SPRING 2014 - Phillips 66

INTOUCH
SPRING 2014
The best route for all the Phillips 66 and JET news
Cover story
Welcome to this
special edition of
In Touch as we
mark our
Diamond
Anniversary
JOIN US IN
CELEBRATING...
1950s
1960s
In this issue
1954 competition winners
Safety performance
Strategic initiatives
Sent to Coventry
Five new Scottish sites
JET clinch Kinch
Under the JET canopy
JET dealer focus
...and IT matters
In 1954, rationing finally ended after 14
years, Doris Day was number one in the hit
parade with ‘Secret Love’ and ‘On the
Waterfront’ starring Marlon Brando won an
Academy Award for best picture. It was also
the year when John Willy ‘Bill’ Roberts
started selling discounted petrol under the
brand name JET and changed the face of
fuel retailing in Britain forever.
Celebrating six decades
1960s - Britain’s first traffic wardens arrived
on our streets and England won the World
Cup at Wembley
ONE Celebrating 60 years of JET
1970s - Strikes seemed to hit the headlines
every week and Margaret Thatcher became
Britain’s first female Prime Minister
1980s - The Berlin Wall came down,
wearing of seat belts became law, and
huge, clunky car phones made their first
appearance
1990s - Nelson Mandela was released
from prison and speed cameras were
introduced
2000s - Harry Potter was seen for the first
time and the iPhone revolution started
2010s - Olympic fever pitch, more talk of
recession, budget deficit and Government
austerity
Finally we arrive in 2014 with JET’s
Diamond Anniversary
working part-time in the mills at the age of
11. By the age of 12 he was working fulltime and studying economics.
We take a brief, nostalgic look down
memory lane before arriving back in the
current day, in which 2014 heralds an
exciting year for the JET brand as we share
our plans to mark our Diamond Anniversary
with a big splash!
The war years
JET was established in 1954 by John Willy
‘Bill’ Roberts. Bill, who was born in Halifax
in 1898, had a hard childhood and started
His business acumen helped make the
company, Trent Oil Products, a formidable
oil distributor in the competitive years.
In the beginning
Bill Roberts served in the First World War
and though barely out of his teens, he was
keen to get on. Between the wars, in
civilian life, Bill started working for a
chemical company.
Start of the JET age
In 1954, when petrol supply was
deregulated, Bill set up Jet Petroleum Ltd –
a name inspired by ‘JET’ - the prefix of
vehicles registered in Rotherham, Yorkshire
and his first tanker, JET 855. Soon he was
seeing demand from the smaller
independent retailers around Yorkshire for
an alternative supplier to the major brands
which effectively controlled the supply and
price of petrol. He began selling fuel at
lower prices and the JET network started to
grow as motorists began searching out
these lower price outlets.
Celebrating 60 years of JET TWO
Cover story
Up until 1960, JET had sold its fuels at
much the same price as other suppliers but
then reduced its prices sparking off a price
war. JET's petrol prices were some 6d per
gallon less on premium grades and 3d per
gallon less on standard petrol than other
leading petrol companies who responded
by making some cuts to their prices.
JET also upgraded its standard petrol to 93
octane whilst other companies’ standard
petrol only had an 83 octane rating. Other
1970s
“JET Steps up the Petrol Wars”
claimed the Daily Mail in 1963
The East Anglian Times even went as far as
to predict: “The newcomers (JET), as will be
seen, do not lack initiative and resources
and in a few years’ time the whole situation
in the petrol industry may be drastically
changed.” How right they were.
With just 80 employees, JET was doing
something that the big brands - Shell, BP,
Esso, Mobil and Regent (now Chevron) considered very maverick at the time,
undercutting fuel prices and effectively
starting a price war at the pumps.
only on price, but in its treatment of its
customers, staff and dealers.
Through the 1970s, the JET network grew
causing continued headaches for the other
established oil companies. Two, three and
four star petrol was the choice on the
forecourt of the day along with attended
service, free branded road maps and
Green Shield stamps to collect.
‘Gallons turned to litres’ on the pole sign
and the 1980s saw the introduction of
unleaded petrol with JET again leading the
way with the UK’s first unleaded only site.
The ‘canopy’ became standard fare and
1980s
company in the world and the third largest
in the US at the time. In 2001, JET’s
company owned sites were sold, albeit with
JET retaining supply contracts to these
sites. The turn of the millennium
continued to see the JET brand move with
the times as a major player in the UK
marketplace, incorporating the current JET
logo style we know and recognise today.
2011 saw the Board of Directors of
ConocoPhillips approve the separation of
the company’s Refining & Marketing and
Exploration & Production businesses into
two stand-alone, publicly traded
corporations, ConocoPhillips and
1990s
maverick organisations, eventually ‘grow
up’, to take its rightful place in the industry
and become part of the establishment.
Even in today’s fast-moving world, the spirit
of those free-thinking people who went
before is still tangible and valued in the
ideas and progressive attitudes that the
JET company philosophy actively
encourages.
Our Diamond year
Pete George, Managing Director of
Phillips 66 UK & Ireland Marketing,
comments: “2014 marks our Diamond
adults around the country. These are just a
few of the ideas we’re working on, so look
out for ways in which you can join in and
help us celebrate in style.
“We’re also appealing for any old JET
photographs, pictures, memorabilia or
stories from bygone days. If you’ve got any
gathering dust in your attic, then please
contact the editor. We promise to
reproduce and return them to you.
“The 1954 Free Prize Draw was a great
way to kick start our celebrations. We
wanted to mark six decades of JET
forecourts fuelling local communities
2000s
Petrol wars, pole signs
and convenience stores
Save 1p per litre
on your Smile card
that’s over
412p
per gallon
JET IS A CONOCOPHILLIPS BRAND
JET octane ratings were 97 and 100, plus
they also sold a JET branded diesel.
By 1961, some 60% of JET's petrol sales
were of standard petrol being sold to 400
retailers, of which 250 only sold JET petrol.
The JET story is one of continuous
innovation from the development of
forecourt convenience stores to the now
mandatory pole sign which, in its day, was
both radical and ahead of its time.
JET’s low costs created turmoil for the
established oil companies and made
headlines in the press.
“Cut Rate Fuel –
JET Joins the Price War” screamed
the Daily Mirror in 1962
THREE Celebrating 60 years of JET
In June 1961, JET became a subsidiary of
the Continental Oil Company of Delaware,
US, purchased its first petrol station and
entered into its first solus agreements. In
1963, it formed a new company,
Continental Oil (UK) Ltd, which took over
JET's commercial market.
By the end of 1964, JET was supplying 643
retail outlets and had entered into 264
agreements for partial or sole supply. It also
owned 38 petrol stations which were let out
to tenants.
A progressive and
exciting company
Throughout its history the JET brand has
always stood up to the big brands – not
automated car washes were the ‘new
thing’. From a corporate perspective, when
DuPont bought Conoco Inc. in 1981, it was
the largest merger in US corporate history.
Throughout the 1990s, the importance of
the convenience store grew and JET was
again leading the way with the launch of its
popular ‘Smile’ loyalty card in 1999,
offering over 2.5 million customers savings
on fuel and in turn starting the ‘forecourt
promotion’ that we know today.
