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'Petro plus' pump getting popular
An overall view of the HPCL's Millennium outlet, at Siripuram, by night. Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam
The five-road traffic junction near Waltair Park, the posh staff housing colony of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), has developed a new glowing skyline, especially at night, thanks to the location of the HP Auto Care Center, an electronic fuel filling station.
The customer-friendly outlets, manned by well-behaved staff.
Apart from being an e-fuel station, where service is available round the clock for automobiles, it provides a number of customer-friendly facilities so that one can drive into the center, fill the tank of one's vehicle; purchase the domestic requirements in the super market; have some quick bites at the `Take Away' food pick-up counter or have refreshments in a leisurely manner at the coffee shop in the rear; draw cash; ring up one's contacts; and pick up the favourite newspaper.
Girls having their pick at the supermarket.
This `petro plus' pump comprises the HP Speed Mart department store in partnership with SVS (P) Ltd.; HP Club Bites, a fast food joint in collaboration with 4'Seasons; a public telephone booth and an automated teller machine of the ICICI Bank, besides a newsstand. A vast parking lot is available for cutomers making use of these facilities. Another attraction for vehicle owners patronising this massive `autodrome' is the presence of AYS Hyundai's car servicing joint, which is being developed in a big way to provide service activities like wheel balancing, car wash, etc., on the rear side of 6,000 square metre quadrangle, built at a cost of Rs.2.5 crores. "This is the second autocare center of HPCL in the country, the first being located at Bandra in Mumbai,'' says the oil major's Senior Regional Manager (retail marketing), Sushanta Dhar. All the retail activities are conducted on the forecourt, which has 10 outlets vending unleaded petrol, high speed diesel, energy booster engine oil `Power' and HP lubes, besides four fuel storage tanks. The pumps and tanks are computerised. The tanks are under the control of an auto gauging system with temperature sensor attachment, which can be monitored from the back office. At the press of a button, the storage position of a tank can be known as also the sales effected with the amount collected. According to Mr. Dhar, all the 10 outlets have point-of-sale billing instruments to extend the spot billing facility to the customer, thereby reducing his or her waiting time. Credit cards are also accepted at these pumps, which are being hooked to automation system. Very soon, this center will start selling branded products like `Turbo Jet'(HSD) and `MS Power 93' additive for improving engine efficiency. An LPG retail outlet is under construction, with a cavern type storage. In addition to these features, the autodrome provides free windshield cleaning; a mechanic to check engine oil, brake oil availability in the vehicle free of cost; and a digital air gauge which can detect and remove excess air in the wheels or fill them with air, if necessary. The company owned and managed e-fuel station is under the charge of an officer with the assistance of a graduate trainee. The delivery boys are supplied by a labour contractor. "We ensure that these boys are paid the minimum wages as per law and covered by the Employees Provident Fund Scheme,'' says the Station Manger, M.N. Srinivas. About the public patronage of the e-fuel station, Mr. Srinivas says that the customer appreciation is so high that it has achieved a sales volume of 228 kilolitres of MS Power and 108 kl. of HSD in the very second month of operation, against the projected volumes of 400 kl. MS and 100 kl. HSD during its second year of operation. "We are seeking the customer feed-back on a regular basis about the behaviour of the delivery boys, and complaints are attended to instantly. Further, we have a scheme of displaying the photograph of the `best delivery boy of the month' and presenting him a prize, to enable them to work efficiently.'' The brightly lit and highly automated e-fuel station, built as per international standards, is indeed the customer's delight.
R. SAMPATH
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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