I do not know if this is just an issue with the UAE or is endemic of the Arab and Indian customer service experience. As the people I deal with are not Emirati, I believe that this is endemic of the Arab and Indian regions. My alternative explanation of this is that they must think that I am touched in the head and are treating me appropriately. Every time I talk to someone about an issue that needs resolving they treat me like a village idiot! I would say that this is just me but they treat my lovely wife the same way, and every foreigner I have talked to in the UAE has said they are treated this way as well. Sadly, it usually turns into a shouting matter for many westerners. I am not beyond that on occasions but usually I just go right for the supervisor and that USUALLY helps – as we see in the story below not always…
I bought a Nissan Xterra and in the sales brochure there is a page dedicated to the various ways that you can use the cargo area including the Utili-Track™ | Nissan . As none of the tie down points mentioned in the sales brochure were installed in my truck I decided to ask about it at the dealer!!! Now you have to understand that each department can be miles away in the UAE. The service department it is out of town in the industrial district, while parts are across town in the same district and sales are in town at the fancy show room in the mall.
I first asked about the parts at the service department while I was dropping my truck off. They had no idea what I was talking about. I mentioned that it was in the sales brochure, and they gave me a quizzical look and said I was surely mistakes as the only items they had for sale were listed on the card.
Then I went to the sales department and picked up a copy of the sales brochure and asked where might I find these items (as I could not find them at the service department) , they assured me that they would be available at the parts department.
At the parts department they flatly denied such a part existed before they even looked on the computer! HA HA ! IBUT I was prepared. I quickly pointed to the page in sales brochure that showed the items in question! “Utili-track® Cargo Channel System with 4 adjustable cleats and 4 Ceiling hooks and 2 side hooks. “ They still look at me and say no! So I ask to speak to the supervisor. The assistant-parts manager tells me flat out that these parts do not exist- again without looking on the computer. Then I asked to speak to his boss the parts department sales manager again tells me these parts do not exist without even looking on the computer!
Then the parts manager asks me why I am being so aggressive! I, for the umpteenth time point to the sales brochure and ask “Is this the sales brochure for the Nissan Xterra?”They agree it indeed is. Next, “Is this the sales brochure that was given to me by your company?” They look at it and again agree! So then the sales manager tries to give me an English language lesson! “It says possibilities; it does not mean that we have it.” I point out that “it says you ‘…will have endless possibilities’ predicating that you have the part!” Now we finally go to the computer to actually look for the part in question, which by the way should have been installed as a standard component as part of my package! (That will be my battle call on Sunday) After looking the parts manager points at a part and asks me if this is what I am looking for!
“Eh I do not work for Nissan but it does look like the part to me.”
“Ok, take the parts salesman out to your car and show him where it fits into it”
I want to scream “DUDE! I do not work for Nissan you figure it out!” But instead the parts man and I walk out to my car and take a look. He is as bemused as me as to where this part might go!
David “If you cannot figure this out I need to Speak to the sales manager as I need to understand why this brochure was given to me!”
Parts Man “He is right in there”
David “Please show me where he is”
Parts Man “I cannot go in there”
David “You do work for Nissan and this is the Nissan sales manager! You can take me to his office!”
Reluctantly the parts man takes me near the office and slinks away! While sitting with the receptionist all I can do is mumble “Why did I spend $40,000 for a truck that I cannot use!” and “It is in the sales brochure; why are they asking me to find it!”
After 5 minutes the sales manager greets me and assures me he has spoken to the parts manager and all will be fine! And he will even give me the best discount on the parts!
Back to the parts department! And instead of having found the parts on their own we play a game of Blues Clues to find the part numbers for the items in question. After about 2 hours from walking in the door, I am assured they know the part numbers and 6 of the 10 parts needed will be in tomorrow.
I went to pick up the parts yesterday and two of them were correct. Again they ask me where they are supposed to go in my truck! We go out and look at my truck and none of us are sure. David “You do work for Nissan, right? You can figure this out, right?”
Manager “The service department will know how to install them.”
( I wait in fear for this conversation with the service department!)
But sadly the other 4 parts were VERY wrong! They were cheap plastic rings!
Sales manager “Are you sure these are not correct?”
Out with the sales brochure pointing to the picture with a rope around the hook in question “Would you put a rope around a thin plastic ring like this?”
Back to the computer and playing Blue’s Clues. Then it hits me, Utili-Track™, that menas these are registered trademark parts only made by Nissan. Still no luck finding said trademarked parts!
In the end the parts manager recommended that I try at some of the 4x4 shops. After searching through 5 shops, it turns out that even they do not have an after-market part for the truck.
I am going to ask in my 4x4 group today when we go out. Sadly that means that my gear will not be that well tied down when we go out! But the good news is that we drop off most of our gear before we do the real challenging 4x4ing. I just hope that I can ty down what we have well enough and that none of the gear goes flying before we get to the drop off point.
Dec 23rd