The late 1990s saw DuPont relinquish their
ownership of Conoco, setting the stage for
the 2001 merger of Conoco and Phillips
Petroleum Co. ConocoPhillips was born
creating the sixth largest publicly traded oil
Phillips 66, today’s owners
of the JET brand.
Success into the future
Over the years we have developed an
enviable and unique reputation with our
dealers and fuel distributors who love our
open door policy, excellent levels of service
and support, price position and fairness of
supply agreements.
Our customers alike have stayed loyal to
the brand over the years as we continue to
offer them excellent choice, value and
service from a personable, friendly
perspective.
Six decades of evolution in the sometimes
volatile fuel industry have seen JET, like all
Anniversary – 60 years
since JET emerged onto the
fuel market. This is a real milestone for
us as a company and an achievement that
we are very proud of.
“2014 is going to be an exciting year for JET
as we are planning a raft of initiatives and
customer promotions to celebrate this
historic achievement.
“In keeping with our Diamond Anniversary
theme, we will be promoting 60 Years of
JET on our forecourts and new Facebook
page, as well as some other exciting
concepts for people to embrace. Our ideas
include a competition to find the 60 best
views in the UK, celebrating a Diamond
Hero in your local community and providing
support for disadvantaged children and
2010s
throughout the UK and thank our
customers for their continued support. But
it’s also a way of thanking our dealers and
demonstrates JET’s commitment to driving
up forecourt footfall for our network.
“Over six decades the JET brand has
become synonymous with low prices,
quality fuels and value for money; a
popular message with motorists, dealers,
distributors and commercial customers
alike.
“Those first 60 years of JET have passed
very quickly and whilst the world has
changed, those men and women of a
bygone time bequeathed to us a company
that remains proud to be different”, Pete
concluded.
Celebrating 60 years of JET FOUR
£5,000FOR14LUCKY
1954WINNERS
“
1954 Promotion winners
£5,000 of fuel
is a fantastic
prize as, living in
a rural village,
fuel can be a
costly monthly
expense.
“
Richard Horne,
Houghton
Winning this
fuel card will
make a
massive
difference.
Ruth Samuels,
Brobot Waddington
Rolling back the years
A high profile way to kick start our 60th
anniversary celebrations was our ‘Rolling
back the years with JET to 1954’ promotion.
The free prize draw, which took place at
JET forecourts nationwide throughout
November and December 2013, offered JET
customers the chance to win £5,000
of free fuel in exchange for a minimum
spend of £30.
22,000 entries
We received a staggering 22,000 entries
and this has proved to be our most popular
FIVE 1954 Promotion winners
”
promotion in recent years. Over 70% of
dealers recently surveyed agreed it was an
attractive offer for consumers and had
created many positive customer responses.
Positive feedback
Feedback on what went well and what could
be improved upon will be used by the
Marketing team in planning future
promotions. Francis Walker of Jempsons
commented: “It was a valuable reward,
easy to enter and fast to fill in - this is
important to ensure customers don’t get
bored.”
Promotion via radio stations and
newspapers helped us reach a wider
audience, together with JET branded road
tankers which advertised the promotion.
We also employed a merchandiser to
ensure maximum impact and consistency
across the network.
Our lucky prize draw winners, who were
selected at random, were understandably
delighted when we called to congratulate
them, as were the sites where entry forms
were obtained from. The winners will
redeem their prize through a ‘pre-loaded’
JetCard worth £5,000 to spend on fuel.
”
To help the ‘winning’ sites celebrate their
success, each site received a special
winners poster to display. Exposure was
maximised with local PR for each site and
the prize draw will be featured in local and
trade press over the coming weeks.
Creating a buzz
Louise Hammond, a JET dealer from
Suffolk, described it as “an amazing
opportunity to celebrate the 60th
anniversary, generating a true buzz for both
business and customers. We saw our
volumes increase as customers were
encouraged by the prospect of winning
“
£5,000 of fuel is a
fantastic prize and I
am really excited that
I can share some of
this with others.
Joanna Pritchard,
Kingston Road
”
this exciting prize, and it was something
for the staff to get behind to promote
the JET brand within our community”.
Thank you to everyone who encouraged
customers to take part in the competition.
The winners were...
Abbeyside - Vicki Parkin & Sylvia Ingham
Armadale - Carolyn Burnett & Lynne Carlaw
Brobot Waddington - Ruth Samuels
Dragonville - Dr Craig Mackerness
Hammonds - David Manning
Houghton - Richard Horne
Intake 1 - Mrs Farhat Khan &
Harry Palframan
Kenilworth - Michael Coker
Kingston Road - Joanna Pritchard
Mayfield - Rasminder K Sehmi
Potteries - Helen Ialani
Congratulations to them all!
1954 Promotion winners SIX
SAFETY
PERFORMANCE
EXCELLENCE
Safety performance
Pete George, Managing
Director, UK & Ireland
Marketing, talks to
Lucy Kelly, In Touch’s
new editor, on how JET
has achieved another
year of excellent safety
performance.
Congratulations on achieving your
goal of having no employee or
contractor injuries in 2013, this
sounds impressive or was this
down to some good luck?
Thank you, it feels good to know that
everyone employed to supply our network
did so without getting hurt. There was a
lot of hard work by everyone involved in
our operations, including our customers; it
didn’t happen by chance. If there was an
element of luck then I can relate to
Thomas Jefferson who said: “I'm a great
believer in luck, and I find the harder I
work the more I have of it”.
So a lot of work on safety, you
must have a big safety team?
I think we should keep the central safety
resource to the minimum. Safety must be
part and parcel of everyone’s job. Sure we
will need to source competent advice but
the only way we can truly make
it work is if everyone involved in our
SEVEN Safety performance
It is our collective goal to eliminate
all injuries, occupational illnesses,
unsafe practices and incidents - we
take the time to work safely, every
job, every day.
activities owns safety and everyone
understands they have a part to play. If I
let a specialist team ‘do safety’ for me I
would not see this as a sustainable
approach.
So now you have achieved your
goal and involved everyone in the
process, can you take your foot off
the gas a little?
Whilst we have done well, we still have
plenty of scope for improvement. We
have experienced a few minor incidents
and near misses. Our performance on
spills and slow speed tanker bumps on
dealer sites still needs to improve, so will
be a focus for 2014.
You mention spills and tanker
bumps, so when you talk of safety
it’s more than preventing staff
getting hurt?
I feel it’s important we have a broad focus.
Our corporate values talk of ‘Safety,
Honour and Commitment’ with safety
encompassing the safety of the public,
our customers and the environment as
well as employees and contractors.
These values fit well with my own.
Moving on to JET dealers and
Branded Distributors, what are
your safety expectations of them?
I appreciate that our dealers and
distributors are businesses in their own
right and need to manage their own risks,
however, I still have some expectations
when it comes to safety. The safety of the
public who use JET sites is extremely
important to me so I need to gain
assurance that our dealers are managing
safety appropriately. At JET we feel we
owe it to our dealers and distributors to
maintain a positive brand image. We
know that those sites that perform well on
our safety audits are generally promoting
a very good brand image and are well
managed in all other areas.
How are JET dealers and
distributors performing?
Safety standards have steadily improved
at our dealers and distributors; we can
see this from the results of Suresite and
FPS audits where we are top quartile. I’m
sure that this improvement has a positive
influence on the safety of our contracted
drivers also.
You mentioned contractors earlier,
why do you monitor their safety
performance? Surely they are
independent businesses?
