BHPian Nandan_96 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hello Folks!
I hope all are doing well. It's been a long time since I have posted something on this forum although an avid reader of all the threads. This specific post is something related to the delivery experience of our family scooter, Suzuki Burgman Street. But before I start with the post, I want to congratulate this wonderful community on its 20th birthday. It is the best Automotive community in the world which has maintained the standard throughout these years. A special mention to all the moderators. So, let's come back to the topic.
We had a TVS Wego which we bought as a family scooter in 2012. It had run over 40,000 km in the past 12 years and it performed flawlessly without any hiccups. It was a wonderful scooter with a smooth engine and amazing handling, all thanks to its body balance tech. For the past 4 years, my dad has been using the scooter for all the local commutes. Out of nowhere, my dad got an itch to get a new Royal Enfield Bullet and he also went to the nearby showroom to check it. Since he is 65 years old, I felt that a Bullet would be too much for him due to the weight and also for the money that he is spending to get one. Even my mother was strictly against this as she felt the roads were not safe and getting a geared bike would be stressful. Then the Bullet plan was dropped completely. Then one day all of a sudden, I thought like, "Why don't we get a new scooter that is more comfortable than Wego?" The only scooter that came into my mind was the Suzuki Burgman. Without thinking much, I went straight to the nearby Suzuki Showroom and test-rode the scooter. As it was obvious, it was way more comfortable than Wego due to its riding position. I got the quotation from the Sales Executive and informed her I would get back to them. The same evening when my dad came home, I told him about this and showed him some YouTube videos. He was quite impressed by the scooter, but he did not give me any confirmation. Even my mom told me this plan is better than getting a Bullet. After two days, my dad called me in the afternoon and informed me that there was a buyer for the Wego and he wanted to know the price that we were expecting. I told him the price and the buyer was ok with it. The deal was done.
The very next day, I went to the Suzuki Showroom and booked the scooter in its Matte Green avatar, but the sales executive informed me that the colour was not available and that they already received the load that day. She informed me to wait for a week till they receive their next load and they will push from their end to allocate a Matte green colour. I decided to wait for a week. After 3 days, I called the executive for an update and she informed me that they received a load and she was checking for any Matte green vehicle available. She mentioned that she would get back to me once it was confirmed. Fortunately, 2 Matte green scooters were available and she informed me that the process can be completed and the delivery can be arranged within a week. After an hour I went for a PDI and checked everything and completed the process. Here I must appreciate the efforts put up by the sales executive for allocating the vehicle before the given time. During the PDI, I informed the executive that I did not require the Steel guard which IMO was too blingy. The price for this was also reduced from the total price. Now the wait began.
On 12th February, I informed my executive that I expected the delivery by 14th February since it was a good day (Not because of Valentine's Day). As the executive was on leave that day, she informed me that she would update the delivery date once she was back in the office the next day. On 13th February, she informed me that I could take the delivery of the scooter on 14th. I was all set for the delivery. It's been a long time since a new vehicle came to our family, so I was excited! I informed my executive that I would be there at the showroom by 11 AM.
The next day, I and my dad reached the showroom by 10.30 AM since my dad had a meeting to attend at 11 AM. Once we entered the showroom, we saw our new scooter parked right in front and I noticed something was different with the scooter. It was the Steel guard that I asked my executive not to install. I was like, "Wah what a start!". I asked my executive regarding this and she was like, "Since there were many vehicles for delivery, I did not notice it". Since I didn't want to spoil the mood, I told her politely to remove the guard and then I will take the delivery. I asked her to check the time taken to remove the guard. She checked and informed me that it would take half an hour to remove it. Since my dad had to go, I told her to hand over the key to my father and I would wait for half an hour. She asked me to wait for 5 minutes. This is the part that made me write this post. In the 5 minutes, she asked me to wait, I was thinking in my mind that the sales manager and a few people from the sales team would accompany us and hand over the key with a few claps. As I was daydreaming about this scene, my sales executive came with a big plastic key and asked me to give the phone to a person standing nearby to take a photo. The key was given and the photo was clicked. And that's it! The whole area was so silent and empty. Soon after this, my dad went back and the scooter was taken back to remove the steel guard. I was then waiting at the showroom. For half an hour, I was just indulged in thoughts. Even after paying more than a lakh Rupees for a product, the delivery experience was completely shattered. More than thinking about the delivery experience I got, I was thinking about the people who pay a huge amount to get a vehicle that might even be their first vehicle, and all their dreams getting shattered due to pathetic delivery experience. Even if the vehicle is wonderful, these kinds of experiences might make people lose trust in the dealership or even the manufacturer.
