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 branded locations that provide consumers with a friendly shopping experience, both inside and outside the store. Research data indicates that CITGO-branded 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 its 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 Experience, Shopping Experience and Customer Service Experience.

What is the focus of the Fueling Experience 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 they will also evaluate the exterior cleanliness of the location.

What is the focus of the Shopping Experience category?

The shopping experience will evaluate the cleanliness of the restrooms and 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 Experience 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 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.

What will a location receive for a good shop?

CITGO will provide gasoline suppliers with the following for retail locations scoring 95% or higher on a quarterly shop: $150 in CITGO Gift Cards, a letter of commendation and a performance certificate to display in the store.

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 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 will receive a card after each third-party vendor shop, notifying them that they have been shopped. CITGO gasoline suppliers will be able to provide results to their locations within a few days.

What happens to a location that doesn't perform well on the shop?

Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2012, your CITGO gasoline supplier may receive a monetary penalty for locations scoring less than 70 percent on any given shop. It will be up to your gasoline supplier to decide whether to pass these penalties down to the location level or not.

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 suggesting a plus-sell item to the shopper.

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.

How does a location dispute the shopper's scoring when they disagree with the scoring?

The third-party vendor 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 from the third-party vendor (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?

Your CITGO gasoline supplier 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 to CITGO-branded locations via myCITGOstore.com.

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.

Are there any additional rewards that are possible to earn?

Yes. CITGO will provide gasoline suppliers with the following for the top 5% of retail locations averaging 90% or higher on all four shops: a recognition plaque, a decal to display on the door and $1,000 in Visa^® 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.