First impression is the key in gas retailing business.
If you create a strong first impression on your customer, they’re more than likely to stop by at your facility and make a purchase. On the contrary, if you fail to make a good first impression on your customer, chances are that you’ll lose them.
So, how can you create a strong first impression on your gas station customers?
GasBuddy, a Boston-based tech company that operates an app primarily based on finding real-time fuel prices at gas stations in the U.S., asked this question to more than 15,000 gas station customers in an online survey.
The survey results highlighted three factors that “strongly” shape a customer’s opinion of a gas station:
- Gas station design
- Quality of forecourt lighting
- Forecourt cleanliness
Gas station design
A visually appealing design always and always attracts customers to a gas station.
What make a station’s design visually attractive to customers?
- The design of the canopy
- The design of the kiosk building
- The layout of the forecourt
- The signages used on the forecourt
Quality of forecourt lighting
Customers like gas stations that have brightly lit forecourts. In fact, some customers even perceive forecourt lighting as a proxy for the safety of site. According to the survey, women rate the quality of forecourt lighting more highly than men when it comes to forming opinions of gas stations.
Forecourt cleanliness
Forecourt cleanliness is another factor that serves as a strong differentiator for customers when choosing a gas station. Customers prefer stopping at a gas station that is well kept and tidy. If the gas station has restrooms, every effort should be made by gas station owners to keep their restrooms clean. Nearly 84% of survey respondents said they would leave a gas station and go to another station if it had dirty restrooms.
In summary, if you want to create a strong first impression on your gas station customers and win their business, you must:
- Design your gas station with maximum visual appeal
- Use bright outdoor lightsonyour gas station
- Keep your gas station clean
After all, it’s what your customers are demanding!
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