Irfan Tansel, CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles: In The Automotive World, Great Customer Service Demands A Tech-First Approach
This article was originally published in Forbes Middle East.
Under the leadership of CEO Irfan Tansel, Al Masaood Automobiles is building a future on foresight, technology, and innovation.
For the past 40 years, Al Masaood Automobiles has been a key player in the UAE’s automotive industry, and as a new year rapidly approaches, the company plans to keep it that way. As the sole distributor of Nissan, Renault, and Infiniti in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the western region, Al Masaood’s core product is not manufacturing or design, it’s customer service, and in a digital world, getting it right requires foresight, the ability to innovate, and an appetite for advanced technology.
Fortunately, Al Masaood Automobiles possesses all three. In fact, under the leadership of CEO Irfan Tansel, the company developed and launched a digital platform, more than a year before COVID-19 forced other businesses to follow suit. “We could see it was the way shopping behavior was heading,” says Tansel.
These days, the whole buying experience starts with digital and e-commerce. A decade ago, customers would visit a showroom five or six times before deciding to buy a vehicle, explains the CEO. Now, the average is less than 1.5. By the time customers enter a showroom today, they know exactly what they want because they’ve gone through the journey online. “That's why it is very important that we continue looking into digital transformation of our customer offerings,” stresses Tansel.
While Al Masaood Automobiles was ahead of the game where e-commerce is concerned, COVID-19 still served as a catalyst for digital transformation. In fact, within 10 days of the virus’ arrival in Abu Dhabi, the company had established an interactive showroom experience, through which a customer could talk to sales consultants, view cars, and explore all the options. From there, Al Masaood would deliver the vehicle directly to the customer’s home.
Two years on from the introduction of its e-commerce platform, digitalization is paying off for the auto distributor. “Digital platforms have increased our sales by about 23%” says Tansel. “Our retail sales in 2020 actually increased by 18%, at a time when people were reluctant to visit showrooms.”
Yet, Al Masaood’s innovative ambitions don’t end at e-commerce. As a distributor for some of the leading manufacturers of electric cars, the company has been instrumental in encouraging the electrification of the auto industry in the UAE. “Renault sold more electric vehicles in Europe than any other manufacturer last year, and the Nissan Leaf is the only electric vehicle now in its second generation,” says the chief executive. “It's time for change in bringing new technologies to this part of the world,” he adds.
With the electric car market growing apace and autonomous vehicles also on the horizon, Al Masaood Automobiles is preparing for the future -and while there are exciting times ahead, Tansel is mindful of the challenges. For one thing, the company’s revenues are likely to take a hit. “An electric car has 10 times fewer moving parts than a regular fuel cell car, so there's going to be less need for aftersales services and spare parts,” explains the CEO. In fact, Tansel expects business to drop by 50% to 60% over the coming years.
But he is not deterred; for a company with foresight and an innovative streak, overcoming the challenges ahead is all about planning - and a pragmatic approach. “We just have to get ready. Ambition is very important, and then you need to create a plan.”
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