Let me introduce myself: I am a Director at a Mumbai-based Fortune 50 company in the services industry. My role involves overseeing a business vertical with 1500 employees and generating an impressive revenue of Rs. 400 crore. Given the nature of my job, I frequently encounter unexpected situations. Consequently, I have developed a higher tolerance for mistakes, errors, or faults compared to others in my field. Throughout my career, I have faced numerous challenges from customers; however, most of these problems have been successfully resolved without any lasting negative impact that would lead me to share them with others.
The Veneta team in India truly stands out. We were fortunate enough to buy a flat in a prime Bandra neighborhood in Mumbai a few years ago. We dedicated our personal savings to completely renovate the flat and furnish it based on our preferences. One of the crucial decisions we made was to have a modular kitchen, so we visited Poggenpohl, Hacker, and Veneta. Eventually, we settled on a beautiful Hacker kitchen but, unfortunately, due to some bad luck, we decided to save some money and went with Veneta instead. Little did we know that this choice would lead us down a path of apathy and frustration with Veneta. The process of purchasing the kitchen design was satisfactory.
With a good knowledge of interior design, my spouse and I had a clear vision for our kitchen. We were familiar with the process of working with the Hacker team based on previous experience. After making revisions, we finalized the design at a cost of approximately Rs. 14 lakhs. The team required full payment in advance before delivering the kitchen, which made us hesitant but we still agreed and issued large checks. Alongside this agreement, we also set a delivery timeframe of 3-4 months.
Regrettably, communication abruptly stopped after our payment was processed. Since we knew that the kitchen was being imported from Italy, we didn’t feel the need to follow up on its progress.
Our kitchen installation did not progress as expected, which surprised us. We discovered that there was still an outstanding payment of approximately Rs. 20,000 due to a small design change we made after placing the order. However, we were never informed about this situation. The company attempted to reach us multiple times at our residence but did not receive any response. It would have been beneficial if they had followed up with a letter or email, considering the importance of receiving the delivery on time as we were incurring high rental costs for temporary accommodation during our house renovation process. Regrettably, they did not take any initiative in addressing this matter.
Despite the disastrous situation, Veneta absolved themselves of any responsibility and we reluctantly agreed to postpone the delivery for 2-3 additional months. Throughout this ordeal, the assigned executive displayed arrogance, apathy, and a negative attitude. Nonetheless, I prefer not to dwell on difficult individuals’ behavior. This problem relates to the organization’s service standards, values, and philosophy. As for installation, the kitchen finally arrived with an immediate threat of demurrage charges if not promptly installed.
I am still laughing as I type because it is ironic. We had to deal with some matters with the building society, which caused work to stop temporarily and caused a delay in installation. I cannot remember if we had to pay demurrage or not, but negotiating with them was chaotic. However, the kitchen, which included a dishwasher and oven from Veneta, was installed fairly smoothly, which was one positive aspect of the experience. In terms of after-sales service, this is the main reason why I would caution anyone considering Veneta. Once they receive payment, it seems like they simply do not care.
After 18 months of installation, their dishwasher malfunctioned and it cost me approximately Rs. 1 lakh. According to their policy, one must purchase their appliances in order to have them in the kitchen – or at least that’s what we were informed.
In August 2010, I contacted the Veneta team for assistance and have consistently reached out to them since then. Finally, after a few weeks, an individual arrived and mentioned something about obtaining a replacement part before disappearing. This pattern repeated after a few weeks of escalating the issue.
Ultimately, someone came by several times to tinker with the appliance before leaving. It was now Diwali and we had our extended family coming over.
We were now faced with the task of hand washing dishes for 12 people instead of our usual 4. I reached out to the CC India office in Bangalore to speak with their CEO, but encountered resistance. The machine was taken to a workshop and after several weeks, I received an estimate of approximately Rs. 27,000 for repairs. This came as a shock because the machine was only 18 months old and should still have been covered by warranty or service guarantee. However, it turned out that I had declined their service contract which would have cost Rs. 3500 per year when the machine was delivered, so now I am responsible for covering the repair costs myself. It is still unclear why I would refuse to pay just Rs. 500 per year after already writing a check for Rs. 14 lakhs if it had been offered to me at that time. But apparently, that is what happened.
Consequently, I wrote a check for Rs. 27,000 and they installed the “fixed” machine after a delay of about 5-6 weeks and multiple follow-ups. However, even though it is now January, the machine still does not function properly.The house has flooded three times as a result which has forced us to wash dishes in the bathroom area instead.There have been occasional visits from a service technician who either putters around without resolving anything or blames various individuals such as plumbers or RO filter technicians for these issues.At last two weeks ago,the flooding problem stopped but now dishwasher fails to clean dishes adequately.
I have tried calling Veneta multiple times, but the situation remains the same. The cheque has been cleared, indicating that payment has been made. As always, Veneta insists on payment in advance. One or two service lapses can be considered bad luck, but my hesitation in recommending Veneta to others comes from the following reasons. First, they are quick to avoid responsibility for any service issues. Even if a client worth Rs. 14 lakh has been given this runaround, I question their standards for good service. Second, they are obsessed with receiving payment upfront. They justify this by citing company policy and refuse to proceed until they have received full payment in their bank account.
