The people at TravelCenters of America LLC believe in being resilient, in the ability to survive many pitfalls in the business world and in living to fight another day.
But they can’t survive poor customer service. Which is why it’s a top priority for the company to deliver an excellent customer service experience every day, to every customer.
Existing in a commodity-driven marketplace, with competitors offering many of the same products and services, TravelCenters — led by Managing Director, President and CEO Thomas O’Brien — has recognized that customer service must be its market differentiator.
The company keeps its repeat customers coming back through its loyalty program, UltraOne, which began a major upgrade last year. VIP members receive benefits such as upgraded shower credits that don’t expire, free dinners on their birthdays and free parking at sites that normally charge a fee.
TravelCenters also focuses on customer service through efficient processes. When a customer comes into a service site for a repair, a swipe of his loyalty card will bring up all pertinent information about his company and his truck, meaning that the driver is easily recognized at any TravelCenters location throughout the country.
The system also allows site employees to look up the details of the customer’s last three visits to a TravelCenters site. Staff members can use the information to make each customer’s visit more personal. Employees are able to inquire about tires a customer purchased on a previous visit and offer a free tire pressure measurement and inflation service.
Employee training goes hand in hand with better systems and technology. With that in mind, TravelCenters has created a career path for each employee, with training completion monitored and reported on electronically. The training program, called Q-Force, is taught in four-hour sessions, 10 times a year to the company’s work force of truck service advisers, who are generally the first employees to greet and service a customer.
How to reach: TravelCenters of America LLC, (440) 808-9100 or www.tatravelcenters.com
