Dubai-based start-up Cafu has pledged to make its fuel delivery services more readily available after some customers complained about late slots and unavailability of some types of fuel in some areas.
Some customers of the fuel delivery and vehicle service company said they experienced delays of several days when booking fuel deliveries in parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Others reported unavailability of Super petrol.
Aanchal Bhimani, a Dubai resident and long-time Cafu user, said she could typically book the service within 15 minutes. But over the past month she has faced longer waits to get fuel delivered to her location in JBR.
“We’ve been using Cafu for a long time. It’s amazing and we love it, it's great. Earlier we booked it in 15 minutes but lately it takes three to four days to give us a slot,” she told The National. “Delays of three to four days is just too much. We book on Saturday, then get the delivery on Wednesday.”
Ms Bhimani continues to use the service despite the delays because the nearest petrol station is a 15-minute drive away. To avoid running out of fuel, she now plans her bookings well in advance.
“We still just book it. But we know we need fuel next week, so we schedule it this week,” she said. “If they give you a slot, they come on time. Sometimes they're 15 to 30 minutes late, but that’s OK.”
Following customer complaints, The National reached out to Cafu to ask about the reasons for the delays, the scope of the problem, and the steps being taken to address it, as well as the company’s financial performance and any changes to its workforce size.
“Like many on-demand logistics platforms, Cafu periodically adjusts service availability in certain locations or time windows to manage demand and ensure service quality,” Cafu said in a statement when contacted for comment.
“We expect customers to see positive improvements in slot availability over the coming period.”
However, Cafu did not specify the reasons behind the slot delays and the measures it is undertaking to improve slot availability.
Cafu continues to provide its range of services, including fuel deliveries, subject to scheduling and supplies, according to its statement.
“Cafu continues to operate and serve customers across the UAE. The Cafu app remains available, and customers can place car wash, battery, minor services and fuel orders as usual, subject to operational scheduling and supply allocation,” the company said.
The National tested booking different types of services and discovered that some of the Elite Care services including Window Tinting and adding Paint Protection Film, and also tyre change services did not work in certain areas in Dubai. Also in several locations tested in Abu Dhabi, none of the services were made available.
Ms Bhimani suggested the company increase its fleet of refuelling vans to improve service speed.
“I really like your service and will continue to use it, but you should have more number of vans so that customers can get [timely] services,” she said.
The company did not say how soon these issues are expected to be resolved.
“Cafu is dedicated to pioneering the future of mobility, tackling the complex challenge of inventing services that never existed,” it said. “We redefine operational excellence by harmonising these breakthroughs with seamless customer experiences and enduring sustainable growth.”
Karthik Balasubramaniam, a Dubai resident, said he was a regular Cafu user until the company introduced a delivery fee in April last year.
“I continued to use them but then the introduction of the delivery fee was a bummer and, to add, the booking slots also became limited,” he said. “It needed much more planning in advance.”
The National staff tested the Cafu app from various locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
One staff member tried to book an overnight petrol fill and the earliest available slot was three days later in Abu Dhabi. There was also unavailability of Super petrol on at least two occasions of attempting to book them.
Another staffer also pointed to the unavailability of Super petrol on several instances of trying to book a delivery.
Some Cafu users took to online community forum Reddit to voice their complaints, focusing mainly on unavailability of fuel service in their areas.
Due to the mentioned delay by some clients, some market commentators have speculated about potential consolidation in the fuel-delivery sector, including whether Cafu could attract interest from other companies.
