Listening to experts, one could be forgiven for assuming the traditional automobile and the lifestyle it supports are fast-approaching expiration. Hardly a day passes when a prognosticator of some sort doesn’t posit that the internal combustion engine—and the petroleum products that feed it—are officially passé.
If true, somebody forgot to tell the American consumer.
Assuming trends hold, 2017 will clinch the record for annual vehicle-miles traveled in the U.S. This will mark the third consecutive year of record road travel, reversing declines stemming from the 2008 financial crises and the historically high petroleum prices that followed.
Regardless of what the pundits might maintain, 99.9% of these road miles will occur in vehicles powered by gasoline and diesel engines. And the vast and exceedingly efficient network of fuel retailers that dot the nation’s roads and highways help make it possible.
Results from EnergyPoint Research’s latest Gasoline Retailers Customer Satisfaction Survey suggest motor-fuel retailers enjoy some of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the energy chain. In fact, we’d wager that the ratings of the top-rated companies in the survey rival those of the best retailers in the nation.
The segment’s high standing with customers is in part due to the variety of available formats. Today’s customers can choose from branded gas stations (i.e., those affiliated with large oil companies and/or refiners), independent convenience-store chains, or grocery and big-box retailers.
To be sure, the top-ranked names in each format are highly regarded. Among convenience stores, the highest-rated company, QuikTrip, enjoys high marks from customers in the Southwest and Southeast regions of the country. It also garners strong scores for ease of transactions and the quality and condition of its stores.
Among branded stations, BP rates first overall. Scores for its commercial and fleet programs, as well as for highway travel, lead the way.
Mega retailer Costco holds top honors in the grocery and big-box segment. The company garners strong across-the-board ratings in several regions, with special accolades in the West. Its pricing and value stand out nationally.
Healthy overall customer satisfaction doesn’t mean all aspects of consumers’ refueling experiences are positive. Some regions of the country enjoy higher satisfaction than others, while certain formats are more attractive depending on needs. Customers also remain more satisfied with fuel quality than fuel prices.
Regionally, retailer ratings stand out in the West and Southeast. High levels of satisfaction for fuel quality exist in the West, notwithstanding the fact consumers pay more for special formulations in the California market. Both regions rate high for service quality.
Grocery and big-box retailers record particularly high levels of customer satisfaction. Lower prices play a role, as do the quality of facilities. Overall, Costco and Kroger lead this group. Walmart/Murphy USA, Sam’s Club and Meijer follow.
Traditional branded gas stations score relatively low across attributes, with the exception of fuel quality. Lacking the service culture of convenience store chains and the value proposition of grocery and big-box competitors, branded stations seem caught in the middle.
Despite the strength of top performers, overall scores for the 34 retailers included in the survey declined modestly from 2016. The largest dip was in food and merchandise, followed by service quality. Store facilities is the only category to show improvement.
Of 18 sub-attributes measured in the survey, friendliness and courtesy of store employees rated highest with customers, while pricing for food and merchandise rated lowest. Pricing for gasoline also rated relatively low.
As in any segment of the economy, gasoline retailer customer satisfaction levels can and do vary by competitor. Still, the group’s success at fueling America’s mobile lifestyle remains the story.
Click here for information on detailed results from the survey via EnergyPoint’s 2017 Gasoline Retailers Customer Satisfaction Ratings & Analysis Report.