This blog is about how I handled a car problem.
Here is the chronology of events. A Volkswagen Vento (petrol
or gasoline model) was bought from Sundaram Motors in Chennai in April 2011.
The original owner sold the car in 2013. I bought the car from a reputed used
car dealer in December 2013.
In March 2015, we noticed a tightening of the steering
wheel. An effort was needed to turn the steering. It began to stick. We took
the car to Sundaram Motors for scheduled maintenance. We asked the Service
Department to take a look at the problem. We were told that the steering was
absolutely fine.
Move the clock forward. It is July 2015. We get drivers from
the Top Four service in Chennai. I am not able to drive in Chennai. Driver
after driver, without being asked, told us that there was a problem with
the steering. As the steering was
turned, right or left, we could hear ‘tick tick tick.’ We feared that the steering could pose a safety issue.
We found out that the battery was failing. A new battery was
installed. Our car has an electro-magnetic steering. My fond hope was that the new battery was
what the doctor had ordered and that it would correct the steering. I was not
lucky. The problem did not go away.
Soon after, the car was taken to Sundaram Motors. The car
was kept for three days. Then the verdict was delivered.
The entire steering column had to be replaced. The cost was
about 65,000 Rupees. I asked Sundaram Motors if I could get help in view of the
fact that the car had been on the road for a little over four years. The
steering column is not a part that is subject to ‘wear and tear’ like a tire or
a belt. Further, in a car like Volkswagen, having a serious problem with the
steering column in a span of four years from the time of sale, is not a good
advertisement for the brand. Above all, the car had only 20,000 kilometres. My
plea fell on deaf years.
I sent an email to Volkswagen’s main office in Germany. A
reply came in a matter of hours. “We want to help you. We want to keep you as a
customer. It is difficult for us to make decisions from here. We are
instructing our Mumbai office to take up your predicament with the Chennai
dealer. We assure you that Volkswagen will do everything possible to resolve
the issue in keeping with our standards and to your satisfaction.”
I received an email from Mumbai. I got a call from Sundaram Motors. I was
asked to bring the car to the dealer for inspection. After a (test) drive, the
problem was confirmed. Mr Srinivasan,
the Customer Satisfaction Manager, and Mr Sudhakar, Service Manager, met me. I
explained my situation. They listened patiently. I was promised that some help
will be offered and a decision will be conveyed in two weeks.
The two-week time frame passed. I called and began to put
(gentle) pressure. Mr Srinivasan sent an email. “Sundaram Motors will meet you halfway. If you paid 50% of the bill, the steering column will
be replaced. There will be a two year warranty on the work done.”
My wife and I agreed. The car was taken to the dealer on a
Tuesday morning. The repair was done. I picked up the car late Wednesday. The
car has been handled by one Top Four driver. He gave the steering a clean bill
of health.
Mr Srinivasan called to find out what was happening. We
expressed our satisfaction.
What is the lesson? Do not give up. Sundaram Motors could
have given me the 50-50 deal but it was done only after Germany (main office)
got involved. If there are avenues you can take, please explore them. Be polite
but firm. Our perseverance paid off.
Mr Srinivasan, I would now like to call him the Customer
Extreme Satisfaction Manager, was very helpful. My wife and I express our
appreciation.
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