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UAE: How I waited 16 hours for help after my electric car went offline
Should companies inform users of the countermeasures for issues that might occur using their products?
Brands stand comfortable with selling their products by capitalising on the brand name. I have witnessed a concerning trend with major brands globally and within the UAE.
I have a personal experience that I would like to shed light on. A month ago, I bought an electric car anticipating the end of my experience with car service centres which, for me, was once every two to three months, depending on the mileage I drove.
Unfortunately and fortunately, after a long working week on the weekend, my car wasn't responsive and wouldn't even open. I called the 24/7 emergency line provided by the car dealer, and shockingly, the representative was based in the UK and needed to find out where Al Ain was in the UAE. Nonetheless, he walked me through requesting a team on-site to figure out the issue; from his end, he couldn't advise since the diagnosis showed that the car was offline.
Surprisingly, it took another call from my end and 16 hours for the emergency team to send a towing truck to pick up the vehicle. I asked myself what I would have done in this situation where the car was locked, and I had a child stuck in the car. As a matter of fact, it has happened to a family.
A father wanted to open the door to unbuckle his kid from the child seat in the back, and the car went offline. He couldn't open the door, so he broke the windshield, opened the doors, and got his child out. The irony is that the towing truck driver showed up and was able to unlock the car manually.
As an Emirati, it frustrates me to see our kindness and values exploited by the sales and customer service teams of diverse international brands in various sectors.
Emiratis and expats living in the UAE are generally trusting people. Most people are honest and well-intentioned and willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. This trustfulness can be seen in many aspects of our Emirati culture, from business dealings to personal relationships.
I contacted the car dealership and asked whether this was a common issue, and they said yes. In that case, I wondered why the company hadn't briefed the customers on how to deal with this situation through an orientation upon purchase. Sadly, he agreed they should, but it is not a practice.
Since we aim to lower carbon emissions, electric vehicles are essential in reaching that goal. Therefore, I propose electrical car dealers in the UAE to inform the customers of the following measures upon purchase — for example, the need for clear and concise instructions for people unfamiliar with issues of EVs and the importance of EV owners' preparations for an offline situation by knowing how to open the car manually, in addition to a seminar for EV owners to practice opening their cars manually to help them become familiar with the procedure and to be able to do it quickly and efficiently in an emergency.
What do you think as customers? Should companies inform us of the countermeasures for issues that might occur using their products, or should we do our due diligence?
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