Amid reports of numerous complaints from Ola Electric scooter customers in India about the quality of service, a Reuters reporter has posted images of hundreds of Ola S1 scooters awaiting maintenance. The report claims that the Ola scooter service network is under significant pressure and is unable to perform maintenance work as expected.
Ola has more than 400 service hubs across the country that handle scooter maintenance and upkeep. Reuters conducted visits to 35 centers in 10 states between July and October, interviewing 36 Ola service staff and 40 customers during the process. The staff revealed that there is a significant backlog in major metropolitan areas like Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore.
They attributed the backlog to an increase in maintenance requests and a rise in demand in these cities. The usual maintenance work takes three days to two weeks to complete. Photos captured during the visit showed over 100 e-scooters waiting for maintenance, covered in dirt and bird droppings, at a crowded location.
According to Devendra Ghuge, Thane service manager, the number of cases handled by Ola service centers per month has increased from 200-300 to nearly 1,000 over the past four months, leading to an extension of the waiting period to up to two weeks.
In January, Ola’s founder and CEO, Aggarwal, had promised to resolve most customer issues on the same day if they brought their vehicles to an Ola hub for maintenance. In an interview in August, Aggarwal acknowledged high demand for Ola EVs and stated that the company was revising its service capacity and planning to open 100 new centers and appoint additional technicians.
However, a spokesperson for Ola disagreed with Reuters’ reporting, stating that it does not accurately depict the company’s extensive service operations and quality. Ravi Bhatia of JATO Dynamics, an automotive consulting firm, emphasized the importance of a robust service network for electric vehicles in India.
He suggested that Ola needs to align its service to customer demand and improve its basic infrastructure to avoid negative feedback. Ola Electric also provides road-side assistance programs and more than 200 service centers across the country where customers can bring their vehicles for maintenance.
The dissatisfaction among Ola Electric customers is not a new issue, as there have been complaints and opposition to the company’s products in the past. Recently, Ola Electric announced plans to launch several new products, including electric motorcycles, in line with its future vision.
Summery:
– Many Ola Electric scooter customers have complained about the quality of service
– A reporter from Reuters has posted pictures of hundreds of Ola S1 scooters awaiting repairs
– Service centers in major cities are facing a backlog and increased demand for maintenance
– The waiting period for maintenance has increased due to the higher number of cases being handled
– Ola CEO had promised same day resolution for customer complaints in January
– Ola spokesperson disagrees with the negative portrayal of the company’s service network
– Automotive consulting firm emphasizes the need for Ola to improve its service infrastructure
– Ola Electric provides road side assistance and has set up multiple service centers across the country
– Customer dissatisfaction is not new, and Ola has announced plans to introduce new electric products in the future.
