Coscharis motors deals at least one of
its customers a heavy blow.
In October 2012, when Coscharis Motors,
one of the leading automobile companies in Nigeria officially opened its new,
pace-setting, state-of-the-art office located in Lekki, Lagos State, for business,
customers would have thought that their services would also be improved upon to
suit the World class edifice.
In the media, the company boasted that it
was the first in Nigeria to establish a breath-taking edifice with showrooms
& workshops where the uniqueness of the auto brands it represents via the
awesome environment could be felt. The company said the edifice was created
with the intent to have every walk-in customer or prospect feel right from the
moment they step into the showrooms, to delivery and even after delivery
services.
About nine months later, the company’s
services appear far from satisfactory, at least to one customer, Oluwademilade
Kola-Mustapha, who is aggrieved by the services of the company.
Ms. Kola-Mustapha, who works in a financial
institution in Lagos State, said her vehicle, a Ford Edge, which she bought
from the same company, Coscharis Motors in July 2011, has been stuck with the
company for about four months, for repairs and replacement of a few body parts
after an accident in March 2013.
The complaint
Ms. Kola-Mustapha said she made a report
to the car dealer on March 8, after the accident which occurred on the 5th of
the same month. She was requested to make some deposits, running to a total of
about N350, 000. On March 26, she paid 50 per cent, N170, 000, with the
intention of paying the balance of the charges on delivery.
Delivery of the car was agreed on within
two weeks, after payment.
“I kept getting feedback that they are
still expecting the parts for the repairs they ordered for, even though even
though Coscharis Motors had initial coupon payment of the repair estimate
deposit. They promised delivery within two weeks of payment and additional one
week for repairs,” the finance official said.
“In May, I was told they had completed
repairs except for replacement of the sensors and side mirror. I was asked to
make payment for the balance of the parts that have been replaced and repaired
and pick up the car. I was told that I would be informed when the outstanding
two parts (sensor and side mirrors) are received, so that I can arrange to drop
the car (again) for repairs. I refused, insisting that all the initial
agreement on repairs and body part should be completely done and replaced
accordingly before final payment and pick up is done”.
Ms. Kola-Mustapha said she could not
agree to that because there was an agreement and they had already wasted so
much time, much more than they promised. She said the company denied her the
option of ordering for the parts herself, based on ‘company policy’, even when
meet up with their deadline.
She lamented that the lack of access to
her vehicle caused her financial upheaval and discomfort. To worsen the
situation, the organisation was no longer speaking with her on the condition of
her vehicle.
Coscharis’ response
Mr. Nwameme, the corporate affairs
official PREMIUM TIMES was directed to, at the organisation’s Lekki
head-office, did not as much as go through the documents available to show him
the evidence of the developments on the case.
He dismissed the issue, stating that “It
is for Amaka to handle”.
Amaka is the staff of the organisation
that Ms. Kola-Mustafa has been liaising with since the issue came up.
“Amaka should be at our Maza-Maza
workshop. Since she has been talking to her, she should handle it”, Mr. Nwameme
said, nonchalantly.
When contacted, Amaka said the side
mirror, one of the parts due for change, which the company got for the vehicle
was ‘not holding’, that is why after the repairs, they informed the owner to
pick up the car.
“We sent the car to a branch for her to
pick it up; pending the time we would get the one that fits. I just got a
message that some goods have arrived. I think the parts we need for her vehicle
should be among the goods we have just received,” she said, over three months
after the vehicle should have been delivered to the owner as agreed.
The repairs were supposed to have been
carried out at Coscharis’ State of the Art facility.
The facility
During the opening ceremony, Ifeanyi
Nihe, the head of marketing of the Coscharis, is quoted to have said that the
state-of-the-art facility offers proximity to the majority of the company’s
customers and therefore, eases accessibility to its services.
He said the workshop is structured to
ensure faster and efficient service delivery and after sales service, which
objective is to decongest the workshops as fast as possible; and this is with
the aim of being proactive, timely, and giving value-for-money; since effective
and high-quality after-sales service is the key to maximizing sales.
He said that Coscharis Motors is
committed to guaranteeing every customer quality service that will go much
deeper than just owning a luxury or premium brand while assuring all
stakeholders that they would feel the positive impact of the company and its products’
presence in the facility.
The firm said its Technical Managers and
Service Personnel were all designed for customer comfort with the aim providing
the human resources to match the facility, who would reflect professional and
dependable level of service with the overall purpose to experience the
showrooms, the service-centre and engage the customers and prospects.
The facility, which is reportedly valued
at over N3 billion, was expected to be the symbol of the firm’s commitment to
quality service and customer satisfaction.
Coscharis Group has evolved over several
years as a car dealing company. It was birthed as Maduka Brothers Company and
was incorporated in 1977. The company then metamorphosed from Maduka Brothers
Company to COSDAV Motors and later to the Coscharis Group.
The company deals in a number of brands,
ranging from BMW, MINI, Jaguar, Landrover, Ford, MG, Joylong, Hongyan, Yueijin
and Wuling, ABRO among others.
Friday promise
As the story was about to be published,
Amaka called PREMIUM TIMES reporter and said she has confirmed that the
outstanding parts for the vehicle are among the set of ordered vehicle parts
the company has just received.
“I have confirmed that her vehicle parts
have arrived. By Friday, her vehicle will be ready to be picked up. I have
tried to reach her but she is not picking her calls. I think she is really
angry now. Please, help us calm her down,” she said.
Credits to Oluwaseyi Bangudu
