With demand for Nexon on the rise, waiting period has increased beyond three months in some cases
At a time when most things are home delivered within hours or a few days, car buyers continue to be plagued by delays in deliveries. This is especially true in cases where a product witnesses a higher than expected surge in demand. In such cases, car buyers have to wait for weeks or even months. This tests the customer’s patience and leaves them annoyed.
How carmakers are handling delay in deliveries?
As a damage control measure and to ensure that angry customers don’t cancel their bookings, carmakers are offering special gifts and benefits when there’s significant delay in delivery. In the most recent case, Tata Motors is offering one year of extended OE warranty and road side assistance for Nexon buyers. This is applicable for customers who have been waiting for their Nexon for more than a month.
Offer communicated directly to customers
It is important to note that Tata Motors’ offer to pacify Nexon buyers has not been announced publicly. Customers are being contacted directly via text messages to inform them about the rewards that they will be getting for their patience.
Also, the messages are being sent out to customers in a phased manner and not to everyone simultaneously. As claimed by customers, some of them have been waiting for their Nexon for more than 70 days already. Some claim that they got a call from their dealer, some claim that they got an SMS from Tata Motors while some claim that after haggling with their dealer everyday, they were offered this free offer.
This is not the first time that upset customers are being placated with attractive offers. Just a few days back, Mahindra had sent a letter along with a box of chocolates to Thar buyers who are witnessing significant delay in delivery due to high demand. In some cases, Thar’s waiting period has reached more than 8 months.
A similar strategy was deployed by MG Motor in 2019, when it had offered reward points to Hector SUV buyers. These reward points were to be used for buying official accessories at MG dealerships.
Nexon Popularity
As may be recalled, Nexon has emerged as a popular choice in the compact SUV segment. There are several reasons for its growing popularity, one of which is the 5-star safety rating received from Global NCAP. The undercurrent of supporting local manufacturers among the masses may have also contributed to increased demand for Tata cars such as Nexon.
In October, Nexon was the fourth bestselling compact SUV with sales of 6,888 units. It had registered an impressive YoY gain of 55.21 percent, as compared to 4,438 units sold in the corresponding period last year. While it trailed behind Brezza, Sonet and Venue, it was ahead of Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, Toyota Urban Cruiser and Honda WRV. Nexon was also the top selling Tata car, ahead of Altroz and Tiago.
