Irfan Tansel, CEO Of Al Masaood Automobiles: Transformation At Every Touchpoint
This article was originally published in Forbes.
IIrfan Tansel, CEO of Al Masaood Automobiles, discusses the tech trends driving the automotive industry and explains how his company is staying ahead, with a strategy that places customer experience front and center.
Omnichannel strategies are replacing traditional retail models across industries. How is this shift affecting the automotive business and what is Al Masaood Automobiles doing to keep up with the pace of change?
The selling of vehicles and delivery of services will be radically simplified moving forward in the automotive sector. Most customers start their shopping journey online and expect continuity across channels and for the dealer to have ready access to the information they shared on that journey. Omni-channel is the future of online sales.
We at Al Masaood Automobiles have taken strides in introducing multiple online services. We have launched Nissan’s first-ever e-commerce platform in the region and implemented in 2020 Nissan’s global Shop@Home – a complete online shopping program that provides customers a seamless experience.
Our Al Masaood Auto app is another solution that was launched to help customers manage service appointment bookings, track the servicing of their cars in real-time, seek road-side assistance when needed, and view our new and certified pre-owned models, as well as a range of vehicle accessories and trade-ins.
We have also incorporated a customer experience (CX) intelligence platform that allows our team to get customers’ feedback and to recover dissatisfied customers, all in real time.
What steps can automotive-related businesses take to provide a seamless buying journey?
Booking a vehicle or a test drive, leasing different models, ordering a ride, or cancelling a service will be as easy and convenient as ordering anything on online shopping platforms.
Car dealerships are moving into the future of easy mobility services by digitizing their offerings and making them available at the click of a button. Developments include, but are not limited to, upgrading existing showroom and service center experiences with digital services, such as touch screens for showcasing car models and car configurators that give customers a full 360-degree view of their vehicles. Other retail experiences are being supplemented with pop-up stores and satellite service centers.
At Al Masaood Automobiles, we introduced the Connected Live Interactive Xperience (CLIX), which is a virtual service that allows customers to enjoy a fully interactive live showroom experience from the comfort of their homes. Meanwhile, to help with real-time customer services, we have upgraded our customer success centers and launched a dedicated CX function.
In another example, Al Masaood Automobiles has rolled out Nissan Service, a suite of aftersales products and services that aims to offer greater value and convenience to customers and present an innovative, seamless aftersales experience across online and offline channels. Nissan has also rolled out an innovative digital survey, designed to gauge customer fulfillment and get their valuable feedback to help our team address any concerns swiftly and efficiently. These offerings are aimed at improving every touch point in the customer journey.
Image Source: Al Masaood Automobiles
Electrification is a prominent trend shaping the automotive sector. How is Al Masaood Automobiles keeping up?
I am proud to say that Al Masaood Automobiles’ automotive partners have always operated as industry leaders on positive change. Nissan, our primary automotive partner, has set a long-term vision called Ambition 2030. The vision aims to empower mobility and transform Nissan into a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world. By placing electrification at the core of the company’s long-term strategy, Nissan aims to accelerate the electrification of its vehicle line-up and rate of technology innovation with investments of around $15.1 billion over the next five years. Based on customer demands for a diverse range of exciting vehicles, Nissan will introduce 23 new electrified models, including 15 new EVs by fiscal year 2030 aiming for an electrification mix of more than 50% globally across the Nissan and INFINITI brands.
I'm also proud to note that INFINITI, another primary partner, is similarly following suit with its climate-focused agenda. With a customer-centric approach and carbon consciousness at its helm, the brand is working on future models that deliver technology through a human-first lens. INFINITI additionally announced that by 2030, the majority of its vehicles sold globally would be electrified.
The automotive industry is currently undergoing revolutionary transformation. How can businesses capitalize on tech-driven changes?
There are challenging times ahead, but we believe there are also great opportunities to design new systems. Software is certainly the future, especially with the power of 5G; cars will become computers on wheels.
Car businesses can capitalize on tech-driven changes by expanding their online channels and introducing non-conventional pricing schemes. It will also be important to embrace new mobility trends such as multi-model platforms and super apps, and to diversify their offerings into multi-brand marketplaces for second-hand cars and parts.
All the above will require that businesses take the necessary steps towards CX digitization.
Under your leadership, Al Masaood Automobiles continues to gain global recognition for its performance. How do you intend to build on this legacy?
Al Masaood Automobiles has been recognized by our principals Nissan, INFINITI, and Renault, on multiple occasions. The company was awarded the 2019 Nissan Global Award, the 2020 Nissan Award of Excellence, the 2020 Nissan Global Aftersales Award, the 2020 INFINITI Outstanding Performance Award, and the 2020 Renault Global Partners Award, in addition to other awards.
I’m a true believer in the saying, “if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail,” and we are already preparing our strategy for 2023 to 2027. From customer behavior and omnichannel marketing to smart mobility and electrification, so much has changed in just under five years in the world of automotive and companies need to be nimble and agile to face this change. The team and I are determined to build a strategy that answers to the times, and we have kept innovation, customer centricity, and sustainability at the heart of our offering.
The thoughts expressed in this advertorial are solely those of the client.
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