You are correct, these businesses need to
manage safety for themselves, however, I
am very keen to ensure our whole supply
chain is as safe as possible. This not only
includes our transport contractors but
also our terminals, scheduling team,
delivery contractors, and maintenance
and imaging contractors. I expect my
managers to place high expectations on
our contractors and ensure we are all
working to the same goal to provide
excellent service, safely.
So what will be different as 2014
progresses?
As I indicated earlier, we are doing well
but still have plenty to achieve. I will
continue to ensure everyone plays their
part in safety while demanding the
highest standards. I hope that next year I
can report no incidents whatsoever.
JET GOES
PLATINUM
2013 saw two JET Approved
Distributors achieve the Federation
of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS)
‘Platinum’ status following audits of
their safety and environmental
management systems.
Congratulations to the following
customers who achieved this
landmark:
•Kinch Fuel Oils – Minety Depot
•Highland Fuels – Inverness Depot
Platinum status is awarded by the
FPS to sites achieving an audit score
of 90% or more. FPS audits focus
on legal compliance and industry
best practice covering all aspects of
the distributor operation including
product receipt, storage, road
transport, training and management
systems.
All JET Approved Distributors receive
an audit on a two-yearly basis; the
best of these, judged across the FPS
membership, stand a chance of
recognition at the annual FPS
awards.
Alex Blower, Account Coordinator
and Process Lead of the FPS audits
at Phillips 66 Ltd, commented:
“2013 was another year where JET
distributors have proven to have high
standards right across their
operations. Congratulations to both
Kinch and Highland on their
fantastic achievement in what is a
very thorough independent audit.”
Safety performance
EIGHT
STRATEGIC
INITIATIVES
JET’s new initiatives
Ryan Ebright and
Bradley Thomas
‘touch base’ and tell us
about their ‘blue-sky’,
‘out of the box’, ‘bigpicture’, ‘new-world’,
‘win-win’ thinking in
their new Strategic
Initiative roles...
There’s far more than corporate clichés to
Ryan and Bradley’s new roles as Strategic
Initiatives Manager and Coordinator,
respectively. Tasked with challenging
existing thinking and ‘how we do what we
do’, the duo is already developing some
exciting ideas to foster improvements
across many aspects of the business.
Whilst Bradley’s journey to his new job is
slightly less in terms of distance, he is
equally relishing the challenge in thinking
strategically, having moved from his Supply
Coordinator role at the Warwick Office,
commenting: “I’m looking forward to the
tasks that lie ahead.
“The job ‘ticks all my boxes’ as it’s almost
like being your own boss. I can be proactive
rather than reactive, without a set agenda
to each working day, and able to go down
whatever road I think is best to get the job
done.”
In taking up their new positions in
January, both of them bring a broad
cross section of skills and
experiences to the fore.
A personal journey
Ryan has literally journeyed from ‘across
the pond’, having been previously based
in Bartlesville, Houston and Kansas City in
the US. Almost a decade of working in the
‘mid-continent’ of the US has included a
variety of sales and brand support
functions within the marketing side of the
business in retail, wholesale and aviation
roles.
So what’s involved?
Ryan continues: “In a nutshell, we search
out and identify opportunities to support
the growth of UKIM in whatever guise that
may be.
“We fall under the umbrella of ‘National
Sales’ reporting to Emma McKim, Specialty
& Business Development Manager.
However, our remit is not one of business
development which searches out improved
processes, controls and efficiencies. Our
aim is to further develop any aspect of the
business where a benefit can be felt by
addressing things differently; a fresh pair of
eyes if you like.
Ryan comments: “I couldn’t resist the
opportunity to expand my horizons from a
business and career perspective by taking
up the chance to absorb myself in a
different culture and way of working in
deciding to join UK & Ireland Marketing
(UKIM).
“My wife and I did ponder the move
carefully as we have a young daughter who
has just turned one and we would be
leaving behind family and friends. In the
end the decision was a ‘no-brainer’ as
neither of us could turn down this fantastic
chance to embrace all the UK and Europe
has to offer; it’s certainly our intention to
travel and experience as much as possible
whilst we’re living here.”
NINE Strategic initiatives
Pictured left:
Ryan Ebright
and right,
Bradley Thomas
“We are therefore project driven. The UKIM
Leadership Team has given us a broad
scope of aspects of the business to
consider for possible development and
already, just three months in, our to do list
seems to grow by the day. However,
prioritising our work and timescales are
generally up to us, whilst being mindful that
we need to deliver results in a timely
manner. We are finding that one project
“Thinking strategically working cooperatively”
naturally seems to ‘morph’ into another,
each one opening new doors and new
opportunities for us to look at.
“Priorities for this year are working with
both Humber and Whitegate refineries to
ensure optimal production and placement
of products, during what is proving to be a
very tough period for European refineries in
light of the US shale revolution and
increased dieselisation in Britain. Our work
includes looking at biofuels and both the
challenges and opportunities that new
legislative requirements present.”
It’s all about collaboration
“What we do certainly isn’t about sitting in
a darkened room waiting for inspiration.
There are a lot of people with an awful lot
of experience in the business and I would
say we actively ‘lean on them’ for support;
whether it’s picking their brains, sharing
knowledge or just chatting ideas through.
“The knock-on effect of this collaborative
approach is it widens the knowledge base
of everyone involved in these projects as
you get a greater understanding of what
everyone does, whether it’s Sales, Supply,
IT or any other facet of the business. It is
vital to us so we can ensure our thinking is
coherent, joined up and fully inclusive for
all aspects of the business.
Ryan Ebright
Live and breathe teamwork
“It’s no good making positive change to
one aspect of the business if it has a
negative impact on another, so we must
live and breathe teamwork in order to
move forwards as one. It’s collective input
that will help us maximise the potential, as
our end result can only be as good as the
input.
“It is vitally important we spot trends and
keep up-to-date with market conditions so
we can keep Phillips 66 at the forefront of
the fuels business. Whatever the market
dictates, we must be able to adapt quickly
and ideally be ahead of the game by
anticipating change before it happens.
“Although we are already very busy, it is
also equally important to regularly step
back from the day-to-day stuff to ensure
that we are heading in the right direction”,
said Ryan.
Bradley concludes: “This job is unique,
certainly within a big organisation. Each
day brings different challenges. There’s a
real sense of achievement, as the more we
put into each and every day, the more we
get out. Already, we’ve started to make a
difference, but have only ‘scratched the
surface’ of what can possibly be achieved.”
Strategic initiatives TEN
DELIGHTED TO BE
SENT TO COVENTRY
Product quality
Product quality
in the safe
hands of
Dav Basra
He continues: “Seriously, I think my long
and happy career is testament to the
fact that they are a first-rate
organisation to work for. As I reflect
on my time in the oil business, I have
some great memories. Having met
and worked with some wonderful
people, I hope that alongside my
colleagues, we have contributed
to the continuing growth and
strength of the company. I can
honestly say that I’ve enjoyed every
minute of my time at Phillips 66 and am
really excited about my new role and the
different challenges and opportunities it will
undoubtedly bring.”
Teamwork matters
Introducing the new Product Quality
Manager at Phillips 66, Dav Basra, who
has recently been sent back to Coventry,
and he’s delighted about the fact! In
Dav’s instance the expression ‘Sent to
Coventry’ couldn’t be more apt as he
spent his formative years in Lady Godiva’s
city after his family set up home there when
he was a small child.
