Which Fuel Retailers Are Tops With Consumers?
By Samantha Oller on Jul. 13, 2016HOUSTON -- QuikTrip Inc. leads the fuel-retail industry in total customer satisfaction.
EnergyPoint Research Inc. provides customer-satisfaction rankings for the global oil and gas industry. In its first downstream survey, the firm asked more than 8,000 consumers across the country to rate 32 major gasoline retailers on everything from service quality to ease of transactions to value. Participants had used a gas station in the past three months. QuikTrip topped the ranking in several areas.
“The survey focused on identifying which retailers and brands excel in the areas that make up the broader gas-buying experience,” said Doug Sheridan, managing director at Houston-based EnergyPoint. “Although fuel price is a primary factor for many customers when choosing where to refuel, the evidence suggests that, taken as a whole, factors other than price have as great or greater impact on customer satisfaction. In particular, ease of transactions, quality of service and cleanliness of store facilities leave meaningful impressions on customers.”
The following are major fuel retailers leading the pack both nationally and regionally.
Total satisfaction: QuikTrip
QuikTrip, the Tulsa, Okla.-based chain of more than 700 sites in 11 states, topped the ranking in total satisfaction. It also led all of the more than 30 retailers in ease of transactions, service quality, food and merchandise and facility quality. Costco, Kwik Trip, Kroger and Sheetz were runners-up for overall total satisfaction.
On a regional basis, QuikTrip was the top overall total satisfaction winner for the Southwest and Southeast. In the Midwest, Kwik Trip Inc. took top honors, while Kwik Fill ranked first in the Mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, Costco was tops for the West, Holiday Stationstores best in the Northwest, and Stewart’s Shops led in the Northeast.
Pricing and value: Costco
Costco Wholesale Corp., Issaquah, Wash., which has more than 400 gas stations at its nearly 500 warehouse clubs in the United States, was second runner-up in total overall satisfaction. This is thanks to its top finish in pricing and value overall.
It also led in total satisfaction among national chains and for the West region.
Branded stations: BP
Houston-based BP, whose retail arm includes more than 970 ampm sites in five Western states, scored tops overall for branded stations.
The major oil company also led several regional rankings, leading with price and value, food and merchandising and highway travel in the West. It ranked first in highway travel and commercial services for the Northwest, while it was the top national chain and Midwest finisher for commercial services.
Fuel quality: Chevron
Chevron, San Ramon, Calif., which has more than 300 ExtraMile company-ops and more than 8,200 branded sites, led the EnergyPoint ranking in fuel quality overall.
Consumers in the Northwest also rated the refiner-marketer as tops in fuel quality among national chains, while those in the West placed it first in commercial services.
Commercial services: Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Oklahoma City, placed first overall in commercial services and highway travel. The travel-stop chain, which has more than 360 sites in 40 states stretching across the country, also ranked first overall in highway travel for national chains, as well as in the Midwest and Southeast.
Click here for a complete ranking of the EnergyPoint Research gasoline retailers in customer satisfaction.