Dealing with Suzuki Phetchburi (Kobsub Suzuki Sales)

[thebears]

I have recently been to Suzuki Phetchburi and there appear to be no English-speaking personnel there whatsoever. I am a lone Westerner who speaks conversational Thai only, and who does not understand motor-related or insurance-related Thai terms.

Does anyone else have experience of dealing with this showroom and its after-sales service.

There were some strange Thai-like "thinking" I noted about the sale. They currently have a promotion which includes 40%-tint window film and a few very cheap accessories. As I do not like window film at all, or at the very least, just very slightly tinted, I asked for lighter shade (for example 20%). They said the promotion doesn't include that - it only includes 40% tint. Is that crazy, or is it me? Can they just ask the tint company to provide 20% instead?

The model of vehicle I want is a GL-manual, but I want to order it with the alloy wheels from the GLX model (for some reason they call them Mag wheels here). They can't do that. So I asked, say a customer had a badly damaged GLX-alloy (sorry 'Mag') wheel and he/she came in to replace it, what would they do? She replied that they'd replace the Mag wheel. So why can't they supply me with a set of alloy wheels simply as parts?

The sales lady is really nice and polite, but it's things like this that are off-putting. We couldn't get anywhere on the sale so I decided to come home and e-mail their (hotmail!) address. She e-mailed me from it first to confirm it, then I wrote back my purchase order for the car. They haven't replied since Friday afternoon. I don't have problems with Hotmail users not receiving my e-mails.

Can anyone suggest any helpful answers? Thanks!

I also looked at the new Vios. It's a nicer looking car than the old model but still geeky and characterless - goodness knows what Jeremy Clarkson would say about it - but after sales service is probably likely to be better than Suzuki's. In fact people have pointed out that Toyota is the best choice because they're so easy to fix and obtain parts. The service dept at Toyota Cha-Am is excellent (I know from experience) but the sales woman was unhelpful and quoted me 35,000 for first class insurance.

Sometimes I just want to scream here!

[Name Taken]

I have recently been to Suzuki Phetchburi and there appear to be no English-speaking personnel there whatsoever. I am a lone Westerner who speaks conversational Thai only, and who does not understand motor-related or insurance-related Thai terms.

Does anyone else have experience of dealing with this showroom and its after-sales service.

There were some strange Thai-like "thinking" I noted about the sale. They currently have a promotion which includes 40%-tint window film and a few very cheap accessories. As I do not like window film at all, or at the very least, just very slightly tinted, I asked for lighter shade (for example 20%). They said the promotion doesn't include that - it only includes 40% tint. Is that crazy, or is it me? Can they just ask the tint company to provide 20% instead?

The model of vehicle I want is a GL-manual, but I want to order it with the alloy wheels from the GLX model (for some reason they call them Mag wheels here). They can't do that. So I asked, say a customer had a badly damaged GLX-alloy (sorry 'Mag') wheel and he/she came in to replace it, what would they do? She replied that they'd replace the Mag wheel. So why can't they supply me with a set of alloy wheels simply as parts?

The sales lady is really nice and polite, but it's things like this that are off-putting. We couldn't get anywhere on the sale so I decided to come home and e-mail their (hotmail!) address. She e-mailed me from it first to confirm it, then I wrote back my purchase order for the car. They haven't replied since Friday afternoon. I don't have problems with Hotmail users not receiving my e-mails.

Can anyone suggest any helpful answers? Thanks!

I also looked at the new Vios. It's a nicer looking car than the old model but still geeky and characterless - goodness knows what Jeremy Clarkson would say about it - but after sales service is probably likely to be better than Suzuki's. In fact people have pointed out that Toyota is the best choice because they're so easy to fix and obtain parts. The service dept at Toyota Cha-Am is excellent (I know from experience) but the sales woman was unhelpful and quoted me 35,000 for first class insurance.

That's because almost all of the vehicles sold here in Thailand have not received any aesthetic, mechanical or electronic upgrades in over a decade. Thailands vehicle/automotive industry is very far behind the United Sates vehicle/automotive industry.

Sometimes I just want to scream here!
I know how you feel.

[Ginjaninja]

thebears,
don't expect better customer service anywhere else... the points you have listed are what I've come to expect everywhere in Thailand. Also Thais don't do emails especially when you compose in English. As expats we all face the same challenges so please don't let it get to you.
Good luck with the car-hunt.
Cheers,
GN.

[thebears]

Thanks to both of you Ginjaninja and Name Taken. Yes, you're right. Thailand is backward at customer service and in many cases the product suck too. There is a song that keeps coming on the local radio "Made in Thailand...". I think it might be the Carabao band. Every time I hear it start, I have to run to turn off the radio because every time I buy something that's made in Thailand, it sucks so much, or gives about a day's service at most. I'm sure there are exceptions though. I don't want to be completely negative.

Anyway, I've e-mailed a purchase order to Kobsub Suzuki and I wonder what they'll make of it. I've even used to Thai script to describe my medical condition, for which I urgently need the car in order to be able to get to Bangkok for medical treatment.

[alf]

Hello thebears when you want to sell or change car it is much easier to sell auto then manual in Thailnd Regards Alf

[Homer]

They said the promotion doesn't include that - it only includes 40% tint. Is that crazy, or is it me? Can they just ask the tint company to provide 20% instead?

The model of vehicle I want is a GL-manual, but I want to order it with the alloy wheels from the GLX model (for some reason they call them Mag wheels here). They can't do that. ... So why can't they supply me with a set of alloy wheels simply as parts?

Companies promote certain items they want to get rid of or that will bring a certain type of customer into their place.

What's to stop you from buying the GL with GL wheels, buying GLX as parts wheels, swapping tires then selling the GL wheels? That's probably the same reason they won't do it.

[thebears]

What's to stop you from buying the GL with GL wheels, buying GLX as parts wheels, swapping tires then selling the GL wheels? That's probably the same reason they won't do it.

Sorry, do you mean they deliberately don't want a GL model to be seen out on the road with GLX alloys? Sorry for being slow, but is that what you mean?

[thebears]

Hello thebears when you want to sell or change car it is much easier to sell auto then manual in Thailnd Regards Alf

Yes, I guess that's a problem to think about, you're quite right. I've known a few rural Thais with old-style Toyota and Mitsubishi pickups with manual gearboxes in the past. I guess the rural Thais have 'come up in the world' though, in the past few years.

[Frank Hovis]

Sorry, do you mean they deliberately don't want a GL model to be seen out on the road with GLX alloys? Sorry for being slow, but is that what you mean?

I suspect what he meant was that you cannot 'upgrade' a GL models wheels to a GLX models wheels directly at the dealership and have it as an upgrade option in the purchase. (leaving the dealership, or factory, with a set of GL wheels and no car to put them on). It's just the way they work and it also works like that in the UK, some upgrades are reserved for higher spec cars.

There should be no problem buying a GL spec, with GL wheels, and then ordering a set of GLX wheels. Or simply go in tomorrow and buy (or order) a set of GLX wheels, by the time your GL comes you will have the GLX wheels at the ready. Swap them over, store the GL wheels somewhere safe (or sell them).

You could also go round the many, many, aftermarket alloy wheel dealers and find a really nice set for a similar price. UK spec cars have optional 7Jx17 for 205/40 tyres so there should be no trouble fitting up to that size at an aftermarket shop, but they might give you a rough ride.

They do call them 'mags' as in 'magnesium alloy wheels' either because 'mags' were the original alloy wheel or because saying 'alloy' in the middle of a sentence isn't quite as clear as saying 'mag' when the speaker has a habit of turning 'L' into 'R'.