After nearly four decades working at
Phillips 66 Humber Refinery, Dav
answered the call to be sent ‘home’
when colleague, Paul Whitesmith,
recently retired. Management at
Phillips 66 had no hesitation in
offering Dav his new Warwick based
role which will enable him to complete
his ‘there and back’ vocation, albeit 38
years in the making.
Dav tells us his story: “I’d never have
thought that in 1976, when I first
started as a fresh-faced shift chemist
at the then ‘Conoco’ Humber Refinery,
after graduating from the University of
Leeds, 38 years later I would still be
working for the same company.”
ELEVEN Product quality
“When I started, in essence from the bottom
up in the laboratory at Humber, I expected
my contract to run for a couple of years and
then I’d move on. Instead I grew into the job,
being promoted over the years to leadership
roles in the ‘lab’, gaining experience in all
aspects of the business in terms of product
quality, from feedstocks through to finished
product. Over the years, the breadth of
knowledge and wealth of experience that
individuals have shared have led to a
fantastic team atmosphere that has
delivered some really positive results,
keeping us at the forefront of Product Quality
in the industry. Latterly, as Product Quality
lead, I enjoyed developing that same
cooperative team environment and
prospering a culture of shared knowledge
and individual development to up and
coming members of the team. Teamwork is
absolutely what it’s all about.
“When the opportunity arose to take over
Paul Whitesmith’s role upon his retirement
earlier this year, it seemed to be a natural
move to complete the product quality
journey; full circle if you like, from ‘onspecification’ product out of the refinery
doors, to terminal and end user issues,
which are now my focus. I also act as an
interface between the refinery and the
supply chain all the way through to the
customer. I hope my refinery operational
National
experience and background will stand me in
good stead as I bring that knowledge to bear
in my new job, not to mention all of the
contacts I have made along the way.”
A broad scope
“I have a variety of responsibilities mainly
based around ensuring that all of our product
specifications, legislation and procedures are
compliant and up-to-date. That means
liaising with all aspects of the business,
particularly the supply chain, as well as
offering expertise, guidance and advice
where needed. Again, the team aspect is at
the forefront here, where shared expertise
gets the job done. Without each other we
wouldn’t function cohesively.
“I also sit on a number of legislative industry
bodies from a fuel quality perspective,
representing the interests of Phillips 66
among our peer group as well as other
committees looking at more broad-reaching
issues facing the industry generally. The UK
Petroleum Industry Association, UK Biofuels
Committee, vehicle manufacturer groups,
Government initiatives and legislative issues
also keep me busy and up-to-date with
today’s topics, not to mention how the
industry is shaping up for the future.”
Future trends
“I have to be pro-active in ensuring we as a
business are always at the forefront of where
product quality and legislation is heading,
spotting trends and developments, while also
being responsive in dealing with today’s
marketplace. For instance, I’m working with
the British and Irish Governments at the
moment on introducing a new duty paid fuels
marker dye and I am part of the team looking
into the current diesel engine breakdowns
from a fuels viewpoint.
“The future evolution of fuels is exciting,
whether it’s electric-hybrid, biofuels or
alternative fuels. I need to look at how these
and many other diversification trends may
affect Phillips 66, and help plan our strategy
in continuing to be a leading player in the
world of fuel supply, whatever that may be.
My role is ever-changing and evolving, there’s
no such thing as routine as each day brings
exciting new challenges.
“I’m really enjoying my Warwick-based
product quality role and it’s great to be back
in Coventry, around family and friends.
Rather than being ‘sent to Coventry’, I’d say
‘Coventry calling’.”
National people
New roles, same excellent support services
Our National Account Coordinators group looks after those UK and Ireland resellers,
dealers and supermarkets who have a national presence. In addition, our specialty fuels
businesses - Marine, Aviation and LPG - are part of our National Sales group.
The group is currently being headed up by Sarah Young (whilst Annelise Burgoine is on
maternity leave). Designed with our customers in mind, the experienced group offers
dedicated support to the National Sales Team, providing excellent, personal customer
service day in, day out across all facets of the business.
There are some new faces and job changes on the team, so we thought it was
opportune to put a face and job title to the name...
Annelise Burgoine
Sarah Young
Tom Eastham
National Customer
Accounts Manager
Regional & National
Customer Accounts Manager
National Accounts Coordinator,
supporting Naomi Donoghue
& Geoff Henderson
Debbie Ross
National Accounts
Coordinator, supporting
Naomi Donoghue
Lisa Hart
National Accounts
Coordinator, supporting Julie
Henderson & Kris Hudson
Andrea Lee
Richard Griffiths
Tony Webber
Jaimi Marsh
National Accounts
Coordinator, supporting Paul
Barrington & Sam Payne
National Accounts
Coordinator, supporting
Geoff Henderson
National Accounts
Coordinator, supporting
Sam Payne
National Accounts Coordinator,
25thGraham
Anniversary
supporting
Cloutdinner
& Derv Bunkering
National people TWELVE
Five new Scottish sites
Two new TM’s
JET ADDS FIVE SITES
TO ITS SCOTTISH
NETWORK
JET ADDS
TWO NEW
TERRITORY
MANAGERS
Chris Murphy and Matt Pougher map out their
new roles as North and South Territory Managers
As JET ‘notches up’ an impressive
half-century of sites in Scotland,
Paul Yates, Territory Manager, Scotland,
tells us about his plans north of the border.
“Towards the end of 2013, we
highlighted our ambitious growth plans
to expand into the north of Scotland as
part of a UK-wide target to increase the
JET dealer network by 30%.
“We’re delighted to welcome five new
forecourts to the JET brand, especially
so early on in our 60th anniversary year.
This now takes our total number of sites
throughout Scotland to 51.
22% market share
“With these sites on board, we hold a
22% market share of the Scottish fuel
market and have more branded dealer
sites across Scotland than Shell,
Harvest Energy, and Murco combined.
“The five new sites comprise three in
Moray - Buccaneer Service Station in
Bishopmill, New Elgin Service Station in
Elgin and Mosstodloch Service Station
“The dealer package
offered stands out from
any of the other fuel
suppliers I looked into.”
Iain Aitkenhead
THIRTEEN New Scottish sites
in Fochabers – as well as Ravenspark
Filling Station in Irvine and Darnleymill
Service Station near Paisley, both of
which were most recently BP sites.
Pushing further
north
“Prior to these sites coming on board,
our most northerly site was in
Blairgowrie, so it’s great to start this
push into the north. We have a very
compelling proposition for Scottish
forecourts, not least because we
believe we offer unrivalled security
of fuel supply within the UK
thanks to the Phillips 66
Humber Refinery in northern
England”, concluded Paul.
Iain Aitkenhead, owner and
operator of the three new JET
sites in Moray, said: “The
decision to move to JET was a
simple one; the dealer package
offered stands out from any of the
other fuel suppliers I looked into.
As a retailer, it’s reassuring to
know that the fuel JET supplies
is refined in the UK and is made
to stringent UK standards.
requirements. Most of my customers are
independents rather than group dealers as I
have 23 sites run by 21 different customers.
‘Fantastic’...
