When you are away, the mob will play.
And expectedly, in a bad, unfair and destructive way.
They will cause damage. In fact, plenty of damage. To your forecourt and the restrooms.Of all types: smashed LCDs, graffiti-painted dispensers and structural supports, broken toilet paper holders… you name it. And expect it. Perhaps, even worse.
This does not mean you cannot do anything about it.
You can definitely prevent and combat vandalism at your gas station.
How so, you ask?
Follow these tips…
Combating vandalism at gas stations: Protecting your dispensers
Since dispensers are located at the forefront of gas stations, they are easy (and most common) targets for mobs.
Damage to dispensers is usually caused in the form of:
- Broken LCDs; and/or
- Graffiti spray paints
What can you do to protect your dispensers from gas station vandalism?
The easiest and the most effective solution is to install protection screens on your dispensers. These screens will prevent any damage to the LCDs, and they can be conveniently (and cheaply) cleaned or replaced (if needed)in case of paint stains.
Combating vandalism at gas stations: Removing graffiti
If your pump has been affected by vandalism, in particular by graffiti, and you had not installed protection screens on your dispensers, you can remove the graffiti by using:
- Alkaline cleaners
- Domestic paint solvents such as acetone and kerosene
- Commercially available cleaning products including KleanStrip, Graffiti Remove and Motsenbocker’s Lift Off4
Please note: The above-listed solutions only apply for graffiti removal from HDG surfaces.
Combating vandalism at gas stations: Protecting your restrooms
An easy solution would be to lock your restrooms before closing your gas station. However, it’s not something that we’ll recommend. A customer may come seeking your restroom in the dead hours of night and finding it closed will not leave them with a good impression.
Instead, what you can do is, you can install vandal resistant solutions in your restroom. For instance, if you’re worried about the mob damaging your toilet paper holders, you can install vandal-resistant toilet paper holders in your restrooms. This way the damage can be prevented.
All in all, protecting your gas station from vandalism is essential to maintaining smoother and profitable operations and avoiding customer embarrassment.
Interested in more gas station running tips?
Check out our tips treasure trove!