Petrol/Gas Stations : Any Thoughts?

[jani]

My dad just opened a Petronas (if you follow Formula One, you've heard of it) petrol station about 6 months ago.

Currently business is really good as its on a highway with a very high volume of traffic.

However, just about 500 meters ahead, theres a Shell station which has opened for a year longer, so more people fill up there as they are used to it.

My question is, do you have any suggestions on how to attract more customers? Or how to make the station more appealing? Where do you fill your gas and why? Anything particularly interesting in your country about petrol stations? You get the flow

I would appreciate some opinions or suggestions, as I would like to obviously help my father out. Getting a new perspective should be interesting.

 

[::shinji::]

always have a good selection of porno mags for sale.. and good coffee, not the typical gas station crap

 

[rony31]

make your gas prices 0.1 cents cheaper then the Shell. and like Shinji said, porn

 

[smoove]

coffee is the biggets factor for me, ohh how I hate this brown gas station brew...
are you from italy?, italian gas stations are by far the best usually,great coffee and actually some eatable food,too. Do you have self service?

 

[Bobby]

Yea, make the gas the slightest bit cheaper, you'd be shocked how far someone will go to save a buck.

 

[jani]

here in Malaysia all gas prices are the same. I think RM1.92 a litre. Approx 50 cents US.

Porno mags are banned in Malaysia. We're a Muslim country haha. And theres a bookstore opening in a few months anyway. If you look at the picture closely, there are 4 stores under one roof.

The rightest is a Dunkin Donuts, followed by the typical gas station convenience store (its called 'Mesra'), then theres an empty slot (future bookstore if Im not mistaken) and a McDonalds.

My dad only owns the convenience store and the gas part or of it. McD's and Dunkin are company owned.

 

[Mishkin]

I hope your dad fails and has to give you away for adoption.

 

[::shinji::]

hehe, no porno mags!? :X

Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's will harm your society a lot more than Hustler or Penthouse ever will...

 

[jani]

If that came from someone else, I might have taken offense, but by you.. haha

 

[smoove]

I hope your dad fails and has to give you away for adoption.

what a nice person you are! if you'd have a sense of humor you'd be even more sympathic...

 

[nird]

if you don't already got it, get fast food. hotdogs, burgers etc. never been to a foreign gasstation before so I don't know what you can get outside norway, but here there is loads of fast food and it sells! Also, freshly baked stuff is good. Bread, muffins etc. etc. with coffee.

I know that the gasstaion I worked at for 3 years, the #1 income was from hotdogs.

Run campaigns. '3 for the price of 2 deals' is often populare.

Do you have a carwash? That could be good. Not easy just to get a carwash, but it attracts customers.

Have some free stuff as well...people come for the free stuff and buy something as long as they are there. Remember: people are idiots. They'll buy anything.

 

[Hyun]

nird, I know you're trying to help him, but campaigns are easier said than done. I mean, come on, 3 for 2 deals? we're talking about a gas station, not a laundromat.

I would just be patient with the customers, and try to make regulars out of strangers. you know, the occasional free stuff (like those cheap lighters) pertaining to the stuff the guy always buys (in this case, cigarette!).

and about the coffee thing, most definitely. it's one item that a gas station should have the best of in order to succeed. I would know, I choose the gas station with the better coffee (7-eleven), despite the wawa across the street that has a bit cheaper gas price.

 

[cus]

in order..

- shouldn't be cheap, I get used to pay 130 USD for one refill but GOOD-GENUINE fuel.. without water and solvents you know..
- wellcoming men in pumps.. this is more important than porn mags believe me..
- try to have a good market in bunch, and CLEAN CLEAN toilets.. it's another important aspect..
- I'm not a fan of fastfood but people are asking for it.. coffee etc..
- and if you are serving on a highway, people would look for some rest after long trips.. try to have quiet-clean resting places..

and I almost forgot, a good place for car-wash might catch some attention..

hope that would help.

 

[Jambo Den]

Have a toilet for customers where they have to pay.

The amount of truckers who need the sh*ts, I bet your turnover explodes by a good few thousand %.

 

[jani]

You cant charge for toilets. Its a "public" toilet

if you don't already got it, get fast food. hotdogs, burgers etc. never been to a foreign gasstation before so I don't know what you can get outside norway, but here there is loads of fast food and it sells! Also, freshly baked stuff is good. Bread, muffins etc. etc. with coffee.

dude, if you read my previous posts, I said there is a McDonalds and a Dunkin Donuts. Fast food and freshly baked stuff

in order..

- shouldn't be cheap, I get used to pay 130 USD for one refill but GOOD-GENUINE fuel.. without water and solvents you know..
- wellcoming men in pumps.. this is more important than porn mags believe me..
- try to have a good market in bunch, and CLEAN CLEAN toilets.. it's another important aspect..
- I'm not a fan of fastfood but people are asking for it.. coffee etc..
- and if you are serving on a highway, people would look for some rest after long trips.. try to have quiet-clean resting places..

and I almost forgot, a good place for car-wash might catch some attention..

hope that would help.

-As I said, price of gas is the same all round the country, its determined by the government.
-Yes, done. The pump attendants do their jobs well. Its clearly visible customers appreciate it.
-Toilet is clean. I personally dont like public toilets, but this is alright
-Actually coffee is served by Dunkin Donuts. We have agreements with both McD's and Dunkins that we cant sell the same items as theirs.
-Resting places? You mean like seats to eat and drink? Yeah, have that too.
-Car wash on a highway isnt really practical.

 

[Jambo Den]

How about a complimentary washing of the vehicle's windscreens (or even just a small fee)?

I'm sure driving down the highway all kinds of bugs must get splattered on, especially all the tropical insects in your climate!

How about items to freshen up? Like those wet napkins that come in a packet, just have them at the till?

 

[jani]

yes, windscreens are wiped

looks like stations in Malaysia are just too much of a higher standards than the ones at your places

that wet napkin thing sounds like a good idea though gotta think about the cost however.

 

[Shindig]

This calls for a forecourt barbeque.

 

[nird]

nird, I know you're trying to help him, but campaigns are easier said than done. I mean, come on, 3 for 2 deals? we're talking about a gas station, not a laundromat.

3for2 I mean like, 3 for the price of 2 cupcakes, muffins etc. stuff people can have with their coffee. Or, buy this and get this free e.g. buy a certain type of hotdog and get a free soda or something. They do stuff like that all the time were I worked and it worked!

Also, if you have a washing machine, make it so that ever 6th was is for free. We had that. Very effective.

 

[Bobby]

yes, windscreens are wiped

looks like stations in Malaysia are just too much of a higher standards than the ones at your places

that wet napkin thing sounds like a good idea though gotta think about the cost however.

The station near me is usually manned by a 6-foot-10 Pakistani with a shotgun under the counter. He hates being bothered too.

So yea, your stations are likely higher quality