everything: examining the damage, preparing the receipt of expected cost, fetching insurance. I did not do anything except signing the papers and sitting at my place.
If you really want prudent body repair with adequate staff courtesy and without your involvement in the whole process, do not forget Mr Ashok Mogaveera, Service Advisor of the Body Repair Section. He is really very very good.
Now, I would definitely advice you Bimal. The service is great. After all, it is maruti.
