Make a Mark on Your Customers

December 18th, 2007

Over the past week or two I have had some time to really start thinking about the little things. Some of this is because I have sat down and started to get all the stuff off my plate and into a GTD type system so I am not stressing on it, but mostly its because there has been a concentrated effort to start thinking about how to get Integrum to the next level.

We have discussed a lot about trying to project our company voice and display the personality we have to our customers. We are a group of smart and talented individuals that are committed as a team to provide value to our customers. We have a lot of fun and generate a lot of energy in doing that. People that interact with us often comment on what a personality our company has, but we have trouble projecting that to a larger audience.

Trying to answer the “how do you send a message to your potential customers?” question made me change my thinking. I started to ask, what companies impress me? What can I learn from those companies. One place I stop at least once a week if not more is QuikTrip. I just love that place. Then I started thinking about the insanity of that. Why on earth do I like a gas station? It really made me stop and think. You see I have been conditioned to go to QT for so long now, that I don’t even look at the gas prices. Truth is QT could be $1 more than the other gas stations, but I wouldn’t know it. It is because I am not looking for any other gas stations. QT has my business. The truth is that QT provides me such a great experience, I refuse to accept anything less.

I know. I know. How can a gas station provide a great experience? When I think of QT I generally think of four core components that do it for me.

Awesome Layout

Every QT I have been to has great entry and exit points. They have giant gas bays and multiple pumps. I never feel like I am fighting for a gas pump. This eliminates frustration and road rage, setting the tone for customers from the minute they enter the establishment. Someday if you drive a 36” RV you will really learn to appreciate this subtle enhancement to the experience. Look at most QTs and notice the amount of construction trucks, trailers and commercial vehicles that are getting gas. Another overlooked item is that QT gas bays are extremely well lit. They provide a feeling of safety in an often threatening environment. In fact, they even have safe place zones at all their locations.

That just covers the external parts of QT. Once you get inside the store, the traffic flow just works. They have moved the lids, napkins, straws, etc to a staging area to not hold up the filling of drinks. The checkout stations have multiple POS machines and clerks have the ability to run multiple transactions at the same time. It is not uncommon to see a QT employee checking out three customers at one time. Talk about impressive!

Cleanliness

Before QT when I thought of a gas station, I thought of dirty, dingy and smelly. A rest stop in a horror movie. After experiencing QT I think of them as a place to find a clean and reliable restroom. If it seems every QT is brand new, it is because most of them are. Generally they spend as much opening new stores as they do closing old stores. I saw somewhere the average store length is around 7 years. All of them I see are immaculately landscaped. I have seen articles where they mention spending over $50,000 a year in manicuring their landscaping.

Friendly Atmosphere

In a nutshell, I feel important at QT. The minute I walk in the doors I am greeted with a hello of some kind. Not most of the time, every time. It isn’t just me. They will say hello to you to. That’s what they do! In over 200 visits to QT, I do not recall ever encountering a rude or unhelpful associate. Come on, everyone has a bad day sometimes. QT employees may have a bad day, but they sure don’t pass it to their customers. The staff always seems knowledgeable about their products and services. If I didn’t know better I would say that every employee is a manager, because I have never heard someone say “let me ask my manager”.

More than anything they express they care by being helpful. The battery on my tire gauge ran out in the RV during our last outing. I figured I would just buy a new one since I really wanted the tire pressure to be correct. I went in and looked on the shelf and couldn’t find one. I asked the counter help if they carried them. Their response was bottom row first column on the left. I looked down and the spot was empty, but it was the right spot. Before I could utter that they were out an associate was by my side trying to help me look. She mentioned back to the counter that they were out. I was already impressed, but the story didn’t end there. The counter help asked me if I wanted to borrow theirs. WOW, I was floored. I borrowed and returned it and they asked to make sure it worked when I returned it. Score one for QT!

Consistency

QT’s are corporately owned and follow a consistent pattern. They are laid out the same and have the same features. This enforces their brand by being consistent. It’s one thing to set expectations and meet them. It is another thing to consistently do so. In fact, I like to think often times the difference between good and great is consistency. The truth is I always no matter which QT I am going to, I am going to get the same great experience.

As part of researching QT it seems that their gas prices are generally lower than average and during the summer they run a special on cheap fountain drinks (this is important in Arizona). While this might get customers in the door initially, it is certainly not any gimmicks that keeping them coming back. In fact, AM/PM used to be the power house here in Arizona. They did it by low drink prices and the cheapest gas on the block. They were generally horribly laid out, dirty and had unfriendly employees. Add to that each AM/PM was different in policy and placement and you start feel rubbed the wrong way. My last straw with AM/PM was when they started charging .35 cents to use something other than cash. I am glad to say most AM/PM’s are out of business today while QT’s continue to be erected. Circle K is in trouble as well. QT has set a new bar and customers are demanding it out of the competitors who fail to meet it.

So, as I sit here thinking about this stuff I have to ask, “How did QT get this way?”. I think the answer is that their leadership instills these values at it’s very core. How come their employees are so much better? Because they treat them better of course. QT is consistently in the top 50 best places to work by Forbes. They are committed to their employees and so their employees are committed to their customers. It seems to be working.

Ultimately it comes down to values. Front and center on the QT website is their statement, “Quick Trip is more than just another convenience store or fuel stop. It’s like a family. From fresh products to fresh smiles, we’re here just for you.” They are living up to that statement. I feel like they are there just for me.

In doing research for this I found, QT Insider a site by a customer dedicated to QT. That’s the kind of company to have. The remarkable kind. So tell me, how does your company live up to the t shirt rule?