Toyota - Quick & Efficient

Before I say anything I would like to thank Toyota HQ for assisting me with my complaint and helping me solve my problem. Also i would like to thank them for personally calling and meeting me.  As much as i appreciate that the issue is resolved, and as much as i understand the complaint was not made in the nicest of ways, i hope that it helped them to identify areas of improvement to help better their future sales.

Following my previous post, there were some concurrent events that were not mentioned in detail and purposely saved for this post.

While waiting for my previous sales agent to get back to me, I was discussing with my brother-in-law about the long wait for a simple update. This triggered him to call his previous sales agent that handled his Vios purchase. His purchase was completed in little over a week.

Upon calling his SA, he was told that the completion of my purchase shouldn't be taking that long. So i decided to call him directly and ask what we could do. After some checking he did inform me that they have some new stock coming in and could release the car in a little over a week. He also informed me clearly of the process. Stocks were allocated to the dealership he was working at every 5th and 20th of the month, and after allocated, cars can typically be released with 5-10 days. He told me this on the 2nd July, giving me 3 days to decide if i wanted to try to get the 5th July allocation

I did not agree immediately. In fact, as per my previous whatsapp messages, i did inform my "then" SA that I discovered a new SA that could handle my deal if sh couldn't. And i did give them the time she requested to provide a response. even though at that point i really didn't want to. However, as per my previous post, even though the request to wait till 5th was made by her, she failed to provide me even a reply.. Let alone a result by 5th. I only received a call from Toyota HQ (on the 6th) . Since that call told me i would have to wait till 20++ July . I decided to terminate my purchase with them all together and start a new one with Ikmal.

Booking was made on 6th July approximately 3pm. As per informed to me, there was still a car available for allocation, and i could get it sometime the following week, Loan officer called me at about 6pm on the same day to confirm my details and loan was approved the following day. I picked up my car on the 14th of July at MTR Sungai Besi at approximately 4pm and am still very happy with my purchase and experience.

There are a few things i want to point out that before i wrap things up

1) Customer is not always right .. in fact, there are many times when the customer is wrong. Working in servicing industry i know this better then most. And i know not all answers come immediately. But my first Sales Agent and second one had a very noticeable gap in product knowledge that effected my judgement. Its OK not to know... if you sell 10 brands of instant noodles, i don't expect you to know how many milligrams of salt are in Brand A's noodles. If you know then thats great! But if you don't .. a simple I'll get back to you is fine. But as a sales person responding on an inquiry of a product, the response should be within 1-2 days.. not 2 weeks.

2) Until a sale is complete, there is a customer and sales agent relationship...  (and this should actually extend to even after) . Out of simple respect, wishing your client happy birthday or happy holidays should be done... To soften the relationship and ease any tension.. if not anything else. The course of my Whatsapp messages happen thru both my birthday (which was on my IC that the photostatted & form where my number was written) as well as the Raya holidays. something a sensitive salesman would be alert to.

3) If you can't give an answer, at least explain the process, and a proper time frame to get back on an answer. As previously mentioned above .. my second Sales agent clearly explained when stock allocations are made, and when we can expect delivery once allocation is done. At the very least the ballpark of the time frame reduces after time and gets more specific nearing time of delivery. Explain this clearly and a lot of customer would be ok. Although 1 & 2 were bad, this was the thing that annoyed me the most. after 1 month waiting the time frame was still vague and the responses were still "waiting for my boss" . Based on the 1 month alone, i should have already been told when stock allocations were made.. and how many are in queue for the same model and color in front of me -> giving me a better idea of when the car could be released.

4) My personal advice,

• before you place a booking test you agents knowledge and response & response time. 
• Even if you have a crappy sale agent, they don't represent the product. if you decided to choose one car model over another, don't let a crappy sales agent make you decide otherwise. I could have gone and bought a Proton, Perodua or Honda. But i choose this model. and i had no intention of letting my emotions (as angry as i was) make me pay 90K-100K for a different car model that i did not want . 

I would like to thank Ikmal from MTR, Yati and Lee Enn Toyota HQ for handling my case and helping me resolve everything swiftly. Very happy with my purchase and hopefully this car will serve me well and long just as my last one did.

Finally, if any of you are looking at buying a Toyota in KL and are looking for a recommended agent, do try calling Ikmal