Knowing what products to stock and when can boost sales and profits for truckstop and travel plaza operators. Operators take time to get to know the drivers who come into their locations each day, but to foster long-term relationships, they must also get to know the corporate executives at the trucking companies where those drivers work.
“The operator has the direct physical contact with the driver, so it is easier to think of the driver as the customer, and while he is the customer inside the truckstop, the carrier is the customer on the fuel island,” said Ernie Betancourt, president of QuikQ. “Often times, particularly for the independent operator, his connection is with the payment system and not the carrier.”
Sean Flynn, manager of Flynn’s Travel Plaza in Shrewsbury, Mass., said traditionally operators simply watched the fuel lanes to see which carriers were coming through. “That worked, but you couldn’t watch everything all the time. You also can go through your individual third-party billing reports to see which companies are buying what, but that can be a daunting task,” he explained.
Flynn started purchasing reports from PRS, a company that provides management and marketing reports to truckstops and travel plazas, so he has all of the information he needs in one place. “I get an aggregate report that shows the gallons, the company, what they paid and what their deal is, and I can also use that to see if customers are actually hitting the volume targets and buying what they said they were going to buy,” he said. “I can even see a customer I’ve never had a relationship with before and see he bought 1,000 gallons here or 2,000 gallons there and see if I should set something up with him.”
Flynn said he frequently picks up the phone and calls customers. “I’ll say, ‘I see you came in here and bought x amount of gallons. Can we work on a deal or is there something we can do to make things better for you here?’”
Darren Schulte, vice president of membership for NATSO, said that a phone call is typically one of the best ways to further a relationship. “It’s about picking up the phone, shaking hands and kissing babies,” he explained.
To get started, operators should review sales data to better determine repeat customers, then build a contact list and a marketing plan that identifies key attributes that make the location stand out and ways the company can communicate those attributes, such as a social media page or website.
“You’ve got to make the case on why someone should do business with you and you don’t make that case with a plastic card. You make that case by calling who is making the decision and saying why you should do business together,” Betancourt said.
Pointing out low accident rates within the truckstop, ease of fueling and added security are points operators may highlight. “Reach out to the carrier and talk to him about why you’re a better competitor and why the driver is happier at your location,” Betancourt said.
By collaborating with customers, truckstop operators may find valueadded services they can provide, such as video viewing rooms where drivers could watch training videos. “They have to talk to their customers and see what additional benefits they can offer,” Betancourt said.
Communicating with the decision makers directly is crucial to business relationships because while drivers do offer feedback to their employers about the locations they prefer to stop at, that information doesn’t always make its way to the appropriate person. “They usually don’t have any contact with the person making the fuel decision,” Betancourt said.
Flynn said trucking executives are typically receptive to his calls if he gets to the right person. With today’s technology, however, often times the human element is removed from the decision making process. “Not too far back you had fuel managers that made the decisions and there was a much more human touch. With the advent of fuel and route optimization software, a computer decides where the trucks route and buy fuel,” Flynn said.
Give Your Customers What They Want
Successful operators said the key to making the right purchasing decisions is simply to ask customers what they want.
“Ask your customers a few questions—the same questions—and document it,” said Walt Muralt, president of Muralt’s Truck Stop in Missoula, Mont. “It only needs to take three minutes.”
Muralt asks both four-wheelers and professional drivers why they chose to stop there, what they like about the location, what products or services they purchased and to name a product or service they’d like to see at the location. He also suggests jotting down the approximate ages and genders of those taking the survey along with where the customers are from and how often they stop.
“Do a decent sample size of the two different groups. I’d suggest 50 to 100 on different days during different times,” Muralt said. “It’s best for a very vested person, such as the owner, to conduct these interviews, but don’t introduce yourself as the owner so it doesn’t bias their answer. A vested person is going to be the best at follow up questions or actions needed.”
Muralt also allows the University Tourism Research Institute to conduct surveys on his property and he gets copies of the results, which he said can be helpful, and he keeps a log at all guest service counters for comments, suggestions and complaints. He also has staff log products customers have asked for that the location didn’t have.
Tristen Griffith, general manager of Sacramento 49er Travel Plaza in Sacramento, Calif., also takes time to talk with customers to get to know them better. “When I walk the floor, I stop and talk to them and they’re always willing to talk. I will specifically ask them how they’re doing or if there is anything they need,” Griffith said.
Like Muralt, Griffith also periodically conducts surveys of drivers, particularly about new products or service offerings she is considering.
To build lasting relationships, Griffith said she and her employees work to get to know their repeat customers. “They know my employees by name and that personal interaction makes a difference. They go back to the headquarters and say they love the location,” she said.
Griffith added that it is important to have the right product mix and provide an overall experience that drivers value. “Quality does matter. We always think the driver wants quantity, and quantity is important, but they do see value in quality and they will pay for it,” she said.
Nick Wollenman, manager of Deluxe Truck Stop in St. Joseph, Mo., said, “We have done business with several of our customers for the 30-plus years that we have been in business. We can honestly say that we know just about everything that goes on with a majority of our customer base.”
That knowledge comes from direct contact with drivers, who are often the decision makers for their businesses, Wollenman said. Deluxe Truck Stop, which is not located on an interstate route, tends to do business with a smaller group of customers, making that two-way communication possible.
“We are very old school and we just speak to our customers face to face,” Wollenman explained. “Through these relationships we know what little ‘extras’ each of these customer like. Each individual customer is different and we like to treat them that way.”
Connect with Decision Makers
You know your regulars. You recognize their faces and you even know their names, but do you know who decides where they fuel? Often times, the decision is made back in the home office. Keeping your regulars coming in isn’t just about keeping them happy, it is also necessary to connect with the corporate office to find out how you can meet the businesses’ needs as well as the drivers’.
ONE – Dig through the data to determine which motor carriers are fueling with you and how much they’re buying.
TWO – Pick up the phone and reach out to the fuel decision maker at the company.
THREE – Ask how you can better meet the carriers’ needs.
FOUR – Share your key attributes and highlight services that could benefit the carrier.
 |
This article originally ran in Stop Watch magazine. Stop Watch provides in-depth content to assist NATSO members in improving their travel plaza business operations and provides context on trends and news affecting the industry. The magazine is mailed to NATSO members bimonthly. If you are a member and not receiving Stop Watch, submit a request to be added to the mailing list. Not a member? Join today or submit a request to receive additional information. |
Subscribe to Updates
The NATSO Foundation and NATSO provide a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas’ ability to meet the needs of the traveling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.