“My experience so far has been
fantastic; from the top to the bottom of
the organisation, everyone I’ve dealt
with has the knowledge and know-how
to advise me on what’s best for my
business”, commented Iain.
Bishopmill
•• Fochabers
•
Elgin
•Paisley
•Irvine
A team of nine Phillips 66 Territory
Managers are ‘at large’ travelling up and
down England and Scotland looking after
the needs of our customers from
independent retailers to regional group
dealers, JET branded distributors and
resellers.
JET’s Territory Managers offer personal
support to their customers and take a real
interest in their business. All of them have
worked within different areas of our
business such as terminal operations and
fuel supply groups, meaning they really
understand the business and how it works.
Plenty of practical expertise and a high
degree of personal motivation have earned
this field based team an enviable reputation
in the marketplace.
Stepping forth into the fold are two new
faces eager to ‘do their bit’ in terms of
supporting JET dealers and joining the sales
push to expand the JET dealer network.
Matt Pougher’s territory covers the East
Midlands upwards to the Wash, Lincolnshire
and South Humber. Chris Murphy’s patch is
the South-East. Both are new to the job in
2014, but like their colleagues, bring plenty
of experience to their roles.
It’s all about drive
In his own words Matt has ‘been around the
block’ working in a number of diverse roles
within the organisation. He tells us what the
new job entails:
“You certainly have to be ‘driven’ in many
senses of the word. Getting to know my new
customers has meant lots of driving and in a
typical week I can cover over 1,000 miles.
My main focus is on understanding each
and every customer’s business needs and
building a good working relationship with
them, as each one is unique, having specific
“I’m also actively getting myself ‘out there’,
prospecting for new JET dealers, introducing
them to the brand and its vision for mutual
success. It’s important to develop
relationships with ‘prospects’ so that when
their contract renewal is up they already
know and trust you, making it easier to
entice them to join the ‘JET family’.”
Getting out and about
Chris Murphy gives us his slant on being a
Territory Manager: “I’m a fairly outgoing
person, so I am enjoying meeting a diverse
selection of customers.
“I may get up early and finish late but the job
satisfaction is very rewarding. Being field
based is very different to my previous role in
National Sales Support based in Warwick,
but I enjoy planning and managing my time
while at the same time being responsive to
my customers’ needs. As Matt says, the
job’s a balance between fostering new
relationships whilst looking after existing
clients in a pro-active manner to the best of
my ability.
“Self motivation is certainly the key. Indeed,
the more I do, the more work it generates
which is very much a ‘positive’ for both me
and Phillips 66”, closes Chris.
New Territory Managers FOURTEEN
Distributor update
Kinch Fuel Oils re-sign
with Phillips 66 and
celebrate 30 years of
partnership success
Kinch Fuel Oils Ltd has signed an
extension to its supplier contract with
Phillips 66, marking the 30th year of
this successful collaboration.
Kinch Fuels is now one of the longeststanding JET-branded Authorised
Distributors of Phillips 66. From its
facility in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, Kinch
Fuels distributes fuel to a wide
customer base throughout the
Wiltshire region, with plans to extend
its reach into Gloucestershire.
The independent, family-run business
has been delivering oil throughout
Wiltshire and the surrounding area for
over 40 years. Its owners, Roy and
Pauline Kinch, pictured below,
originally started the business from a
coal yard, selling oil locally to domestic
and agricultural customers. Since
then, the company has grown
considerably and has established a
JET
CLINCH
KINCH
solid reputation for its top
quality heating oil,
lubricants and road and
agricultural fuels. The
company prides itself on
offering competitive
prices, a personal service
and efficient and safe
deliveries.
Roy Kinch, founder and
owner of Kinch Fuels,
comments: “Over the years,
everyone we’ve worked with at
Phillips 66 has been honest and
straightforward. They have a genuine
interest in our business and
consistently go above and beyond what
most distributors would expect from
their fuel suppliers. I’m delighted to
celebrate this 30 year milestone!”
Wayne Oakes, Territory Manager for
Phillips 66 in the Midlands, adds:
“At Phillips 66, we value our customer
relationships and this is certainly the
case with Kinch Fuels. To maintain
such a longstanding supplier
arrangement requires commitment to
continually improving our offering,
delivering on our promises and
exceeding rather than meeting our
customers’ expectations. We look
forward to working together throughout
2014 and beyond.”
WE ASKED. WE LISTENED.
WE RESPONDED.
Small improvements make
a big difference in looking
after our customers...
This is why at Phillips 66 we now have a
dedicated Customer Enhancement Team,
focused on building relationships and
enhancing the customers’ experience with
our business.
We have always encouraged our customers to
share their thoughts and experiences of our
operations, allowing for mutual benefit in our
ongoing commitment to providing excellent
levels of customer focus and a better
understanding of our customer requirements.
Geoff Henderson tells us about various
developments, designed to aid the efficiency,
smooth running and improvement of our
service across our varied customer base.
“The bulk market differs from other aspects
of our business in that customers generally
operate across multiple sites, collecting
product from our terminals on a daily, if not
hourly basis.
“All our customers, big or small, matter to us
and we are firmly of the belief that keeping a
customer happy is equally as important as
winning new business. We believe it is
especially important that we work with
customers to improve all aspects of our
business partnership, as by definition any
small inefficiencies are multiplied each time
we trade. Improvements, therefore, can only
enhance our working relationships and
encourage long term partnerships.
“Our Customer Enhancement Team,
incorporating Tom Eastham, Annelise
Burgoine, Lisa Hart, Jaimi Paton and
supported by Claire Cobbold from our IT
team, is continuously looking to identify items
in our processes and operations which cause
frustration and inefficiencies, or diminish the
effectiveness of the hard work of Phillips 66
employees.
FIFTEEN Distributor update
“We are constantly striving to deliver better
levels of service for all our customers and,
as such, we undertook a number of
customer surveys and meetings in 2012, resurveying in 2013, to ask customers how we
were performing and for feedback on our
performance levels on key criteria.
“Customers scored us on a pre-agreed
matrix and told us what we were doing well
and what they felt we could improve upon.
This generated a number of
recommendations which we are looking to
implement.”
Bill of Lading number
Geoff continues: “Through conversations
with a variety of our customers, we
established the need to improve our invoice
and reconciliation procedure. Historically,
when a driver collected from our terminals,
our invoice included the location, date and
quantity collected. Cross-referencing and
reconciling a large number of daily
collections from numerous locations was a
time consuming, labour intensive process. A
unique Bill of Lading (BOL) order referencing
number is now provided to each driver when
they are at the loading rack, which is ‘live’ on
CPNet. This allows for easier reconciliation of
the BOL ticket number to the invoice, which
in turn means less chance of query and
errors. Feedback is extremely positive and
this enhancement has been gratefully
received by a number of customers, saving
them time.
“With a team that comprises members
across numerous departments within
Phillips 66, we have been able to ensure
that the solution to this process has been
tried, tested and communicated throughout
our business and our customers’
businesses. We work hard to ensure that
recommendations and changes have long
term benefits which build upon key aspects
of the relationships we have.”
Enhanced loading card
indemnity
“Our recently implemented, enhanced driver
indemnity process is another example of key
operational change, driven by our customers’
feedback. In recognising the frustrations from
individuals involved in this administrative
function, we have been able to streamline and
dramatically improve the process for
requesting a new driver for loading.
