Shocking, embarrassing, enraged are words that come to my mind while I own a 15-day old Audi Q5 from Mumbai (**). Previous to Audi, I owned an E class much to satisfaction of services, good customer relationship shared, robust after sales service and a fantastic road side problem solving assist. Everything seems missing after I shifted my brand loyalty with great deliberation from the sales executive and my misjudgement, of course.
My expectation in every department of the service is a complete failure and way below expectation. The very purpose to pen down the displeasure is the extent of discontent I have towards the working of Audi. The experience I share herewith are a testimony to my so-called growing hatred to the brand. My conclusion is worth reading which may affect your reputation, since spending lakhs if I am not satisfied, I cannot even keep you happy and smiling for sure.
My experience until I received the delivery was a rude and shocking administrative negligence. My booking, my loan approval process, my excess registration amount paid due to untimely management of affairs, had already raised doubts on my decision of ownership of Audi. The only saving grace in the entire process was the CRM and delivery procedure conducted, was overtly warmth filled, which of course did not happen at Mercedes.
There was a delay in loan processing, which seemed that neither profile, previous bank history, vehicle owned previously, nor a flawless CIBIL record could help getting my loan clearance. No browny points for all the above characteristics, understandably so, since your VW finance is a new company and would look into smallest details - but killed my time in the process.
After the bank approval and knowing that the car registration cost is due to hike (which is an information I provided), no steps were taken to expedite the process and save customer's cost, resulting in me shelling off couple of lakhs for no fault of mine. No remorse or courtesy extended towards the same but citing government policy, the sales executives shirked their administrative laxity. Such critical, immediate and subtle PR issues are what customers (usually time constrained) of this segment look out as factors whilst buying a premium vehicle.
A temporary registration sticker attached was the way the car was delivered, unaccompanied by an Audi personnel as it is a temporary number, making it extremely unprofessional, unethical and uncalled for procedure. On my way back, I was a victim of an embarrassing traffic constable tantrums. Giving my license was the only way out as I don't believe in bribery. In spite of repeatedly calling your executives, nothing was done to retrieve my license and I was left by myself to fight it out at the wrong doing of the company.
It was another display of poor and pathetic after sales. Also, it showcased the dismal relationship shared between the traffic authorities and the dealer. All it took me was a letter such as this and a few personal trips explaining the reason of my innocence in the mistake committed. Afterwards, I was given back my license without any fine levied. A situation as embarrassing as this, for me, was an experience which I cannot forgo. But sadly, you, as a company, could not do anything--very sad! It leaves me with an after thought, "Was I responsible for the mayhem? If not, what is the company's role in pacifying me?"
My E class was traded in and the administrative process was delayed so much so, that one of my EMI of E class reached my account and I had no option but to clear the same. As a result, now after 15 days of delivery of my car, when the trade in person calls up and gives me another shocker to tell me a draft of 40k is ready for my disbursement when the EMI I paid was around 45k. It was another unaccounted and unexplained loss to myself again.
Tell me after reading until this stage, was anything worth a fine memory, worth a brand change, worth value for money? No--only agony, torture, and mental trauma. If that's not all, the forthcoming incidence is an absolute hell of a climax for the biggest mistake of my life to own an Audi.
Considering Q5 to be an SUV, an off-roader with 4 wheel drive and Quattro (Audi's signature technology), I ventured on my journey to my Pune residence via expressway on the 15th night and returned back on the17th morning with a return trip to Pune - scheduled to be on the night of 17th itself for an extended weekend work. My journey overall to Pune was not so pleasurable, one because of some screechy noise on speeding above 100 which seems to come only when windows are slightly open - but that was not the case in my scenario when I checked.
Secondly, some seat rattling at higher speed is such a put off riding an SUV. I reached the night of 17th and to my dismay, the next morning, I saw that the tire was deflated. Without driving, I called in the puncture repair guy to get the cause examined. A crack was observed in the tire on the inner surface of the rear wheel which, according to the puncture guy, was a sign of health and safety hazard so he advised a tire replacement. This might have occurred due to some sharp object piercing the tire and can be termed as a minor accident case.
