As Datsun gears up to launch the 1-litre version of the redi-GO on Wednesday, its manufacturer Nissan Motor India has been working extensively on creating a strong after-sales base.
“We have been in transformation stage for three years now and after-sales has been a core focus area. Even though we are small players, the mindset is that of a market leader in terms of creating initiatives,” says Sanjeev Aggarwal, Vice-President, After Sales, Nissan Motor India.
This becomes particularly important for the redi-GO, which has helped bolster the Datsun brand image. Compared to the lacklustre market response to its predecessors, GO and GO+, redi-GO has fared a lot better as an entry-level offering. Nissan knows only too well that customers in this segment need constant reassurance on service and parts availability, which explains why it is pulling out all stops here.
Aggarwal is particularly pleased with the parts fill rate, which refers to the percentage of customer orders that is met through available stocks. At present, it is nearly 97 per cent, which puts Nissan in the top league of automakers in India, along with the likes of Toyota.
This has been a result of creating adequate warehouse capacity, beginning with Chennai in 2014, followed up by Gurugram (Haryana) and finally Chakan near Pune last year. “We may find alternative routes beyond warehouses going forward,” says Aggarwal. This could include roping in dealers to stock spares or creating a new distribution model to handle this task.
Beyond this, Nissan has been focusing on a host of customer-centric initiatives which include roadside assistance and mobile service vans. “As we gain more market share, the focus will be on our network as the redi-GO gets into smaller towns,” he adds.
It was only a couple of months ago when ‘Datsun Care’ was launched for new redi-GO owners across India. This comprises a service package, which translates into savings on repairs. It covers scheduled services and associated spare part costs/ labour charges as well as replacement of brake and clutch components, wiper blades once a year, wheel alignment and balancing and so on. “The idea is to give customers complete peace of mind,” says Aggarwal.
There have been other initiatives too like the partnership forged with MyTVS last year to create a slew of Nissan Authorised Service Points in Tamil Nadu. Smaller workshops will also complement the efforts of mobile service vans, especially in the rural penetration drive. “Different retail models can be formulated depending on the quantum of work required in a car,” he says.
What is interesting is that Datsun has a good presence in the eastern region, which traditionally lags behind the more buoyant car markets of the north, west and south. Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal as well as the North-East are reasonably brisk markets for Datsun, which also puts in context why after-sales efforts become important to ensure that first-time buyers are content.
According to Aggarwal, the redi-Go plays a big role in helping Datsun’s overall image, especially from the viewpoint of customer satisfaction. “It has created a sense of newness and appeals to young buyers. We have faith in the product since it is growing in numbers and there is more buoyancy now in the Datsun brand,” he says.
The Nissan management also knows only too well that India is the world’s largest two-wheeler market where there will be a natural transition happening among customers to value-for-money cars. This is where the redi-GO can be positioned as the ideal entry-level option. “Two-wheeler buyers will also have greater comfort levels with our cost of ownership through packages such as Datsun Care, which will definitely help the cause of redi-GO,” says Aggarwal.