“Previously, this was a labour intensive
administrative task requiring multiple checks
and signing of a comprehensive indemnity
form for each location operated from. We now
have a highly improved, one sheet request
form. Through allowing our customers to
utilise a loading request and change form, we
have been able to dramatically improve the
process, vastly reducing the time from initial
request to driver training and loading.
“Currently being rolled out by Eddy Houlton at
our IPC terminal, we have received extremely
positive responses from those involved in the
driver card request and loading process. We
also have future plans to build further
enhancements into this process, eventually
allowing for management and administration
of the process directly from our online CPNet
portal.
“Our BOL and indemnity changes are only a
couple of examples of the recent items we
have been able to successfully implement
across our business. With many more
recommendations in the pipeline, we have
plenty more to work on to ensure long term
and valuable relationships with all our
customers.
“We would ask customers to consider further
improvements and encourage them to
continue to work with us to help us identify
positive change and put more emphasis on
improving our people and technology
throughout our whole organisation, matching
the needs of our customers”, concluded
Geoff.
Distributor update SIXTEEN
JET dealer support
JET DEALER
SUPPORT
There’s
g on
n
i
o
g
s
t
lo
e
under th
opy
n
a
c
T
E
J
2014 sees a host of
new initiatives designed to
support our JET dealer network...
We rarely get a
second chance to
make a first
impression
Our new standards and service
programme, ‘Proud to be Jet’, was
launched in January and assesses,
benchmarks and continually measures
site performance across all JET forecourts
based on annual compliance audits and
other brand-related criteria.
The programme is designed to improve the
forecourt experience for customers in
terms of facilities and forecourt safety
while rewarding dealers and instilling a
sense of pride in being part of the brand’s
network. As such, dealers will be
rewarded ‘diamonds’, tying in with JET’s
60th anniversary this year. These
diamonds can be exchanged for a wide
range of items that are aimed at further
enhancing site standards such as an
annual Risk Assessment and undercanopy LED Lighting. The number of
diamonds awarded depends on the site’s
compliance score.
Setting us apart
Sharon Morrow, Retail Services
Coordinator at JET, explains the rationale:
SEVENTEEN JET dealer support
loyalty will increase. With ‘Diamond
Rewards’ comes re-investment directly into
site infrastructure and standards, so it’s a
‘win-win’ situation for JET dealers and
customers alike.
“We wanted to develop a fresh and
innovative standards and services
programme that sets itself apart. We
genuinely want our dealers to feel proud to
be part of our network and to reward them
when they consistently strive to represent
all that our brand stands for.”
Driving footfall, better
experiences
“Working with industry experts, we’ve
designed a programme that we believe is
challenging, but also achievable. We don’t
want dealers to see it as a test – we want
them to succeed. The assessment scores
will simply help us focus on areas to
improve by providing support, additional
services and rewards for our dealers.
Ultimately, our top priority is helping our
dealers drive up footfall and we believe
that by setting these standards and
services, customers’ experience will be
enhanced, footfall will rise and customer
“There’s the added bonus for dealers of
receiving £250 worth of Love2choose
cards to reward dealers and staff
personally once all action points raised
from the Suresite audit are complete.
Also, ‘top performers’ of 2014 will be
invited to our prestigious ‘Diamonds of JET’
awards dinner later in the year.”
Exceeding our
expectations
“With the first quarter of the year
complete, we are delighted with the results
so far, which have exceeded our
expectations. We believe we have given
dealers the tools and resources to
succeed and they are embracing the
concept and working hard, with many
achieving top scores.
“The programme has received excellent
reviews in the trade and media and has
attracted a lot of interest with businesses
wanting to participate and even suggest
new initiatives to further the scheme. We
aren’t stopping there, as we are rolling out
the concept to our site contractors and
business partners. We are asking them to
step back and assess their actions and
procedures, while also demanding the
highest standards from them. It’s all about
changing the culture for the better and
rewarding the right behaviour.
“Ultimately, the aim with ‘Proud to be Jet’ is
to drive up standards year on year,
consistently making our forecourts
smarter, safer and more enjoyable to visit.
“We believe we are doing well so far and
will continue to look for fresh and exciting
ideas to enhance ‘our journey together’!”
A new fuel card
option
JET continues to enhance the card offer to
our dealers and we recognise that whilst
JetCard continues to be a strong offer for
local customers, we need to continually
strengthen our fuel card offering to make it
even more attractive to national
businesses.
The Fleetone card is already accepted at
over 2,700 (and ever growing!) multibranded fuel outlets nationwide, including
all JET forecourts, and acceptance is
predicted to increase substantially in the
coming months.
National coverage
Stuart Cufflin, JET’s Transport and Retail
Services Manager, comments: “Research
has shown that consumers want fuel cards
they can use anywhere. By offering both
our existing fuel card, JetCard, and the
enhanced Fleetone card, our customers
now have access to national coverage and
cross-card acceptance with other major
forecourt brands and supermarkets. We
believe this enhanced card offering will
help our dealers attract larger, national
businesses.”
Benefits for dealers
“From a dealer perspective, the Fleetone
card delivers a number of benefits such as
increased margins as, until June 2014, we
have negotiated an impressive ‘JET dealer
deal’ to reduce an already highly
competitive Management Service Cost
(MSC) rate.
“Dealers will also be offered ongoing
support from UK Fuels, with advice on
promoting the card and building up their
network of fuel card customers. Finally,
dealers won’t incur any costs when
upgrading to Fleetone as it uses the same
platform as the JetCard.”
Stuart Cufflin concludes: “Helping our
dealers’ businesses thrive is a
fundamental part of our dealer package
and we believe this enhanced card offering
gives our dealers better access to
thousands of consumers nationally, while
also keeping their local customer base
happy.”
JRS+ is the name
for our enhanced
credit card
scheme
JRS+ is the new name, with a
new logo, for our payment
card scheme which
processes bank card
payments. Designed
with our dealers in
mind the scheme is
run, on our behalf, by
Suresite Card Services
and will smoothly take
care of a Dealer’s card
activity. Sharon Morrow
adds: “We are offering
two major incentives for
dealers who either join
JRS+ or re-sign their
agreement.
JRS +
queues, as speed of transaction is
paramount in this day and age. The
monthly scheme fee has also been
reduced by 20% and we will pay the first six
months of the scheme fee if dealers re-sign
or join JRS+.
“There are no hidden charges as MSC’s
are itemised on the invoice. There’s the
added benefit of flexible payment terms
with options to choose transaction plus
three days (T+3) or T+1 for those dealers
wanting to receive their payments faster
and improve cash-flow for a slightly
increased MSC. “
Sharon concludes: “We aren’t stopping
there, as next up we are considering
enhancements to the
scheme in terms of being
at the forefront of
payment technology.
Customers may want
to pay in a number
of different ways
in the future so
we need to be
ahead of the
game.”
“We will pay for a
standard upgrade from
ISDN to IP, reducing
connection delays by up
to two-thirds and
helping cut customer
JET dealer support EIGHTEEN
JET dealer focus
At JET we enjoy talking to
our dealers.
We take an active interest
in how our dealers run
their businesses, and how
JET’s products, services
and people have a made a
real difference to their
success.
Nick Baker, JET dealer of 14 years
gives us an insight into how he grew
fuel volumes by 25%.
