Sometime back, I accompanied a friend to buy a few household appliances – a cooking stove, a water filter, and some other items.
We started with Croma at Kothrud, Pune which is opposite City Pride. It was 11 a.m. – a good time to expect fresh energy in the showroom. What followed, however, became a perfect example of how poor service can drive away business, even when the customer comes ready to spend.
We parked the car at a spot clearly marked as “Parking for Croma Customers.” Inside the old showroom, there was no welcome, no greeting, no attention and no interest from anyone.
After a while, one salesperson appeared. On asking about water filters, he said, “The salesman for the water-filter has not arrived yet.”
We asked if we should check the new showroom next door (Croma’s bigger branch). He casually said, “Okay.”
At the new showroom, things weren’t much different. A lady salesperson was busy dusting. She finally came up to us, enquired what we wanted, and continued showing us products while holding the duster in her hand. That was pretty awkward.
Before we could say much, a watchman came running and started shouting about our car parking: “Wo gaadi apne udhar kaise lagayi?” (How did you park the car there?)
The tone was unnecessarily loud. My friend requested him to calm down, but he continued talking in a loud tone. For us Croma was Croma, and the watchman was missing when we parked the car. What was our fault if we parked our vehicle as per the signage?
The supervisor, the lead salesperson, and finally the manager arrived – but nobody apologised. Not even a simple “Sorry for the confusion.”
At that moment, we decided: We are not buying from here!
We then went to Vijay Sales, not expecting much after the Croma experience.
To our surprise, we were welcomed at the entrance with a smile. A salesperson joined us immediately and patiently understood our needs. He explained the features, pros and cons of different models of stoves, water filters, and other appliances in simple language. He wasn’t pushing products; he was guiding us like an advisor. He answered every question, about exchange offers, installation, and warranty and all other things with clarity and confidence.
At the end, my friend not only bought what he planned but ended up buying more. The total purchase? Over ₹1,00,000.
” That day do you think Croma lost sales worth only Rs. 1 Lac, or much more than that?”