Frequently Asked Questions
What is the name of the new program?
Trimark of Excellence
Why did you change the name?
With input from the CITGO marketer council, we determined that the new name would better exemplify our objective to improve the appearance and customer service of the facilities.
What is the goal of the new program?
CITGO wants to drive consistency amongst our branded locations that provide consumers with a friendly shopping experience both inside and outside the store. Research data indicates that our locations have room to improve regarding this metric.
Why should a location care about its Trimark of Excellence score?
Studies have shown that consumers prefer to shop at locations that present a clean image and provide excellent customer service. The better a score, the more prepared a location is to maximize their volume and sales. In many instances, travelers indicate that the convenience store is their preferred location to stop for using the restroom versus other businesses.
Have the categories being evaluated changed?
Yes, the new survey will focus on the "Trimarks" of Excellence: Fueling Excellence, Shopping Excellence and Customer Service Excellence.
What is the focus of the Fueling Excellence category?
Primarily, the questions will be brand image oriented such as correct signage, cleanliness of fueling islands and availability of island amenities and credit card materials but will also evaluate the exterior cleanliness of the location.
What is the focus of the Shopping Excellence category?
The shopping experience will evaluate the cleanliness of the restrooms, the overall appearance of the interior of the store including merchandising execution and cleanliness of food service offerings.
What is the focus of the Customer Service Excellence category?
The level of customer service is traditionally what sets one location apart from its peers. This section focuses on providing fast and friendly customer service that consumers have come to expect in the convenience retailing industry.
Will the frequency of the shops increase?
Yes, the new program will shop branded locations four times per year based on calendar quarters (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jul-Sep and Oct-Dec).
Will the cost of the shops increase?
Yes, in 2011, we performed two scored mystery shops and two waves of brand POP at a rate of $175 annually per location. In 2012, we will perform four mystery shops and three waves of brand POP at a rate of $350 annually per location.
Will low performing scores still get shopped monthly?
No, by increasing the frequency of the shops and improving the survey format, CITGO believes that this will create the consistency that we are looking for.
Will a location still be able to perform monthly shops if they want at their own cost?
Yes, CITGO will bill the Marketer for monthly shops at a rate of $35 per shop. These costs can be submitted for reimbursement through the Facility Appearance & Technology Fund if desired.
Do you feel the program cost is appropriate?
Yes, as part of our program, CITGO includes the 3 waves of POP including installation in addition to the mystery shops. Some other oil companies charge as much as $350 annually for just the mystery shops. CITGO continues to be the only oil company that physically installs the POP for its locations.
What will a location receive for a good shop?
Locations scoring above 90% will receive $150 in CITGO gift cards (6 cards valued at $25) that will be presented to the location manager by the Marketer along with a certificate of achievement.
Why aren't the gift cards given at the time of the shop?
In the past, CITGO approached the idea of instant gratification as a way of recognizing those employees on duty at the time of the shop. However, in order to have consistent shops over a time, it is necessary for the entire store crew to put forth the effort to maintain the facilities and provide excellent customer service. The new reward structure is a better way to recognize the entire location's crew versus one employee.
Will managers still receive the point's certificates to redeem for prizes online?
No, this program will go away and store managers will be rewarded as part of the $150 in gift cards. Individuals will have until April 30, 2012 to redeem any unclaimed points certificates from the online prize company that were issued in 2011.
How do I know if I should be receiving a gift card for my location's performance on the mystery shop?
Locations scoring above 90% will receive a thank you card from CITGO for a job well done at the conclusion of each successful shop. In the card, it will instruct the store manager/owner to contact their respective marketer at month end regarding the award they have earned.
What happens if the Marketer does not provide the award to my location?
It has been communicated to the Marketers that the intent of the rewards system is that the gift cards should be provided to the locations in recognition of their performance. There are other incentives that have been put in place for the Marketers to get rewarded for strong performance. In the event that this occurs, CITGO will revisit the program with the Marketer.
What happens to a location that doesn't perform well on the shop?
Monetary penalties are not currently part of the program. However, CITGO will work with the Marketer council in 2012 to develop a penalty structure if needed to achieve the objective of improving facility scores.
How have the questions changed with the new program?
The biggest change is the ability for a location to receive partial credit on a question. In the past, if a location missed one element of a question, then no points were earned.
Did the survey just get easier to score well on?
Not necessarily. There is still a high standard of performance that must be met in order to achieve acceptable scores consistently over the series of shops. The partial credit element allows locations to focus in on specific items that they are not performing well on and improve over a period of time.
Will there be different surveys for locations that offer gas only versus a convenience store? Full-serve locations (New Jersey) versus self-serve locations?
Not at this time. In the event that a location is not able to be scored regarding a particular item, the question will be scored as Not Applicable (N/A) and no points will be lost. However, keep in mind the customer service from a fueling attendant is no different than what is occurring inside a convenience store from the cashier. CITGO will continue to monitor the program and make modifications that improve the overall experience for the branded consumer.
Are there ways to earn bonus points as part of the survey?
Yes, because customer service is seen as such an important aspect of the overall experience with the brand, CITGO has added a bonus question related to the customer service experience. A location can earn an additional three points for providing great customer service.
What other ways will the new program help improve a location's score?
Tips for improvement will be included with each missed question. For instance, if the cashier doesn't have a uniform or nametag, the printed survey will provide the contact information for the preferred CITGO supplier of these products. This will put the solution at the fingertips of the store personnel.
Is Ritter Associates still the mystery shop vendor?
Yes, CITGO has a long standing relationship with Ritter that will continue into 2012. Reporting tools have been implemented that will create greater consistency in how shoppers score questions from market to market.
How does a location dispute the shopper's scoring when they disagree with the scoring?
Ritter has provided an automated portal for resolving concerns about a score on a particular question. CITGO personnel will be able to monitor the questions and provide resolution much quicker than in the past. In addition, the automation of this element of the program will create more consistency between shopper responses from market to market.
Will I receive my shop results differently?
Yes, at the time of the shop, you will receive a notice from the shopper that the Trimark of Excellence survey was completed. The actual survey will be emailed to you directly (if an email address is on file), or you will receive it through your Marketer.
How does a location review its trends to see if it is improving?
All locations will have access to reporting through the online dashboards. The preferred method of accessing the dashboards will be through MarketNet but alternative solutions are being developed to grant direct access via a Ritter Associates web portal.
What is available on the dashboards?
A location or Marketer will be able to view their trends over time versus peer organizations. There is also the ability to drill down into specific questions to better understand how to improve the overall score.
In the past, CITGO provided reimbursement for shop costs for those locations achieving Gold status. Will this continue?
Yes, the program awards will include the ability to get credit for those locations achieving higher than 90% for that quarter's shop.
Are there any additional rewards that are possible to earn?
Yes, the top locations averaging over 90% for all of 2012 will earn $1,000 in either a trip voucher or gift cards.
Is there training available for the new program?
Yes, in addition to the Tips for Improvement on the survey itself, CITGO has launched the www.mycitgostore.com website to provide on-going training for locations. There will also be a poster campaign throughout 2012 to focus locations on the "Trimarks" of Excellence over the shopping cycle.