My point is, when a tire as heavy as this can wear off, what is the safety proposition of this vehicle? Questions such as this have no answer. What followed after this was a series of phone calls to road assist, service station, Audi Mumbai, Audi Pune, etc., all adding to my panic. But no one seems to give solution but shirking their responsibility by giving each other numbers. This means that I, in state of panic, have to keep making calls with no robust solution found for me to go for work in Pune or return to Mumbai. Then, I, too, should have made not less than 12 calls all combined but what was noteworthy was that there was no call back from anyone responsible when an Audi customer is in need. It was absolutely disgusting!
To add to my dismay, I get a phone call from a dealer in Pune saying, "I can order a tire for you. You need to pay in advance for the same and that the tire will come in a week time." It just looked that he wanted business but when asked for customer assistance, he had no clue and just hung up the phone. How could he suggest replacement without even looking at the tire? How can he ask me to pay for it at the first place since it is only a 15-day car with not even 400km run? I had so many questions to ask someone responsible. How can a 15-day old tire wear off? Where is problem assist? Where is the tire manufacturing warranty? Where is the problem solving? Why is the customer not put to ease first?
Rather having one person taking onus on the call and advise appropriately, I was made to talk to so many people without even getting a solution, which I term as an amateurish administration. An immature, unprofessional treatment mended to a premium car owner leaves me doubtful for a long-term ownership. I thank Almighty that nothing untoward occurred, which I know for a fact if it was Mercedes, I would first be put to ease, followed by the option suggested to solve the problem temporarily so that my work does not stall and then contact me for an absolute solution with agreement of both parties involved. This is what I call service and not what I received - wasting my entire day on phone calls, waiting that someone will get back with some solution for me.
Also, the step tire was rather a rude shock to me, seeing the size, the nature of the tire and the black ugly design it gives - all shows the audience the punishment meted out for replacing the original tires. Wouldn't it be Audi's insult to have such cars rolling in the market? With BMW, I remember that I was not allowed to open the car bonnet during a test-drive as per their policy since it may give an impression to customers that it is a faulty car. I respected it and I believe firmly that the image of the car should be a priority when you deal with this segment of a car.
I was finally recommended by Audi Pune service station that there is no solution than to sport the ugly step tire and travel expressway not going beyond 60 km/h. I did follow this and was scared every minute of my 4.5-hour journey filled with fright, anger and shame (which otherwise takes me 3 hours). What an added trauma and time wastage!
Now, with all what has transpired, do you still think I should be an Audi loyalist? If yes, I need concrete reasoning, or else, I am trading in this vehicle for some other vehicle. But the next steps for not having an appropriate reply or a solution would be to take this up with the company's top brass, followed by complaining to the international center for making them aware of how pathetically their Indian counterparts are handling affairs, approach the consumer court for a full refund for dissatisfaction of the product and the agony it has caused me mentally, post this on the Facebook, and start my verbal propaganda of the horrible 15-day ordeal with Audi. I am forever thanking my stars that these incidents did not happen after the warranty expires as the people in Audi would not even have responded to my queries at all.
I presumed that I am making a wise decision by changing brand, but having looked at the support system that your after sales can offer, I am seriously on the look out for the Audi brand change. Your company has made a good mark in the Indian car industry but that must be due to the policies and work of the top management level, which was perhaps also one of the driving force for me to purchase an Audi. But, if your employees do not become face of Audi by proper training in management and PR, it would not need much time to succumb to its competitors. I expected care, concern, warmth and since nothing came my way, I am now a completely dissatisfied Audi customer, which I am sure you, too, can relate to.
I am looking forward to the manner my complaint is going to be addressed. It will be the factor to reinforce my belief in Audi and in doing so understandably shall cause you discomfort since it may involve overhauling of few processes. My letter will benefit those hundreds of customers who have lost their way on how and what to complain and be a perfect document to not be deterred or rather help them from being troubled. Kindly find a solution at the earliest to avoid further media and legal formalities. I wish you the best with all of what you are doing - maybe it's a bad experience for me personally.