When the Co-op was looking to sell
forecourts in Askern and Balby on the edge
of Doncaster last year, local businessman
Nick Baker saw an opportunity. The sites
had growth potential, with large
convenience stores that could support a
consumer’s weekly shop.
Doing lots of little things well
“When you run a forecourt business you
have a range of challenges from getting
strong forecourt and convenience
brands to drive footfall and increase
volumes, to making sure every part of the
business adds a little bit of profit. You have
to do lots of little things right, which means
being innovative with your consumer
offerings while keeping costs down.
“I knew I had some fundamental decisions
to make and I would need to find an
organisation that would be easy to work
with. When you are committing to working
with a brand for five years you need to be
sure you won’t spend all your time chasing
them however good the deal or brand
might be. Keeping operational costs down
across the sites was also key.”
Why the JET brand?
“Doncaster is a part of the homeland of
JET, it is a strong brand here. People see
the brand as a local one, very much
‘chimneypots and terraces’. They associate
JET with quality and value and when we reopened the site, the JET fuel brand took
immediate hold. I also needed a big retail
brand to replace the Co-op. We picked
Costcutter as I was impressed with their
range, and we added the Subway franchise
to increase choice and improve price
competitiveness. We also invested in new
NINETEEN JET dealer focus
25%
GROWTH
services such as cash machines. After a
£100,000 investment, the Balby retail
revenues have now jumped 20%. When I
combined JET with the new retail offerings,
fuel volume rose by 25% in six weeks,
whilst still protecting our margins.”
Saving time
“I have partnered with JET for the last 14
years on three other sites and its true
strength is its people. I can get anyone
from Pete George (Managing Director,
UK & Ireland Marketing ) to the guys on the
scheduling desk as needed. That means
quick answers and no time lost, an easy
work arrangement and money saved.
Some of the other brands I considered,
although great companies, are almost
faceless. You order via an automated call
centre or have to talk to someone in
Hungary – it just doesn’t work.”
Efficient operations are key
“Reliability of fuel deliveries is vital but
another important area is bunkering as it
drives HGV footfall to the sites. JET brings a
lot of stock management flexibility and
their supply infrastructures and schedules
are also top notch. I need two or three
deliveries a week and tank storage can
make the timings of deliveries a challenge.
The JET scheduling team is really flexible
and they always do their best to work
around our requests, which allows us to
cut down our operational costs and protect
our HGV margins.”
“Working with JET
means quick answers,
no time lost, an easy
work arrangement
and money saved.”
Another pair of eyes
“JET is focused on site safety. Yes, it’s more
forms to fill out, but the free Suresite audits
are a great idea. It is good to have another
pair of eyes looking out for you and the
things they ask us to put right are all the
things we need to be doing anyway. It is
an important safeguard, partly to help
ensure the safety of staff and customers,
but also to ensure you have the right
documentation and processes in place,
which can save a lot of time and money, if
for example, you ever have to fight an
insurance claim (which I have!).”
Clear Success
“The combination of a strong brand, a
good commercial deal, being easy and fun
to work with, and delivery and bunkering
flexibility means partnering with JET is a no
brainer for me. If I buy any more sites I will
definitely look at making them JET sites as
well”, concluded Nick.
Jim Funnell of Houghton Garage tells
us why he thinks “JET is a great
brand.”
When Jim Funnell bought Houghton
Garage in semi-rural east Leicestershire in
1995, there was a lot of work to do. He
took over in ‘95 and redeveloped from the
ground up but kept the same brand. Jim
says: “I wanted a modern filling station that
provided a variety of motoring and local
services as well as some things not offered
elsewhere that could help us to become a
watering hole for local villagers or travellers
on the A47. Rural businesses like ours are
an endangered species, and to survive we
need to offer a great local service or people
and so we might be one or two pence more
expensive. The local community accept this
so long as they believe we charge fairly for
fuel or for the work done in our workshop.
The forecourt is really important as it brings
the customers in. If the pumps are dry
people will think we are going out of
business, if it’s dirty they will think we don’t
care. Passing trade on the A47 will just
bypass us and no one will use the shop.”
The answer?
“JET was the answer and 13 years on I still
feel I made the right decision. The JET
brand is clean and bright, my customers
trust it. They feel that the fuel is fairly priced
“A GREAT
BRAND”
will go elsewhere. For our customers a
good price, honesty and good service are
all essential as it is easy for them to head to
the local supermarket, only 400 yards
away.
The challenge
“I always tell people that we are a village
filling station. We are not a giant retailer
and it drives footfall, helping me
sell my other services off the back of it. The
people at JET are easy to work with and are
supporters of independent dealers in a way
which the other fuel brands are not.
“Their people behind the scenes are
efficient and quick to respond which saves
me time and stress. You can negotiate with
the deliveries team, you don’t feel like you
are dealing with a huge monolith. I have to
say, I feel we are as important to them as
they are to us.”
Security of supply
“The other important area for me is supply.
My biggest fear is going without fuel for a
few days. I don’t want to let my customers
down, and they wouldn’t let me get away
with it if it kept happening. JET takes away
this fear. They have an advanced refinery
producing their own fuel of which they are
very proud. They are not at the mercy of
international markets for supply. I don’t
have a huge storage capacity so if I forecast
that I need 40,000 litres on Wednesday, it
needs to arrive on time; one day late and
we will run dry; one day early and I won’t
get the fuel in!
“The two-hour delivery window is fabulous
as we don’t spend all day waiting for
deliveries to show up and now JET has a
new Geo tag service so I get a message 15
minutes before the delivery arrives
meaning I can get the areas coned off and
be ready. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with
any supplier who just blends imported fuel;
I would always feel they are not in control of
their own destinies.”
“JET has an advanced
refinery, which it is
very proud of. They
produce their own
fuel, have great UK
infrastructure and are
not at the mercy of
international
markets for supply.”
...and finally
“JET is a great brand. For those running a
forecourt looking for change, a long-term
partner, a good supply infrastructure,
quality fuel, and good people to deal with, it
wouldn’t hurt to give the JET guys a call”,
concludes Jim.
JET dealer focus TWENTY
LIKE
IT matters
JET is joining Facebook!
As part of JET’s drive to increase brand
awareness and footfall, we’re launching a
consumer-centred Facebook page in early
April as an innovative way to increase the
effectiveness of our existing marketing
and promotions, and to support the plans
we have to celebrate our Diamond
Anniversary.
Why is Facebook important ?
Social media is increasingly recognised as
an incredibly powerful marketing tool.
Facebook will enable us to reach out to
some 31.5 million UK consumers.
We feel an increased social media
presence will benefit both ourselves and
our customers by:
• Building a wider brand awareness of
JET and bringing to life our core themes
centred around our ‘On the journey
together’ theme
• Creating a loyal and engaged
community through interesting and
relevant content
• Driving activity through ongoing
competitions and promotions – some
online and some on the forecourt
• Celebrating our Diamond Anniversary
with innovative and engaging content
From a dealer’s perspective we want to:
• Provide support to our dealer network
with your own marketing activity
• Attract new JET sites by encouraging
existing dealers to ‘share’ our stories,
competitions and news
There are many successful ‘household’
brands that benefit from social media
marketing activity, their success has
resulted from creating content that is both
interesting and relevant, coupled with fun
TWENTY ONE IT matters
ITMATTERS...
