The public spat between Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and comedian Kunal Kamra has intensified, especially around Ola Electric’s after-sales service issues. The latest development occurred when Aggarwal, after a break from social media, posted a Diwali celebration video from an Ola showroom. Kamra, however, seized the opportunity to retort, demanding, “Service station dikhao,” underscoring his focus on Ola’s service challenges.
Kamra has been outspoken about Ola Electric’s customer service issues since early October. His comments have centered on what he sees as Ola’s insufficient service response. In one notable post, Kamra shared an image of Ola scooters reportedly awaiting repairs, symbolizing a high volume of unresolved complaints. His post mentioned a backlog of up to 80,000 complaints per month, resonating with numerous Ola customers who echoed their own frustrations with slow repairs and limited after-sales support.
शुभ दीपावली! pic.twitter.com/YyKFVtvtAc
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) October 31, 2024
Aggarwal fired back at Kamra, accusing him of being paid to defame Ola and sarcastically challenging him to spend a day working at an Ola service center. This reply sparked criticism from social media users who felt that the CEO should address customer concerns directly rather than dismissing them.
In response to Aggarwal’s jab, Kamra claimed he would “accept” the mock job offer and outlined a potential action plan for Ola, including a seven-day repair guarantee and compensation for delays. He has since tagged government officials, such as Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging action to ensure Ola customers’ issues are addressed.
Ola has maintained that it has a reliable system to resolve customer issues. Recently, Ola reported to the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) that it had addressed 99.1% of the 10,644 complaints received through the CCPA. However, the Department of Consumer Affairs is now verifying these claims, planning to contact Ola customers to confirm if they were satisfied with the resolution.
The Consumer Affairs Department’s investigation could have a substantial impact on Ola Electric’s reputation and customer trust. As the public debate continues, this inquiry may bring about necessary changes in Ola’s service practices, impacting its relationship with its customers and possibly prompting other companies to reevaluate their customer service approach.
