Tata After-Sales Service: Is it really bad?

When choosing a car, it is crucial to check out the quality of the after-sales service of that Car manufacturer if you want to properly maintain your car for a long time. After-sales service is one aspect that Tata Motors has been facing a lot of criticism. Forums and social media are filled with complaints from owners who are dissatisfied with the service they have received. Do note that service centres are different in every region so the experience and service quality will vary so make sure to get a review about your area’s Tata service centre.

Tata owners across the nation have complained about how bad the service centres are including poor staff behaviour, bad mechanics, half-completed servicing and messing the car even more. And this is not a new criticism they are getting since Tata has been plagued with this same issue for years.

Yes, Tata cars might be the most robust and safest out there in the Indian market, but their bad after-sales support spoils the whole experience. In comparison, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai provide some of the best after-sales service in the country and that’s why they are ahead in No 1 and 2. See, car maintenance should be hassle-free and a smooth visit to the service centre plays a big part in it. This is why Hero and TVS service centres are often criticized too.

Tata After-sales Service is a mixed experience

Tata has improved their service quality a lot. They have expanded their service network to over 1600 points across India with workshops open 7 days a week. The service centres are also placed every 50-70 km on major highways. The brand also has 24/7 support called Tata Alert which provides on-spot service to stranded customers. Furthermore, they have also improved their logistics system to deliver spare parts faster and revamped their complaints management system to handle customer complaints better. Their extended warranty for up to 1,50,000 km and Value Care (AMC) maintenance plan that provides protection against unexpected repairs is a plus.

But why is it that Tata Motors despite having one of the largest service networks in India with so many benefits is lagging behind compared to its competitors like Maruti and Hyundai when it comes to post-sales service? Tata Motors has a huge legacy of manufacturing commercial vehicles like trucks and busses and it is this past that might be affecting their present. See, the brand has been catering to truck and bus drivers since its inception and when it started selling passenger vehicles, dealerships kept both of them together under the same roof and normally the staff who would be dealing with truck drivers would also be dealing with a Safari buyer and hence the staff behaviour is often rude.

Another point is that with new car tech entering the market at a rapid pace, Tata packs their cars with these new features to stay in the race. But while they update their cars with new technology, they do not really train their mechanics accordingly and as such, newer cars that come to service centres often stay for weeks.

Even the dealerships often sell damaged/faulty cars to customers and most of these showrooms have been serving middle-class buyers which Tata has been majorly targeting since its Indica days, so they still have that old mindset and hence their approach towards buyers hasn’t changed.

But as mentioned before, these experiences differ from region to region and in fact, you will find people who are satisfied and happy with Tata service in their region. While it’s somewhat true that Tata Motors has vastly improved its service quality over the years, they have some work to do and their inadequate after-sales service is the reason why the brand has been lagging behind other brands like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, who treat their customers with respect and like a king.

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