Clint Brown brings a US
perspective to his new IT
Business Analyst role
J
competitions that keep consumers
interested.
As well as forecourt promotions and Point
of Sale (POS) materials to support JET’s
Facebook launch, there will be an
opportunity for dealers to post major
news items onto the page via the
Phillips 66 Head Office. Dealers can also
link their own Facebook account to the
JET page.
“Today we no longer search for news, or
the products and services we wish to buy.
Instead they are being related to us by
friends, acquaintances and business
colleagues”, commented JET’s Janet
Messenger.
All set to launch...
The JET Facebook page will be
launched in April. We will be
undertaking a pre-launch in
mid-March, inviting JET employees
and dealers to ‘Like’ the site and
start to build the community.
The full consumer launch will
take place in the first two weeks
of April and will be supported by a
forecourt promotion to encourage
customers to join Facebook, ‘Like’ the
page and share it with their existing
Facebook friends.
How will it be promoted ?
JET will be giving away £100 every day
throughout the six-week promotion. The
winners will be drawn at random from
JET’s Facebook page.
A full range of POS materials will advertise
the new Facebook page and the
promotion. There will also be a chance for
dealers, who help promote our Facebook
page to consumers, to win one of many
regional prizes of £250 in Love to Shop
vouchers.
This is an exciting new development
which we believe will put JET at the
forefront of providing consumers with
relevant and accessible information,
helping to build long-term engagement
and loyalty with the brand.
Phillips 66 in Warwick welcomes another
‘recruit’ from across the Atlantic as Clint
Brown joins Morag Millington’s Warwick IT
Team
In today’s fast paced world of IT, it is vital
that Phillips 66 stays at the forefront of
technological advancements to offer its
customers the most progressive and
cutting edge IT support that it possibly can.
Morag takes up the story: “I met Clint in our
Bartlesville office and he was very helpful in
explaining the work that he did on the US
extranet project. I was delighted to be able
to ‘poach’ him from across the Atlantic to
take up his new UK based role.
are looking to streamline a lot of processes
for our customers, avoiding replication of
the input of data to save time and in turn
increase the accuracy of information”,
commented Morag.
Clint was previously based in Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, having worked for Phillips 66 for
five years. An IT professional by trade, he
graduated from Missouri Southern State
University and is equally familiar with
systems development and technical
‘behind the scenes’ workings.
In the UK, Clint will fulfil a Business Analyst
role, talking directly to customers and
“My knowledge from previous US based IT
functions should also help me see ‘the
bigger picture’ of how the IT function all
slots together with the other aspects of the
business, helping us provide practical,
workable solutions tailored to our
customers’ needs.”
“One such development is the future of
mobile applications offering customers
faster and easier access to online pricing,
real-time supply data and other business
critical information through tablets and
smartphones. Clint worked extensively on
a similar project in the US so he will add
value to our work on this project.
“As part of my remit to get out and about
and talk to our customers and the
industry’s key people, I recently attended
International Petroleum (IP) Week which is
an annual thought-leadership event,
attracting many influencers and decisionmakers from the global oil and gas industry.
I enjoyed meeting a broad cross section of
people from the industry and debating the
issues of the day; as well as meeting with
our customers and discussing our plans for
the future.
“We are constantly looking to build a more
stable and reliable platform and have
already put a lot of work into this ‘backoffice’ environment. It is also vital to get the
‘front-end’ or the look and feel, coupled
with the functionality, spot on so all
customers big or small can easily navigate
and find the information they require.
“Another project Clint will join the team in
working on is systems integration where we
TARGET
JET unveils its
ambitious plans
to increase its
dealer network
by a minimum of
30% by 2018, to
encompass 400
JET retail sites.
assisting in developing a whole host of IT
based solutions to help their business
needs. Clint explains: “I’m excited by my
new customer orientated role and I hope
my previous experience will help me bring
some new and different ideas to the table.
“Having Clint on board will undoubtedly
help us broaden our perspective on how we
can develop our customer focused IT
initiatives. His experiences in the US and
how they do things can be brought to bear
in how we approach developing a
progressive IT platform for the UK.”
An exciting future
400
Target 400
Getting out and about
“My family and I are settling into both our
new work and home life. It’s certainly a big
change for my wife and two young children
too, but we are all viewing it as a great
opportunity which we intend to make the
most of”, signed off Clint.
2014 will be an important year as JET
starts to implement its growth strategy
to achieve this target.
To incentivise Marketing staff at
the Phillips 66 Warwick Office, ‘Target
400’ is a replica ‘mini-site’ built within
the office. Set in front of a JET site wall
mural, the key things found on every
JET site are included such as a counter,
till, point of sale, literature and various
products.
The concept is to use Target 400 as a
‘think-tank’ and use the area to keep up
to speed with the latest news and
developments in the retail environment,
and for informal discussions, meetings
and brain-storming. Free chocolate
bars to reward idea generation, a
charging centre and presentation
screen complement the concept which
is already proving a popular place to
pop into!
Target 400 TWENTY TWO
Bits ‘n’ pieces
TAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE TO
A WHOLE NEW LEVEL
Great customer
service reaps rewards
for JET’s Tickhill sales
assistant
Building up a loyal customer base should
be at the heart of every retail business
and for one lucky sales assistant at JET’s
Tickhill forecourt in Sheffield, it’s the
customers that she has to thank for
winning the prize of a lifetime!
Diane Eyre, a sales assistant at the JET
site, entered into a competition to win a
£15,000 dream wedding in her local
newspaper. Diane and her fiancé, Alec
Smith, were among hundreds of couples
to enter the Sheffield Star’s competition.
To be in with a chance of winning,
entrants had to encourage friends and
families to vote for them by text or post.
Diane explains: “When I saw the
competition I realised the prize would be
perfect for us. I knew we would need
more than just the votes of our friends
and family, so I started telling our
customers about the competition. They
I have
were amazing and more than happy to
vote for me in their droves. We couldn’t
believe it when we found out we’d won
and I’m so grateful to every customer that
voted.”
Rod Broad, owner of JET’s Tickhill
forecourt, adds: “We’re over the moon for
Diane. She’s such a bubbly character and
always goes out of her way to help our
customers, so it’s fantastic to see them
repay her with their votes. It just goes to
show what can happen when you have
your customers on side!”
Diane and Alec tie the knot later this year
and everything from their photographs to
their wedding venue and wedding dress
will be paid for as part of the prize.
OUT WITH THE OLD
...IN WITH THE NEW
“All good things must come to an end”,
says Judy Green, In Touch’s editor and
Business Support Coordinator for UK &
Ireland Marketing.
“Having worked for Phillips 66 for 16
wonderful years, I have decided now is
the time to start a new chapter and
pursue my other interests outside work.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed (almost!) every
minute of my career at Phillips 66 and
have made some great friends here and
shared some fantastic times.”
All is not lost, however, as Judy hands over
the reins to a new Phillips 66 recruit, Lucy
Kelly, who will endeavour to keep you all ‘in
touch’ with what’s going on in the world of
Phillips 66 and JET.
We welcome Lucy and wish Judy all the
best in her retirement.
We hope you have enjoyed this edition of our In Touch magazine. To keep up to date with
what’s happening in the world of Phillips 66 and JET, look out for further editions in 2014.
To contribute to future editions, please email our editor: [email protected]
TWENTY THREE ...the back page