Many companies today are taking the standard mass-produced approach to business, but in the world of entrepreneurship, it needs a quirky idea to stand out and win customers.
This philosophy is very much instrumental in the success of Dial-a-Battery, a newly established company in the UAE that provides a unique quick response service to motorists. The business was conceived with the aim of delivering on a “value proposition” that is out of the ordinary and likewise “appeals to consumers’ emotional considerations”.
Any driver who experiences car battery problems — whether at home, in the workplace or on the road — can call the company for immediate assistance, to have a new replacement battery installed for a fee of Dh350 to Dh750, depending on vehicle and battery type.
After launching its operations in Dubai only in January 2012, the company has expanded to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Although it has a larger backing, being a part of A-Map, Dial-a-Battery’s innovative business model is something startups and new entrepreneurs can learn from. After all, the company has less than 50 employees on board and operates on a niche market.
Asad Badami, managing director at Dial-A-Battery, talks more about their venture and business model in the UAE.
What do you offer that other small businesses don’t?
Our service plays the role of “superhero-to-the-rescue” and at its core is an emergency service. Its emergency component marks it out from the majority of small businesses in the UAE. While we would not compare ourselves directly with fire and rescue organisations, there are elements to what we do that are similar. We have to be quick to respond to drivers who might possibly be stranded in difficult situations, so we always have a team on standby to react to calls immediately. There aren’t many small businesses that have to be in such a constant state of readiness in order to ensure a rapid response. Our level of customer service has to be of a particularly high standard, more so than other industries, as we are often dealing with people in distress who are faced with the unexpected. Knowing how to calm and reassure customers is, therefore, paramount to us.
How does your business model exactly operate?
Any driver can experience car battery problems at any hour — usually they occur at the most inconvenient time of day. Anyone finding themselves in this situation can call our toll-free number 800-247-365 to have a new batter delivered and installed into their vehicle, whether they are experiencing problems at their home, workplace or roadside location. Once the call has been made, a Dial-a-Battery operator will be dispatched from the nearest branch to provide assistance, usually within half an hour to an hour.
Each dispatch vehicle is equipped with a range of new batteries, state-of-the-art battery testing equipment, tools and analysers. After completing the replacement process, the customer is supplied with a warranty card and an invoice for the service. The whole procedure, from initial call to installation, is designed to be speedy and efficient, with the battery being replaced in less time, effort and cost than having to tow the vehicle to a service centre.
How many customers do you “rescue” in a month?
On average, we rescue around 200 customers each month. The summer months are generally busier than the winter months, as car batteries tend to suffer in the heat and humidity and are more prone to lose their charge. Terminals are also more likely to become corroded and build up a non-conductive coating that can prevent engine ignition. During summer months, as many as 15 customers per day are rescued.
Besides adding a fresh take to your approach, what’s the winning formula behind the success of your business? Do you have any expansion plans?
We provide a specialist on-demand, rapid response service for motorists that is unique in the UAE and that has proved popular for drivers in the country. We realised that we were onto a winning formula when demand surged in our first year of Dubai operations and we were able to expand into Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
We aim to open more branches across the UAE within the next 18 months and expand into other GCC countries. We have Arabic and English-speaking operators to assist our customers, and a feedback call is made after each delivery to evaluate and improve the service.
If you were to advise someone who’s planning to start a business in the UAE, what would you tell them in order to achieve their goals?
All businesses, whether large or small, quirky or mainstream, need to be able to fulfill an existing need, otherwise, they will fail. The demand for the service has to be there in the first place, so performing due diligence in market research is vital.
With Dial-a-Battery, we conducted surveys among the customers of our mother company A-MAP to establish whether such a concept would be popular. After collating the results, it was clear that there was a great deal of potential in the idea, so we decided to go ahead with the launch.
As soon as any business goes live, additional factors in making it a success boil down to hard work, dedication and a clear focus.
How does one stand out? Is it important to invest heavily in advertising and marketing?
In terms of making your business stand out, there’s no need to spend a great deal on advertising. If you are operating a small start-up, you may not have funds available for a fully-fledged marketing campaign anyway. The best form of advertising is word-of-mouth, so if your business proposition is a sound one, you are working hard on keeping it going and you are providing a great level of service to your customers, your business will grow.
You might also be able to take advantage of the UAE’s vibrant media landscape and garner some free publicity. You should grab a copy of a media guide for the region and look up the contact details for the newspapers and publications that cover your particular line of business. If your company has that quirk factor, spending a couple of hours calling the editors to see if they want to feature it might just get you some free exposure.
