Easy steps to keep your gas station customers happy and returning

Research shows that consumers today have little loyalty to gasoline brands; instead, convenience and pricing are a gas station’s main attractions. This has remained true despite loyalty programs and gasoline brand credit cards.

What can forecourt managers do to attract customers to their gas station?

• Excellent customer service. The reputation of your station’s staff is key to your success. Make sure you staff members are always respectful, ready to attend customers, and friendly. Remember, when they have a bad experience, people talk about it to their friends and family: if your staff is rude, you risk losing much more than just one customer.

• Store and station appearance. Make sure your station looks good, inside and outside. The landscape, dispensers, driveway, trash bins, and exterior of the buildings are the first things your customers, and all other passing traffic, see. If your station looks appealing, more people will stop by.

• Cleanliness. Maintain your gas station and c-store up to par by always keeping windows, floors, and restrooms clean. Spotless bathrooms are very important to customers, especially those travelling long distances. Pay special effort to maintaining and modernizing your facilities. Their cleanliness, along with your overall store appearance, will help increase your sales.

• Competitive pricing. Keep your gasoline pricing comparable, or below, other neighboring sites. It’s a great way to maintain loyalty and get repeat customers, who might then decide to also drop by at your c-store or café.

• Various types of services. Recognize what goods and services consumers want provided to them quickly, and make sure you offer them. These might include, for example, ATMs, drugstores, coffee islands, car washes and liquor sale.

• Stock up. Make sure your convenience store is fully stocked with all the merchandise your customers wish to buy. Keep track of expiration dates, and check that all products are fresh.

• Gas station lighting. It is very important to keep your site well lit and safe — especially during dawn and evening hours. This will prevent your customers from getting injured or harmed in any way.

• Promotional signage. Represent your brand(s) properly. Your customers look at your promotional signage on a daily basis, so do it right!

• Marketing. Promoting products and current offers is a great way to add brand awareness. Marketing materials do not just promote the items in them, but also your brand - the imagery of who you are as a convenience store. Make sure your marketing materials are tasteful and fun.