Khaleej Times: An icon for Abu Dhabi's automotive industry
CEO Irfan Tansel explains why success can be the biggest motivator.
For over 40 years Al Masaood Automobiles has been an icon for the UAE's automotive market, today being the exclusive distributor for Nissan, Infiniti and Renault in Abu Dhabi. A pioneer in many industries, Al Masaood's growth in the automotive sector was marked by their ability to recognise trends and work with notable manufacturers, such as Nissan to bring superior-quality vehicles to the masses. The Group has a world-class network of well-equipped service centres and extensive spare parts dealers. In addition, Al Masaood is home to Nissan's largest service centre in the world.
CEO Irfan Tansel believes that Al Masaood Automobiles long-standing status in the industry is due to constant reinvention and aligning with Abu Dhabi's economic vision to develop various industries, which include the automotive. "We began our journey about 46 years ago, led by a long-standing vision of Al Masaood family. By launching brands such as Nissan to the region, we have also in turn contributed over the years in the development of its brand image, and awareness in the market place. The biggest testimony to this is the Nissan Patrol."
The group's automotive division have been key instigators in the development of the Patrol vehicles in the UAE, and according to the CEO, His Excellency Abdullah Al Masaood, who has been the chairman of the group for many years, has been the biggest brand ambassador to Nissan, especially the Patrol. "Over a period of seven years, Nissan's research and development teams were here frequently, speaking to customers and our technical teams to further develop Patrol to what it is today. The manufacturer, who globally launched the Patrol here in 2010, also recognised this, together with Al Masaood and Carlos Ghoson, CEO and President of Nissan - Renault alliance at that time."
Providing Superior Customer Service
Stepping into Al Masaood's Automobiles' showrooms is an experience like no other. More than shopping for a car, it is a journey of meeting your perfect partner. Helping consumers find the right vehicle for them, Al Masaood surpasses customer service standards.
Therefore, the group's power is not only determined by their brands, but also their sheer focus of delivering superior services to their customers and innovative solutions, making them key players. "We have always been a customer-centric organisation, which has been recognised and rewarded. Nissan awarded us with the best distributor in the world in 2014 for our performances in 2013, accolade," says the CEO. In Abu Dhabi, our brands have constantly maintained a top ranking in customer satisfaction.
As the automotive landscape is thriving from the surge in technology, autonomous and electrical cars are changing the way key players in the auto industry perceive manufacturing and analytics. For Al Masaood Automobiles, their strength has been in recognising regional shifts and in satisfying consumer demands.
Presently, the automotive industry is witnessing many changes driven by the inclusion of technology giants into the car industry. In addition, government legislations have also driven the change to vacate the fuel cell and move more into electric cars, which is a step to go green. The industry is shifting towards electric cars, aligned with Abu Dhabi's 2030 vision. Nissan Leaf recently launched the second generation of their electric cars, which is the first in the world. Nissan produced the vehicle and has already modified it to the next generation of its model. Currently, Nissan Leaf is the most sold electric car in the world, with over half a million cars sold already. The feedback of the consumers for the first generation of the leaf has driven the company to develop the second generation because studies has shown, there has been less than one per cent of consumers that were thinking about not replacing their car with the Nissan Leaf. Therefore over 99 per cent were enthusiastic about the vehicle, showing an interest in the next model," he says.
Encouraging Innovation
Tansel explains that working with innovative brands makes them front runners in the industry, as they can continue to contribute towards development. "We are very fortunate to work with brands like Nissan, Infiniti and Renault. Renault is one of the pioneers of electric vehicles and technology in whole entirety, especially in Europe, which is the hub of electric cars. We represent brands because of their pioneering background, and we are focused on enhancing our image awareness and desirability as we gear up to step into the future. However, there will always be a keen interest in luxury vehicles.
In Middle East, luxury brands are quite successful, because of the demographics, and economic well-being. People see luxury vehicles as symbol of status. Consumers want luxury, however, without the hefty price tag. This is where Infiniti comes in, satisfying their desire. When market was declining, we increased our sales of Infiniti because consumers were noticing that Infiniti brand vehicles are luxurious yet affordable. They provide the comfort, safety and all the gadgets that the traditionally known luxury brands have, Infiniti has them as well and more, just at an affordable price."
At Al Masaood Automobiles, it is not only about the cars as products but as an experience and a journey that you enjoy day by day. "Focusing on customer service is our priority, with that strategy and vision, we then look into who are our customers, and how can we serve them best. We have over 42 nationalities working in our organisation, delivering to all kinds of nationalities. Until unless we reach 100 per cent satisfaction, there is never a stop. Our vision is to embrace the heritage of Abu Dhabi, and to foster innovation and excellence to deliver to our customers; and our mission is to connect our employees and our customers in the journey of future of mobility," he concludes.
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