Today, after I fetched my wife from work along Taft Avenue, the front right tire of my Hyundai Getz started making noise. Not the kind of whoosh whoosh that one would expect from a flat tire, but a shrill, piercing noise that can only come from metal on metal. It was extremely painful to the ears, and very, very loud. Naturally, we were very concerned, and I couldn’t imagine bringing my car all the way from Taft Avenue to Fort Bonifacio to have it checked up at our usual casa, Hyundai Global City.

I then had the brilliant – I say this sarcastically – idea of replacing the front right tire. Maybe it’s the tire, I told my wife. So after lowering our tire down and getting all sweaty and stuff, I succeeded in breaking off a nut and bolt from the front right tire.

!#@$*^*%!!!! (Buti na lang, kinalm-down ako ni Lord at ni Misis. hehehe.)

So Cathy and I weighed our options – get it towed to Hyundai Global City, or bring it to a different Hyundai service center. We could choose between either Hyundai Otis, pretty close to DLS-Manila, with it being along United Nations Avenue,  or Hyundai Manila Bay, not so far either from Taft Avenue, but further away from our home in Caloocan. So Hyundai Otis it was!

Upon our arrival there, we were immediately met by the service adviser Eric. He told me that another technician, Dek, would conduct a road test with my Hyundai Getz. So I hopped in the car to show Dek what I was talking about. And wouldn’t you know it? The noise stopped! Kainis!

I insisted they check it out though, so for the first time in my entire life with Gina, I had to leave her overnight. So Dek and Eric worked out a repair order for me and everything, and helped me settle Gina in for the night. (While waiting, I took a couple of pictures of the Hyundai Otis showroom because I’d never been there before. Sorry about the quality; it was just my camera phone.) A lady named Rowena gave me some information on the Hyundai Tucson. My God, what a beautiful, sleek piece of metal!! If I weren’t so afraid of driving such a large car…! Tuloy laway. Ganda!)

I’m having separation anxiety. I can’t sleep! lol

I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes, what was wrong with Gina, and how much it’s going to cost me so if you ever encounter a problem like this, you may know what to do.

Yngat sa kalye, mga tsong!

The Philippine church I work for has a Mitsubishi van we call Vanna Vanna. I drove her a few weeks ago from Fort Bonifacio to Caloocan and back. By the time I got back, my back was so sore I was in pain for the rest of the day! I had to call the next day in sick!

Okay, so hindi ako sanay, but still…

If you’re in the mood for pain, drive an L300. YUCK. Never again!

Hyundai has responded. Well, Hyundai Fort Bonifacio, anyway, has responded. Suffice it to say that I am not only satisfied, I am extremely encouraged.

I brought my Philippine Hyundai Getz, Gina, to Hyundai Global City last Thursday for her 25,000km checkup. While checking her in, I asked Jay Doria, one of their service advisors and the most reliable fellow on the planet, about the bumper, reminding him about the almost three months I’ve had to wait for my Hyundai Getz’s repair. He was appalled, to say the least, and got some fellow on the phone right then and there.

I left Gina at HGC and went to work.

Three hours later, he called me to inform me that not only would Gina be checked into the repair shop for complete bumper repair that day, if I wanted it, but she would be out by next week, probably Tuesday. Together with the repair of a broken actuator that made my keyless entry useless. Together with my 25,000km checkup. She’ll be back in the same shape I had her – if not better – in when I had my October 2008 accident.

Now that’s service. PANALO.

The icing on my cake came this afternoon, however, when Hyundai Global City’s Customer Relations Manager Azelle Balleza sent me a letter via email apologizing for the entire fiasco. It turns out there was miscommunication regarding the parts. They apologized for not updating me regularly on its status, and assured me that Gina would be given priority for repair. (Never mind that it was addressed to Bob Deen, hahaha. Who’s he?) I’ve never met Azelle, but kudos to her! It’s never easy writing letters like what she did, but it came across very well. Everything negative I experienced the past three months melted away.

Hyundai Fort Bonifacio had a disgruntled customer and remedied the situation in less than a day. Sure, I was majorly upset for three months, but they did what they had to do. They took my Hyundai Getz in, promised to fix it, apologized for their “shortcomings” in communication, and gave me their word that she would be fine by next week.

I don’t hold grudges. In fact, how Hyundai Global City handled this situation can be a great lesson for other car manufacturers *Daewoo, cough cough* whose post-sales services leave a lot to be desired. Thank you, Hyundai. Friends ulit tayo!

… is inexcusable.

What kind of operation is HARI running here? Do you honestly mean to tell me that it takes two months to order a bumper from Korea and ship it to the Philippines? Hyundai makes cars, trucks, and buses; do they also make ships? Is it so difficult to pick up a phone and call me, or log online and shoot me an email, or grab a mobile phone and send me an SMS with an update?

