After sales service is such a big factor for car buyers in India, it has made some brands the superstars they are right now and made many unpopular. A product can be as brilliant as it wants on its own, but the cost of ownership, quality of service and workmanship, availability of spares, and the peace of mind associated with it is a big draw for the majority of buyers.
While most buyers stick to the authorised service centre these days for the convenience and assurance that comes along, and also to honour warranty conditions, there are many who would like an alternative. An alternative which promises to be more economical than the authorised service centre takes a comparable professional approach or even better is modern and maintains transparency at all levels. Enter GoMechanic, a branded car maintenance chain which asked us to try what they’re all about and after allowing them to fix our mostly-neglected and now discontinued Chevrolet Beat, allow us to tell you what it’s all about. Before that though, let’s get to know them better.
How Is It Different?
Unlike your roadside mechanic who, well, is skilled enough to fix things roadside but very often leaves things to guesswork for the lack of tools, GoMechanic has the very latest equipment to service a car and fix it. They use pneumatic tools, have a state-of-the-art paint booth and other latest equipment to fix cosmetic and mechanical issues.
Besides that, like an authorised service centre, the staff is well-trained, courteous and ensure that a thorough check is done before making a job card, which is followed with a rough estimate that they share with you. For the busy lives, we live these days, you may also use their website or app to enter all the details and get an estimate for fixing your car, before asking for their pickup and drop services.
Below are the services which they offer:
- Scheduled car services
- Exterior and interior car care services
- Denting and painting services
- Wheel, rim and alloy care
- Customer specific custom job
- Cashless insurance repairs
Is It Cost & Time Effective? Do They Use Genuine Spares?
GoMechanic promises to use 100% genuine spares and consumables and has centralised spare procurement and integrated inventory management system, which enable them to source quality OEM and OES spares. However, what makes them more economical than even your authorised service centre at times, is the fact that if a part is identified as the trouble maker, they verify with you if it can be repaired, instead of suggesting a replacement as the only option.
Owners of cars which have been discontinued or are of out of warranty would be happy to know that GoMechanic has a repository of spares for such cars too like they had things readily available for our Chevrolet Beat. The other appreciable quality about GoMechanic is the transparency of time, where they promise to finish a standard service job within 4-5 hours whereas, a comprehensive service takes at least 5-6 hours. If there’s a part replacement involved or any other additional job, they do let the customer know beforehand about the extra time needed. With our car, they did get the job done within the time promised.
How Transparent and Professional is GoMechanic?
In addition to the repair suggestion they provide after a thorough check, instead of out-n-out replacement, GoMechanic also has a grievance redressal team and an internal audit team which ensures the chain functions and operates like it promises to. Any parts, if replaced, come with a warranty and even the regular service promises a 1 month/1000 kms unconditional warranty. They also have a 24×7 customer support team which tends to your car’s issue with the highest priority.
How Was Your Experience With GoMechanic?
Our Chevrolet Beat had issues with the air-conditioner, with its front suspension, and needed a wiper, gear knob and accelerator pedal replacement. A big crack in the windscreen had to be fixed too, for which the cashless insurance formalities were completed within minutes and the windscreen was replaced on the same day.
Post a thorough drive and a close inspection it was figured that the front suspension’s lower arm bush required replacement, the braking system’s cylinder had to be replaced, the wiper arms and blades had become too old and most fluids and filters, including the gear oil, had to be bled and replaced too. Once our car was back, it felt really healthy and fit for its age, unlike how it felt behind the wheel, before it got fixed. This was confirmed by driving it to Pune from Mumbai, twice in a week, where it performed flawlessly in the pouring rain.
If you have been looking for a genuine and trustworthy alternative for getting your service, do give GoMechanic a try. If not that, try their GoMechanic Android app or visit their website to see for yourself if there is a cost difference.
If you do wish to try them though, use the code GOMOTO15, which gets Motoroids’ fans an additional 15% discount on GoMechanic’s services.