The company provides no support system or means of escalation. The CEO and senior management are unapproachable. Regardless of whether calls or emails express anger, desperation, pleas, or threats of legal or media action, they are ignored. It seems as though the company focuses on selling new kitchens without concern for customer satisfaction. The quality of their kitchens is acceptable, but had I known about the lack of service beforehand, I would have either chosen a top-tier brand at a higher cost or opted for a more affordable option.
Veneta is currently operating at a level in the cost-service grid that is considered unacceptable. Personally, I continue to fight against customer apathy. I send my best wishes to all of you who are reading this and pursuing your dream flats. May God bless you all.
PS: Update (Jan 22, 2011). I called Veneta to check on the dishwasher and mentioned that I had written a review on mouthshut. I also asked for the CEO again. However, company policy does not allow the CEO’s number to be given out – they offered me the number of the regional manager instead. Once again, I was met with resistance. They even provided me with eight other consumer sites where I could leave reviews!
Update (March 6, 2011): Still no dishwasher and no call from Veneta HO. They made one visit but couldn’t find some parts and promised to return with them. I am still waiting. Any ideas from readers are welcome.
Veneta Cucine is significantly more expensive in India, with prices around double that of other Italian modular kitchens in the market. While Veneta Cucine quoted approximately 11L for the kitchen, others such as Gilma Spagnol and Lube Italian Kitchen quoted between 4-5L for the same kitchen.
The estimated value of the materials used may not exceed 6L, although they are not exactly the same. Additionally, Veneta Cucine charges 10K up-front for their designs, while others provide their design and quote for free. Since they do not have experts to design, I had to supply them with the design and request a quote. Consequently, I ended up paying 10K just to receive a cost estimate for my design. On the other hand, Veneta Cucine does offer the advantage of a 35-year guarantee for their kitchen. However, one must question if a kitchen that lasts 35 years is truly necessary.
Having doubts about whether Veneta Cucine’s kitchen would meet my requirements in the long run, I questioned the value of paying double for their 35-year guarantee. As a result, I decided not to choose Veneta Cucine Sleek Modular Kitchen and instead conducted extensive research and visited various dealers. Ultimately, I selected Sleek modular kitchens at @home in Marathalli, Bangalore. The outlet is managed by Poulomi, Rahul, and Murugesh. After finalizing the design and placing an order with them, they assured us that our kitchen would be installed within 45 days at the latest. Given that we ordered it in late May, they promised that our kitchen would be ready by July 15th.
With both my husband and I employed, we aimed to expedite the installation of our modular kitchen in order for neither of us to be present at home during the process. Poulomi assured us that she would guarantee completion by July 15th. She clarified that since Sleek’s main office is situated in Mumbai and all the materials for our kitchen had to be dispatched from there, including wooden boxes and hinges, we were obliged to make full payment upfront. We consented and made the payment by the conclusion of May. However, complications emerged shortly thereafter. In the initial week of June, Sleek’s civil work team finished their designated part of the project.
Civil work involves various tasks such as replacing the kitchen granite, sink, and installing stone partitions beneath the granite, as well as installing kitchen tiles. Unfortunately, the installation team made a mistake by installing our sink in the wrong direction. It’s surprising that experienced installers would not know the basics of sink installation. However, after numerous phone calls, they replaced the granite and reinstalled the sink properly. During this process, we had to have portions of the kitchen tiles reinstalled as they were damaged during the granite reinstallation. We had to bear the cost of this damage.
Poulomi informed us that the wooden installation materials would be delivered from their headquarters within 25 days. They promised to complete the installation within 4 days after the materials arrived. However, it took a month for the materials to finally arrive, and then the carpenter came two days after the arrival of the materialsto install(ed) the wooden boxes. To our dismay,, we discovered that some boxes were missing.. This meant we had to wait for a few more days for* *remaining*materials***to arrive from Mumbai *to Bangalore*. When we contacted Poulomi for an update,, we found out that she had gone to her hometown.
During our interaction with Murugesh, we often experienced difficulty in reaching him. As a result, our sole option was to communicate with Rahul, the marketing representative. Rahul was the only accessible person from Sleek and proved to be very helpful. Not only did he apologize for the missing materials, but he also assured us that they would arrive within fifteen days at the latest. However, it should be noted that Rahul, being a marketing professional, lacked in-depth technical knowledge, which had been promised to us by Poulomi. After waiting for the next fifteen days without receiving the materials, we contacted Poulomi, only to discover that she was still in her hometown. As usual, Murugesh continued to ignore our calls. Rahul explained that the dispatch of the material was delayed due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai (which seemed like an unacceptable excuse).
He apologized and promised us that the materials would arrive in another fifteen days. The remaining materials finally arrived on the 10th of August, and they finished the work on the 11th. So, my advice to all people who are looking for modular kitchen dealers is that sleek modular kitchens are not only expensive, but they also require paying the full amount before starting the actual work. Once you pay, the employees, except Rahul, are inaccessible and unprofessional. They don’t answer phone calls and only provide excuses.