This is unforgivable. I had my accident more than three months ago. I filed it at the end of October. I waited November. I waited December. It is now a third into January. This is ridiculous. I have texted and called Hyundai Fort Bonifacio and all I get is a song-and-dance about how the parts aren’t available. I have to call them; Lord knows they don’t call me.

I booked an appointment at Hyundai Global City for last Thursday, then I decided not to push through with it. They texted me later Thursday afternoon to ask about whether I was coming in for the checkup. I told them No then asked about the bumper. Hindi na sila sumagot.

Meanwhile, my Hyundai Getz’s left bumper is sinking lower and lower, with bolts slipping roughshod looser and looser. The left headlight is lower than the right; I’m afraid my alignment’s all messed up. Every day that passes by can cause more damage to my car! Is this some kind of evil plan for my insurance to expire so I have to pay the full PHP44,000 I was told it would cost to have everything repaired and replaced?

One of the parts needed was some kind of bar that holds my car’s engine in place. I have been driving two months now with a potentially damaged bar because there has been no replacement. When I asked about my bumper, I was told they could wire it in while we wait. I’m supposed to drive around with my bumper wired to the rest of my car? What kind of solution is that? Why not just use rugby or Mighty Bond?! Why not just rip my bumper right off?!

Listen up, HARI. I may be some random owner of your cheapest car on your roster, but I am still a consumer, and I love my car. I created a blog for Gina, and I testify to the virtues of my Hyundai Getz to the worldwide web because it’s a damn good car. I am a promoter of your business; I support you and defend you. This website is one of the most popular websites in the Philippines for the Hyundai Getz and even for Hyundai Philippines. If you can’t even take care of the people that love you, how do you possibly expect to make it all the way to #1?

I am going to keep my mouth shut for the next seven days. If I don’t get some kind of update from HARI or Hyundai Fort Bonifacio, I am going to write a formal letter of complaint, fax it to them, and cc the Consumer Protection departments of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star, and the Manila Bulletin. I swear, Jay Doria is probably the only reason why I still trust Hyundai Global City, because the man has integrity, and it’s only the quality of my car that that’s stopping me from closing this blog down and selling her, because this kind of post-service from HARI – not necessarily HGC – is a very strong argument for leaving Hyundai.

I am so frustrated with HARI right now. This never happened to me at Toyota!

It has been almost two months since my Philippine Hyundai Getz, Gina, had an unfortunate run-in with a tricycle, wrecking her front bumper, headlight, and grill. It has been almost two months since I filed my insurance claim. It has been almost two months, and Gina still has that awful dent.

I have heard nothing from the insurance company, nor anything from Hyundai Fort Bonifacio, which makes me second-guess my decision to purchase an insurance policy from them. I’ve only heard from them once, and that came upon my own volition to call them. It is extremely frustrating.

They say my Hyundai Getz is waiting for parts. Two months for parts? Really? So close to the Christmas season, and I’m waiting for parts when Hyundai should be scrambling to sell more units, repair more cars, and increase their revenue so their employees and stockholders can have a truly happy holiday. Ridiculous.

I’ll bet if I paid for this out of my own pocket, I’d probably have Gina fixed and pretty by now. But instead, I suppose since my Hyundai Getz is insured, they’re taking their sweet time. If I took out a cash advance, I’d bet Gina’d be ready to go. Tsk tsk tsk.

It’s been a while since my last post, primarily because my Hyundai Getz is waiting for spare parts. My Hyundai Getz is insured with Standard Insurance, the policy of which I bought through Hyundai Global City. I processed everything and completed all requirements by the third week of October, and it’s been more than a month since.

I wonder what is taking so long. I can’t understand, with modern-day technology and deliveries and all that, why my car is still waiting to be repaired. It’s ridiculous. I don’t think it’s any shortcoming at HGC; I’m thinking there’s a hold-up somewhere at HARI (Hyundai Asia Resources Inc.), and God knows how long it takes for those guys to move. (Remember what happened when I tried to contact HARI them before? Yeah, nothing!)

One of my friends remarked, if I had paid for the repairs myself, Gina would be okay by now. Parts miraculously appear when it’s not insurance that covers it. I laughed, but did a double take. What if it’s true?

The streak ends. My Hyundai Getz Gina has gotten into her first accident. Hu hu hu.

Update: Gina got into an accident with a tricycle apparently made of Pinoy steel, which is stronger than titanium. No damages to the tricycle. Meanwhile, Gina had a hole poked in her left headlight and suffered damage to her bumper and front left side. Ouchies.