I know it is a long post, but I want all the BHPians to share your thoughts on this and how can dealerships improve the delivery experience.
Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:
Just get me in & out quickly. That's the main reason I either take delivery in the mornings (when the showroom opens) or off-peak times (middle of a working day).
- I am okay as long as the car is clean & ready for delivery, paperwork ready, and accessories fitted properly.
- All pooja stuff should be ready. Cake or dessert are now the norm, but not mandatory. But if you give something, ensure it's of good quality.
- Don't make me wait unnecessarily because you weren't prepared or the car was ready.
I can't wait to get behind the wheels of my car so would like to spend 1 hour in the showroom, most of it ogling at my new set of wheels. Everything else (i.e. paperwork) can be conducted simultaneously.
An exception is a luxury car delivery where I accompanied a family member. We spent about 3 hours at the showroom, but it was fun checking out all the other luxury models, there were hot meals arranged, bubbly, garlands and whatnot. They went overboard. It was sheer opulence.
Here's what BHPian PrasannaDhana had to say on the matter:
I frequently buy cars and school buses. My delivery expectations are simple.
- No waiting. I informed the salespeople of the time that I would be reaching the dealer. I also inform them that I don't want to be there beyond 20 minutes. So everything is made ready before I go there. I sign the final set of documents and we are all set for delivery. In the last 8 years, I have taken deliveries of 7 cars and 3 school buses. None of the deliveries took us over 30 minutes in total.
- The car must be properly cleaned, in and out. Garland and ribbons are a must too I don't care about cake cutting or unveiling the car by removing a cover.
- All accessories paid for, should be installed, properly.
- Prayer is a must. Culturally, we always start any new endeavour with prayers. All car dealers here do prayers while delivering the car.
- All documents should be handed over systematically before delivery.
- Sharing sweets. I have a habit of sharing sweets with all sales teams while taking delivery. I also like to tip the sales executives generously after delivery. With UPI in action, tipping has become a very easy task. This is what I expect all buyers to do. A car is a big purchase and we do it a few times in our lives. I find it fitting to share our joy with the people in the dealership on the delivery day. This also extends to ignoring minor messes on their part. Everything doesn't have to be perfect. But everything has to be pleasant on the D-day.
Here's what BHPian raptor_diwan had to say on the matter:
As others have mentioned, the delivery of a bike usually follows the same routine. There won't be any applause or grand gestures. If you're looking for that, you might need to assemble your friends in advance to handle all the celebratory stuff, like some Instagram influencers do these days. It's a bit disheartening, but yeah, that's the reality nowadays.
I expected that I am an introverted and shy person who is not into seeking attention. Just give me the car keys. In fact, please don't talk to me; just hand over the keys and keep all the documents inside. I will take care of everything. Let me know where I have to sign; I'll do it.
I'll ask them to remove the flower garlands and ribbon too. I feel too shy to attract a crowd, but my mom is the opposite and will be very adamant about having a ribbon at least.
So, my expectation is simple: just give me the keys, show me where the car is, and I will happily go on my way, ready to give you a 5-star rating.
For a motorcycle, if you are expecting a celebration, it has to be mentioned beforehand to your SA. They will arrange things like cake cutting, coloured paper poppers, glitter papers, and all kinds of gimmicks. Typically, only luxury car dealers or a select few car dealers would do that themselves. I know a few people who arranged all of it beforehand for their delivery, but it's not something the motorcycle showroom does for everyone.
Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.