‘Typical Mercedes or Land Rover showroom attitude…’: CEO says sorry after WeWork Gurgaon backlash

WeWork’s co-working space in Gurgaon has come under fire after Alok Jain, founder of WeekendInvesting and an IIT alumnus, criticized the company’s sales approach. Jain expressed his displeasure on social media platform X, accusing a WeWork sales representative of adopting an arrogant attitude while inquiring about office space at the Golf Course Road facility.

In his post, Jain described the experience as unnecessarily intrusive, citing excessive questions about his current office location, workforce size, and decision-making authority. “The sales guy was just like typical behavior in a Mercedes or Land Rover showroom… Hazard questions to judge you,” Jain wrote. “I don’t know what happens to brands… once they grow big, customer courtesy becomes meaningless to them!!”

The post quickly gained traction, garnering more than 90,000 views and sparking a wave of comments, with many users sharing similar experiences. “Sales processes have checklists, but tone and approach are important,” one commenter noted. “Some salespeople are not trained to handle larger accounts.” Another echoed Jane’s frustrations, saying, “Their salespeople have become very arrogant in recent years.”

Karan Virwani, CEO of WeWork India, responded with a public apology, admitting that the experience was not up to the company’s standards. “Dear Alok, I sincerely apologize for the experience you had with our customer service team,” Virwani wrote. “Although our questions were intended to better understand your needs, the manner in which they were conveyed was not acceptable. We are implementing immediate changes to ensure such situations do not occur again.” Jain called for a one-on-one conversation to address concerns and improve services.

Despite the apology, the incident sparked widespread discussions about customer service at established brands. Many users have noticed a noticeable decline in courtesy as brands have grown, turning what should be a simple inquiry into a frustrating ordeal.