Our aim is to optimize customer satisfaction through placing a further emphasis on the customer and creating value for all parties. In this context, the Group provides its business partners with various support programs and activities with which to improve the business environment and working conditions, whilst ultimately ensuring for competitive advantage.

In order to keep customers (service stations, drivers, etc.) both informed and satisfied, various, diversified actions are designed and implemented, including: the organization of regular meetings are organized, the provision of consulting services and planned training. Moreover, COMO type service stations are rationalized and performance improvement objectives are set.

The Group's marketing companies, aiming at product quality and customer satisfaction have:

• Established in cooperation with the Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory of the NTUA, Fuels Quality Control and Measuring Equipment Calibration programs at all service stations operating under their brands.
• Utilize special vehicles equipped with fuel analyzers staffed by personnel from the Fuels and Lubricants Laboratory of the NTUA. These vehicles perform on-site quality fuels and calibration test fuel pumps control testing, in order to ensure the quality and quantity of fuel delivered to the end user.

Our Customer Satisfaction

Regular inspections, conducted at the Group’s petrol stations, measure that guidelines on safety, operation and service are implemented effectively. At the same time, customers can communicate their views and mechanisms thus ensuring for appropriate feedback.

This approach includes the following actions and is secretly implemented through scheduled inspections:

• Visits made by mystery customers - mystery motorist
• Auditing of 30 checkpoints in 6 areas (forecourt and equipment, service, safety, shopping, uniforms, WCs).
• Monitoring of results per petrol station, per salesman
• Briefing of service station managers on the results and corrective actions
• Rewards/ incentives to the best station managers and employees

At the end of 2014, in our quest to continuously improve the services provided to our customers, along with mystery customers’ daytime visits, similar type inspections were performed at stations during the night-time hours in which checkpoints and auditing process were identical as our main objective is to ensure the optimum service level and provision of service to our customers during the night shift.

Customer surveys evaluate the degree of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and service station commitment, efficiency and satisfaction. Where appropriate, specific surveys are made, via questionnaires, to record special issues such as the success of a promotional program or the degree of customer preference for/acceptance of a scheme etc. Furthermore, target groups are often selected for the purposes of more detailed qualitative surveys before introducing crucial programs or offers.

Round the Clock Service

Concerns, questions, thanks, congratulations or complaints from EKO’s and HF’s customers are answered via 24-hour telephone service lines and are resolved directly by qualified personnel. Any issues that cannot be directly and verbally answered and addressed, are recorded in a database and the process of resolving them begins immediately. If the complaint can be resolved at a Customer Service or Sales Dept level, then the process, which involves oral or written communication with the customer, is completed. If the complaint requires specific information, it is conveyed to the Marketing Dept, whereby the issue is settled through written or oral communication with the customer.

In 2014, HF’s helpline received 196 calls (of which 102 were directly answered by qualified personnel, whilst 94 calls were resolved by the Group’s staff). Similarly, EKO’s helpline received 1,296 calls (of which 656 calls were directly answered by qualified personnel, whilst 640 calls were resolved by the Group’s staff within 24 hours).

Petrol Stations Reward Program – RETAIL CHAMPIONSHIP 2014

In order to assess the performance of EKO’s service stations as well as the relevant sales executives in Greece, Cyprus, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Serbia and FYROM, the "Retail Championship" program is now in its 5th year (a similar assessment takes place in Greece with regards to HF’s service network).

The participants (managers, station owners, sales staff) are evaluated and rewarded according to particular, quantifiable criteria with the aim of ensuring that service stations operate safely, that customer service is more efficient and that annual operational targets are achieved.

In particular, the evaluation process was revised as more quantitative criteria were added, leading to more comprehensive and reliable results.

Product Quality & Quantity Program

To ensure that our products reach the end user without any form of  alteration/distortion, annual scheduled inspections are conducted throughout the entire service stations network through the collection of product samples (a particular emphasis is placed on large urban centers). The product samples are chemically analysed at independent laboratory. Additional sampling carried out as appropriate.

The Group provides high quality products to all of its customers aiming not only at providing customer satisfaction but also guaranteed mechanical performance and a cleaner environment. Ongoing approaches (such as training, mystery shopping, competitive pricing and promotional activities) ensure that our partners comply with our corporate policy and regulations, thereby confirming the loyalty of our customers and improving sales methods, as reflected in surveys that are periodically undertaken.

With the objective of achieving customer satisfaction, EKO (since December 2012) has implemented a comprehensive fuel quantity and quality control program through its ongoing inspection process which tests product quality from the refinery all the way through to the customer’s fuel tank.

In particular, EKO ASSURANCE program includes:

• Ongoing qualitative fuel tests in the refinery and storage facilities
• Sealed tanks for fuel transportation
• Monitoring tanker transport routes through GPS
• Checking petrol pumps and sealing them with visible sealing tape
• Fuel quality on site checks using free on the spot test kits
• Unannounced quantitative audits at service stations using conventional vehicles
• Continuous qualitative and quantitative inspections at service stations performed by the NTUA’s mobile laboratories

The implementation of the EKO ASSURANCE Program succeeded in assuring for the quality and quantity of fuel received from our service stations. More specifically, in 2014, our customers successfully used 9,360 free spot test kits at EKO’s service stations. During the same period, our partners from the NTUA inspected 1,732 petrol stations and checked 8,739 pump-nozzles.

In the framework of its ongoing efforts to ensure that the consumer receives quality fuel, EKO has created a new diesel fuel named Diesel Avio Double Filtered. The key difference of this new fuel is based on the aircraft filter technology that has been used. Avio Filter is a technologically advanced filter, installed before the fuel pumps, resulting in particulates, rust and water removal which achieves a fuel filtration efficiency of 98%. The new diesel fuel from EKO, Diesel Avio, stands for maximum purity and performance, diversification, innovation and leading technology.
 

Table 5.3: Marketing KPIs

Customer Information

Information on the Group's products is adequate, ongoing and comprehensive. The types of products that are subject to labelling requirements include lubricants (both imported and domestic blended) and car care chemicals (such as antifreeze fluid and brake fluid). Lubricants (industrial, commercial & consumer) are, in general, deemed as low-volatility products and are not assessed as being dangerous (hazardous) substances.

Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets – MSDS substantiate the safety of the product, provide information on how to use it, as well as its specifications and ultimately, how to dispose of it.

Each product is labelled in accordance with the relevant European legislation whereby the required information is visible on the packaging (with that said, mention of the product’s shelf life is not mandatory).

All activities concerning the advertising and promotion of the products fully comply with the Code of Conduct of the Association of Advertisers and the Association of Advertising and Communication. The Group’s marketing staff also participates in educational programs and training seminars so that they are kept abreast of best practices and new regulations.