Car Buying Woes of a Returning Expat

Rajesh looked very worried. His mind was flooded with issues for which he needed to find
solutions in a short time frame. He was sitting and pulling his already thin hair and making it balder. After
spending 5 years in Dubai in a large MNC, in a middle management role, he was joining a BPO in Chennai,
India. Economic slowdown in the Gulf region had costed him his Cozy/luxurious job with all amenities.

Rajesh was born and brought up in Mumbai, and had gone as an EXPAT to Dubai in 2012. Chennai
was an alien city for him. He had 1 month to find an accommodation, get an admission for his 8-year-old
son Deepak and buy a car. His wife Usha, was worried about her son’s education. In Dubai, they were put
up in a self-contained apartment complex and had a great social life.

With a few referrals from his office colleagues, Rajesh managed to find a leased accommodation
in a nice gated community that was 20 KM from his office. A reputed school was within its vicinity. While
he had to shell out a hefty donation, he was relieved that Deepak would continue to have good education
without any delays or breaks.

With a daily commute of little over 40 KM per day (to and fro from office), Rajesh was keen to
travel comfortably in a car. He was not sure whether to go for a premium hatchback or a compact sedan.
This was his first venture to buy a car in India. His budget was approx. INR 10 lacs. Thus, the search began.

Since he already owned a Nissan in the dessert land (Dubai), he was inclined towards the Nissan
brand. But he also had his options open towards Volkswagen, Hyundai and Toyota. Rajesh was a modern
age guy and was very tech savvy. He was crazy about technology, gadgets and gizmos and was known to
do his fair share of online research before lending his ear to a sales guy at the showroom. Rajesh’s dad,
Kumar also wanted to accompany him to select a car. Kumar was a car enthusiast but was old school in
his decision making process. He went mostly by the feedback that his friends gave and yearned for what
the sales person had to say.

Rajesh and his dad first visited the Nissan showroom. They found it very difficult to find a parking
space and there was no one to receive them at the door. They were wandering around for some time in
a cramped showroom before a sales staff finally approached them. The sales person was not willing to
lend his ear to them and listen to their requirement and was jumping to conclusions. He suggested that
“If you are a first-time buyer then you should go for Micra”. He was curt in responding to queries relating
to discounts citing company policies and refused to give a test drive until they finalize on the vehicle.

Rajesh was furious he did not experience this sort of treatment in Dubai when he went to buy a
Nissan Altima. Both he and his dad returned home disappointed and erasing Nissan off their list

The next weekend Rajesh and Kumar visited the Volkswagen showroom to further explore their
options in their quest for buying a car. There was a 180-degree difference in their experience over here.
The showroom was spacious; they were greeted at the door and the cars and their features were
explained very well. Kumar found the experience enriching and was delighted about the treatment and
the brand of Volkswagen. But to Rajesh, this was a mere repetition of what he already knew through his
online research. He was expecting something more, something interactive, and someone who could dig
deep into his mind and understand what he wants.
 The next couple of weeks were spent visiting the Toyota and Hyundai showrooms. While Kumar
was listening to the sales persons trying to push the cars, Rajesh was taking a walk around to find if there
were any interactive mechanisms where he could virtually experience the car. Unfortunately, it took much
of his time to further do a comparison between the models, variants etc.

He got constant follow up calls from two of the four dealerships he visited and they were bent
upon pushing the car and offered visits at home. Rajesh turned them down saying that he wasn’t
interested in their help anymore. He was still thinking about the luxurious life he led in Dubai.

It was 4 months since he arrived from Dubai and he was still undecided and contemplating on
whether he needs to go for a premium hatchback or a compact sedan.

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Abhishek
Shridhar
Simson
Suraj