In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie (right) talks with Jere Matthews (left), vice president of operations at Rutter’s, York, Pennsylvania, at the Outlook Leadership conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
On this podcast, Matthews talks about some of Rutter’s scores in CSP’s and Intouch Insight's Mystery Shop audit. Nouria was the 2025 winner, but Rutter's took first place in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Matthews discusses striving to provide world-class customer service, the importance of giving customers a pleasant parting remark, having well-stocked stores, why Rutter’s competes in Mystery Shop and more.
“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.
Listen to their conversation above, or read the transcript here, which has been edited for length and clarity:
Chuck Ulie: Rutter’s received the highest score for, 'Would you recommend this store to others?' Can you talk a little bit about what your company does on a daily basis to score so well?
Jere Matthews: Rutter’s tagline is: Rutter’s, why go anywhere else? And our store staff and field personnel strive every day to provide world-class customer service so a customer doesn’t have a reason to go anywhere else. Our team members are familiar with many customers. They know many customers by name, and a customer likes to shop where they’re well known and where they’re treated well. And, hopefully, they’ll share that information with their friends and family.
Ulie: Rutter’s tied for second in the Mystery Shop portion of the contest on, 'Was the restroom properly stocked?' Why is this so important?
Matthews: A well-stocked restroom and a clean restroom create an enjoyable experience for the customer, not only an enjoyable experience, but it also builds trust for the customer and the cleanliness of the store. And this relates primarily to quality foodservice.
Ulie: They say if a customer goes in, if they see a dirty bathroom, there’s zero percent chance they’re going to buy food.
Matthews: Exactly.
Ulie: Rutter’s tied for first in the Mystery Shop category of, 'Were you given a pleasant parting remark when leaving?' Can you talk a little bit about this? It seems like such a simple thing, but it goes a long way, doesn’t it?
Matthews: It sure does. A simple thank you goes a long way. And if a customer believes that we appreciate their business, they may be more likely to return. We remind our employees that customers are the reason we all have a job. So, we need to keep the customer happy, and we want them to know that we sincerely appreciate their business.
Ulie: And they can kind of tell the difference, right?
Matthews: Exactly, they can, yes.
Ulie: You also tied for second in the Mystery Shop portion on, 'Did the store appear well stocked?' Why is this important and how does Rutter’s maintain locations being well stocked? What would go through a customer’s mind if they enter a store and they don’t think it’s well stocked?
Matthews: Real good question. A clean, well-stocked and faced store projects an impressive visual statement to the customer. You can’t sell something you don’t have. And we instill in our store folks, out-of-stocks mean lost sales and unhappy customers. And we don’t want either one of those.
Ulie: I’m going to jump over to the revealed audit, where the store knew the graders were coming in. You guys were a half point shy of 100% on employees in the revealed audit, which is a fantastic score. How do you train and encourage employees to be courteous and all the other aspects of making the customer’s experience the best it can be?
Matthews: It starts with selectively hiring the right people. Our stores strive to hire individuals that project a friendly and happy persona. It’s actually easier to get into Harvard than hired by Rutter’s. And it’s much, much easier to train someone who has a happy and friendly persona.
Ulie: You also had the second best score in Pump Island and in exterior. What goes into keeping these areas attractive to customers?
Matthews: These areas are monitored throughout the day to make sure they’re meeting our standards. Emptying trash cans, cleaning the fuel pumps, sweeping the lot are all part of these tasks. And the forecourt and parking lot are the first things a customer sees when they pull into the lot. And you know what they say about first impressions?
Ulie: There’s no second chance to make a first impression.
Matthews: Exactly right.
Ulie: And it's just like the same curb appeal if you’re trying to sell a house.
Matthews: Right. And when a customer fuels, they’re normally at the pump for a few minutes, and they have time to look around. And if they see clean fuel pumps, trash cans that are emptied, a clean lot, it may project to them a good impression for the store as a whole.
Ulie: Rutter’s received the second best score in dairy cooler. What goes into making the dairy cooler welcoming and desirable for customers?
Matthews: A dairy cooler that is faced and cleaned and stocked is an inviting tool for the customer. And these areas are routinely checked throughout the day to make sure they’re not only meeting our standards, but they’re meeting the standards of the customer’s expectation.
Ulie: You had the third best score in fountain drinks. Can you talk a little bit about what goes into making that a desirable area for customers?
Matthews: Having a clean fountain area with a lot of options may drive a customer to make an additional purchase. It also helps to have clear signage and good lighting.
Ulie: I’m going to shift over to just a couple of general questions. Rutter’s has done Mystery Shop many times before. Why does Rutter’s want to do the Mystery Shop?
Matthews: Well, as you mentioned, we’ve participated many years in the Mystery Shop, which allows us to benchmark against some of the best companies in the industry. It also provides invaluable feedback on opportunities that help us to continue to raise the bar.
Ulie: So, you want to be the best, you got to go up against the best, right?
Matthews: Exactly.
Ulie: Are there any categories from past Mystery Shops that, due to a low score that you didn’t like, spurred you to make improvements in that category?
Matthews: Well, we’re constantly trying to improve. We attempt to optimize the employees’ time, and with something as simple as cleaning tasks, for example, we have equipment that allows them to clean the restroom more efficiently. We have battery-operated floor-cleaning machines so they don’t have to hand mop a floor. It’s easier for them. It optimizes their time. It’s more efficient. We have buttons in the restroom that a customer can push if they find that the conditions within the restroom are unsatisfactory. So, as you can see, we’re attempting to optimize the employees’ time so they have more time to spend with the customer, providing world-class customer service.
Ulie: Helping them find something or whatever that may be.
Matthews: Yep.
Ulie: One last question. What category or categories pose the biggest challenge today?
Matthews: Inside and outside of the store, there are all these areas that can become messy and, not necessarily due to high traffic, customer traffic, accidents happen. A customer can spill a fountain soda, coffee can splash on the coffee counter. So, the challenge is responding quickly to those anomalies, and our stores do a great job of maintaining the standards we have in place and those that the customers have come accustomed to.
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