Since the invention of cars as we know them came about, petrol stations have been the main way of refuelling vehicles. Car servicing, from battery replacements to oil changes are also time consuming, and car owners need to allocate a lot of time to tend to their vehicles, which they do not always have. To this end, CAFU, the brainchild of the company’s CEO, Rashid Al Ghurair, sought to reimagine how cars are run and operated, from a convenience perspective.
CAFU, a technology enabled on-demand car service, based in the UAE, was designed to make owning and operating a car both hassle-free and enjoyable. The company uses the collective power of intelligence, fusing the best of human and machine capabilities, to create services that help car owners’ lives better, simpler and more convenient. Driven by the vision of connected mobility, customers can opt to refuel their cars, wash their cars, change a flat battery or get an oil change, while on the go.
BDD’s team sat with the CAFU team, to explore how convenience has been designed, for car owners.
BDD: How did the idea for CAFU come about?
CAFU: We sought to reimagine how we run and operate a car, by setting convenience in motion through simpler and smarter methods driven by innovation and technology. For example, petrol stations have been the main way of refuelling vehicles for over a hundred years and little has changed to how they have operated. CAFU reimagined that completely. When we launched in 2018 with our on-demand fuel delivery, it was the first time anyone in the region had created a service of bringing fuel to your vehicle anytime and anywhere with convenience.
Since then, we have grown to expand our services which now includes other on-demand services such as the recently introduced SuperShine™ car wash – which provides a visibly shinier and longer lasting finish, and more importantly offers a thorough antibacterial interior cleaning that kills viruses and 99.9% bacteria; as well as Engine Oil Change, Battery Service and Steam Wash.
In a nutshell, CAFU reimagined the future for today to provide car services designed around the utmost ease and convenience to make life better for our customers.
BDD: What are the main challenges that car owners face, that CAFU addresses?
CAFU: We are a technology enabled on-demand car service that is designed to make owning and operating a car both, hassle-free and enjoyable. Our services also help car owners save time and money as we come to you instead of you having to go to a petrol station or service center to fuel up or get your car washed, or your battery and engine oil changed.
With the innovative CAFU smartphone app, the door is opened to contactless and on demand refuelling and car services with ease anytime, anywhere, and completely at the convenience of the car owner.
BDD: We see a lot of benefit for customers by using CAFU. Can you share a few?
CAFU: Contactless convenience – that is the best way to sum it up. We seek to provide the best quality of car serves that are on-demand – which means you can order fuel, a car wash, or battery change from the comfort of your couch – and it’s all, contactless which provides an extra element of safety as we navigate the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
But the impact we are creating goes beyond just our services. We believe in using the power of technology to make life better for our customers and communities, which is why we are pioneering the Ghaf Tree Project, which is a first of its kind initiative to plant a million Ghaf trees in the desert using cutting-edge drone technology, to ultimately combat climate change. This is a key pillar of the CAFU Sustainability Deal – which is our strategy and commitment towards becoming a carbon neutral company and contribute to a better world for generations to come.
BDD: Can you explain the ‘no delivery fees’ for fuel refills? What is your financial model based on?
CAFU: At CAFU, we make money the same way as a petrol station does – based on volume of orders. We don’t normally question how a petrol station makes money, and at CAFU, we provide the same service except that it’s on-demand and contactless which has proved even more beneficial in our current times.
With the same ease, we offer a suite of other car services ranging from car wash through to oil change that all come with the care provided by the friendly and professional CAFU team, accessible through the App.
BDD: Did the pandemic have any impact on what you offer?
CAFU: The biggest impact the pandemic has had on what we offer, is the decision to remove our delivery fees, put dirhams back into the pockets of our customers, and to make our contactless and on-demand fuel delivery service even more hassle-free and convenient.
BDD: What can customers expect in the coming year from CAFU?
CAFU: We strongly believe that technology will continue to play a greater role in developing smarter mobility and transport options that focus on really understanding and catering to the needs and wants of the customer. We have exciting partnerships and new technologically-driven services that will be game changing for anyone that owns and operates a car. So stay tuned!
To learn more about CAFU, visit https://www.cafu.com/
CAFU is also hiring. View the latest openings and positions at CAFU, for a chance to be part of a growing team.
