How to Become a Better Filling Station Manager

I have had the rare opportunity to work as NNPC filling station manager in Lagos state and I saw the challenges that every filling station manager is facing. So now I will be summarizing all what you need to know before signing up as a filling station manager.

Roles & Responsibilities

Duties include control and monitor station expenses and inventory, conduct mini-audits, computer entry, cleaning, maintenance, and customer relations. Manage matters relating to the team. Duties include recruiting, hiring, training, coaching, developing, and performance management.

• The successful candidate for our stations would be someone who is people oriented, self-motivated, dependable, and able to work effectively and safely in a fast-paced environment while maintaining 100% total customer focus.
• The Station Manager plans, directs, organizes, and implements the daily operational activities of a retail station.
• Primarily responsible for the achievement of station objectives, the implementation of Company policies and procedures, staffing, merchandising, and maintaining high standards of customer service and safety.
• Adopts and demonstrates philosophies and standards regarding station operations, image, and personnel management. Provides exceptional customer service and ensure team does the same, including but not limited to, a pleasant greeting, smiling, making eye contact, soliciting additional sales, processing the transaction accurately, thanking the customer and inviting them to return.
• Manages with integrity, honesty and knowledge that promote values.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal & written communication skills, including the ability to professionally communicate to your team, customers, colleagues, management and vendors.
• Ensure execution of established safety, security, quality, and policies.
• Manage day-to-day operation of the station. Duties include control and monitor station expenses and inventory, conduct mini-audits, computer entry, cleaning, maintenance, and customer relations.
• Manage matters relating to the team. Duties include recruiting, hiring, training, coaching, developing, and performance management.
• Assists Supervisor in special assignments or projects and keeps Area Manager informed of station operations.
• Performs all duties of station staff as required.
• Must conduct themselves at all times, in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
• Complete other tasks as assigned by management.

Note that in this article, gas station, fuel station and filling station are used interchangeably. Fuel station managers assume responsibility for activities and staff in a fuel station.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• Sales activities

The supply of goods, sale of goods and the related financial aspects. The supply of goods entails the selection of goods, import and transfer. The financial aspect includes the processing of purchasing and sales invoices, payments etc. The sale of goods implies the proper presentation and positioning of the goods in the shop in terms of acessibility, promotion, light exposure.

• Types of fuels

Types of fuel available on the market such as petrol, diesel, bio-fuel, etc.

• Employment law

The law which mediates the relationship between employees and employers. It concerns employees’ rights at work which are binding by the work contract.

Skills

• Set sales goals

Set sales goals and objectives to be reached by a sales team within a period of time such as the target amount of sales made and new customers found.

• Oversee promotional sales prices

Ensure that sale prices and promotions are passed through the register as they should.

• Oversee delivery of fuel

Oversee fuel deliveries to service station.

• Use different communication channels

Use various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the aim of constructing and sharing information and ideas.

• Manage financial transactions of fuel station

Report fuel transactions and supplies purchases; operate computerised cash registers; process credit card transactions and cash purchases; compose balance sheets; operate cash drawers and carry out cash deposits.

• Adjust fuel prices in line with company procedures

Monitor fuel prices on a daily basis and adjust whenever necessary; ensure compliance to company procedures.

• Obtain relevant licenses

Comply with specific legal regulations, e.g. install the necessary systems and provide the necessary documentation, in order to obtain the relevant license.

• Ensure correct goods labelling

Ensure that goods are labeled with all necessary labeling information (e.g. legal, technological, hazardous and others) regarding the product. Ensure that labels respects the legal requirements and adhere to regulations.

• Maintain relationship with customers

Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and services and by supplying after-sales information and service.

Also read: 9 Amazing Ways You Can Avoid Being Cheated By Petrol Attendant

• Supervise merchandise displays

Work closely together with visual display staff to decide how items should be displayed, in order to maximise customer interest and product sales.

• Measure customer feedback

Evaluate customer’s comments in order to find out whether customers feel satisfied or dissatisfied with the product or service.

• Set up pricing strategies

Apply methods used for setting product value taking into consideration market conditions, competitor actions, input costs, and others.

• Perform fuel reconciliation

Refill fuel tanks in exchange for money.

• Monitor customer service

Ensure all employees are providing excellent customer service in accordance to company policy.

• Manage staff

Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

• Supervise employees on operating fuel pumps

Supervise employees activities on operating the fuel pumps and ensure the safety of their operations.

• Study sales levels of products

Collect and analyse sales levels of products and services in order to use this information for determining the quantities to be produced in the following batches, customer feedback, price trends, and the efficiency of sales methods.

• Negotiate buying conditions

Negotiate terms such as price, quantity, quality, and delivery terms with vendors and suppliers in order to ensure the most beneficial buying conditions.

Also read: How Nigerian Petrol Attendants Cheat In Filling Stations 

• Manage theft prevention

Apply theft and robbery prevention; monitor security surveillance equipment; enforce security procedures if needed.

• Maximise sales revenues

Increase possible sales volumes and avoid losses through cross-selling, upselling or promotion of additional services.

• Manage budgets

Conduct cost estimates and budget planning. Monitor the budget, as well as costs and expenses. Forecast the budget development continuously. Report on the budget.

• Apply procurement

Undertake ordering of services, equipment, goods or ingredients, compare costs and check the quality to ensure optimal payoff for the organisation.

• Negotiate sales contracts

Come to an agreement between commercial partners with a focus on terms and conditions, specifications, delivery time, price etc.

• Order supplies

Command products from relevant suppliers to get convenient and profitable products to purchase.

• Prepare reports on fuel sold in fuel station

Prepare and make up regular reports on the types and amounts of fuel, oil and other accessories sold in fuel stations over a period of time.

• Adhere to organisational guidelines

Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.

• Recruit employees

Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.

• Ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations

Implement and monitor company activities in compliance with legal contracting and purchasing legislations.

• Organise operations within the fuel station

Schedule and direct the daily activities in a fuel station.

• Ensure customer focus

Attitude that puts customers at the centre of the business in all cases.

• Maintain relationship with suppliers

Build a lasting and meaningful relationship with suppliers and service providers in order to establish a positive, profitable and enduring collaboration, co-operation and contract negotiation.

• Enforce fuel storage regulations

Enforce fuel storage regulations, in accordance with governmental and environmental policies and regulations.

• Apply health and safety standards

Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.

That is how far we can go on the guide to becoming a great filling station manager in Nigeria. I hope you have leant from the article, stay online as i will be bringing you more facts about oil and gas business please share