Al Futtaim Motors opens largest Toyota service centre in UAE
We usually don’t care when a car dealer holds an event to open a new service centre. In fact, we’ve never bothered attending any before. So when Al Futtaim Motors invited us to a Toyota service-centre inauguration, in the evening no less, we had half a mind not to go. But we did go. And damn can they throw a party.
First off, it’s great to see that a local dealer is taking the initiative to expand their aftersales service facilities in line with the growth in customer numbers. There are a few other brands who’ve experienced sudden sales growth due to great products from the parent factory, but they continue to operate out of crappy service facilities that are now overcrowded, pumping their new-found wealth into selling even more cars instead.
This new Al Futtaim Motors service centre, next to Al Badia Golf Course in Dubai Festival City, is now their largest facility, and the newest one after inaugurating another service centre on Sheikh Zayed Road just last month.
The event was totally unexpected, as the entrance had people greeting us, pointing towards an indoor valet area, the path lit by flashing red lights all the way. They even hired female models to hand us the valet tickets, which really takes the cake!
At some point, we were given a guided tour of the fully-airconditioned facility, where the super-clean service bays have touchscreens, motorised scooters carry around parts, and service-advisors will meet customers in semi-enclosed booths. All this is much fancier than even the Range Rover service-centre that I’ve become a regular visitor at.
While regular Toyota customers coming in for service in the future won’t get the free sushi, the live magician and the huge display screens that we experienced, what they will get is a warm welcome by a team of hosts offering technical advice before guiding to their dedicated service advisor.
Once the vehicles have been booked in, guests are invited to the dedicated customer lounge where they can enjoy refreshments from Caribou Coffee, surf the web, view the latest new models displayed or flick through the integrated iPad-style table-top brochures.
After service or repair, each vehicle will be taken through the new environmental-friendly brushless car wash facility, capable of cleaning 100 cars every hour, before being vacuumed and placed in the air-conditioned delivery area ready for return.
The facility targets to minimize the wait time due to an effective scheduling system which can receive and process up to 30 cars at the same time. With a current capacity of 400 cars a day, all scheduled services will finish in one day. Customers will be given the choice to be taken to the nearest mall or metro station by courtesy shuttle.
Spanning over 14,500 square-metres, the fully air-conditioned outlet employs 105 technicians manning 82 service bays equipped with their own recycling solutions. It features a host of energy saving features that include atriums for natural day light and a solar-powered lighting system for the 100-capacity car park. The centre’s car wash operation is fitted with technology that directs used water to the recycling plant of the facility which also includes a compartmented scrap yard for waste segregation.
The new Al Badia facility operates seven days a week and will be offering extended opening hours.
Comments
Faisal Khatib
Impressive….
mohammad
Al Naboodah, please pay attention!!
When I take my VW for warranty related issues, I have to wait an hour for my turn. They never have courtesy cars and after a few days when I go to pick up my car, I again have to wait at least 30 minutes!!!
Funny, they paid J-Lo a few hundred thousand dollars to open their Audi showroom, yet they cannot hire enough service advisers or buy some courtesy cars!!
Ironman
The no. of positive votes says it all to Mohammad’s above comment.
VW vehicles indeed are reliable and engineered to near perfection but the local dealer needs to put a lot more effort.
Currently, AlNaboodah has only one Service station in Rashidya to cater to Dubai and the complete Northern Emirates. Thats crazy!!!
I own a VW and if I comment on the work sheet that I need one small job done in addition to the standard service, the job gets prolonged to 2-3 days.
AlFuttaim, you guys are expensive but well done on the customer service!
Shahzad Haider
Very much Impressive, if its true 😉 Just kidding…
You write the story in imaginative way… a fairy tale.
Lemmy
Its a very well written article and demonstrates the importance of good customer service in the mind of public.
Other car dealers better bring there game up or they will lose more customers to Toyota or other dealers with good customer service.
Even Nissan is good when it comes to customer service.
prado
hope KIA dealers take notice… cos they really suck at this
Toyota Owner
Does this service center provide bodyshop (accident) repair?
Thanks
imbrose
No use to appreciate about Dubai Toyota
Plz Ask Toyota users
I just purchased GXR+ 4months before
from the day one my vehicle having audio system problem and they done some resetting after 3 months of follow-up and now it started giving trouble in the navigation system
Again after so many call & followup now they simply sent an email to remove the car tint on the windscreen
Even though I am having problem in the audio system.
Poor service policy & engineering
This my first Toyota & perhaps this my last Toyota.
Because of Toyota service I scare to buy from alfuttaim group
Even though I am ex-owner of Honda for almost 5years.
Please advice which service center doing well in Dubai…
master 95509
Its because of the metal materials used in the tint beside why you had to put a tint on the front windshield
Azhar
All the companies tried their best to give the services best all the policy maker tried their best to creat problems and try their best that problem should not clear and untimely as well. Same policies de moral their staff and staff showed their attitude to the customer. Even that they never clear their policies to the customer before making a Deal so result come that customers are still not happy with the policies.
My new car is there in service centre and after three days I am still waiting then when they will give me the report of vehicle after that they will start work . I don’t know . But I hope so they will do soon.
Regards