Be quick to identify changing customer habits

Dubai - Royal Swiss Auto recently invested over Dh14 million in its first workshop, a 190,000 square feet facility in Al Quoz Dubai

Changing customer behaviours present a unique opportunity for businesses to build on their loyalty with customers, especially with the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, experts have noted.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Fahad Saleh Hussein Al Hemyari, MD at Royal Swiss Auto Services, said that the challenges offered by 2020 have been “educational” for everyone.

“We have been able to identify particular consumer habits and trends that we have been able to use to focus our own service offerings,” he said. “For instance, during our soft opening in the summer, at a time when some customers were limited in terms of ability to travel or work in offices, we were able to offer free collection and delivery of their vehicles.”

“Even at present we are open from 7am to 10pm, making it easier for customers to drop off or collect their vehicle from us, stress free,” he added. “This compares to many other workshops, which open at 9am and close at 6pm or 7pm. From my own personal experience, I found that I disliked being restricted by the time I had to deliver or collect my car when working, so it was important to me that we looked to make life easier for our own customers. We have seen during 2020 that time is our most precious commodity, and is key to our happiness – ultimately, our customers’ satisfaction is our priority.”

Royal Swiss Auto recently invested over Dh14 million in its first workshop, a 190,000 square feet facility in Al Quoz Dubai, equipped with 22 vehicle lifters and a stock of over 15,000 ready car spare parts for services and repairs.

The workshop caters to 22 different luxury European automotive brands including Bentley, Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, Bugatti, Jaguar, and Land Rover, along with all the premium German brands. Customers can relax in the comfort of the VIP lounge, which offers an unobstructed view of the interior of the state-of-art facility.

Speaking on the investment, Al Hemyari noted that anyone visiting the workshop can clearly see where the investment has gone. “We have a state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the very best tools, vehicle computers and equipment, and staffed by the best technicians in the region. We are also one of the very few workshops that has a dedicated parts department that stocks a range of parts, so customers don’t have to wait too long for their vehicle to be returned to them. We will continue to develop new products to offer customers in-house, which will allow us to manage affordability and accessibility of services to the public.”

“We have been very careful to manage our investment to ensure the longevity of the Swiss Auto brand within the region,” he said. “Our financial plan is focused on progressive month-on-month growth through clever marketing, training of our staff and assuring quality throughout the company to secure our presence in the market. Despite being open less than a year, we have already hit our initial financial goals set to ensure that we achieve our return on investment, so 2021 is looking very positive for us. For us, the lockdown allowed us to focus and gave us more time to develop the idea of Royal Swiss Auto Services in order to make it a reality. We were able to conduct extensive market research in the UAE and more widely across the region to carefully develop our strategy and market entry plans without many distractions.”

Royal Swiss Auto Services is currently completing another workshop dedicated to specific brands that will expand its market share in the UAE; it will also be adding 10 additional car brands to its service portfolio. In addition, there are also plans to expand further across the region.

“It is certainly the right time for growth as our research shows an increase in consumers seeking further value without sacrificing quality. Throughout 2021 we have plans that will give us access to a variety of other automotive markets, so we are very excited about the opportunities that exist in the marketplace,” said Al Hemyari.

rohma@khaleejtimes.com