Clean Up Your Act

Clean Up Your Act

"I officially became a soccer mom this fall when my nine-year-old daughter earned a spot on the local travel soccer team. I was initially thrilled by her ability to make it onto such a competitive team—and then I realized that the “travel” in travel soccer team meant some long drives every weekend. Her first game took us to Summit Point, West Virginia, nearly a two-hour drive from Washington DC.  we were warned ahead of time about the lack of restrooms at the field and were encouraged to stop along the way for a bathroom break. So we did just that somewhere along Route 340, about 20 minutes from our destination.

We found a convenience store/gas station referenced on a highway exit sign, pulled off the main road, found the station, snake past a couple of cars at the gas pumps, and parked. We should have kept on driving.

The store looked typical enough: promotional signs for fresh, hot pizza dotted the windows, candy and beverages greeted us as we walked in and the clerk pointed out the bathroom at the back of the store. But once we got in the bathroom, it all went to hell in a handbasket, as they say. The bathroom smelled. The only toilet paper available was what littered the floor. The toilet did not flush. The soap dispenser was empty. My daughter and I high-tailed it out of there, never to be seen again. When I told her we could try another convenience store down the road, she said to me, “Let's wait until we can use the porta-potties at the field.” Once we got to the soccer field, a few of her teammates and their parents were sharing similar tales of C-store bathroom disgust from their travels. So ours was not an isolated incident. A clean bathroom is really such a simple thing. Yet its inverse—a dirty bathroom—wreaks  intense havoc on the public perception of our entire industry. (Do you think my fellow soccer moms would have thought it was cool that I work for the convenience industry?) So why do so many retailers pass on a exerting the effort required to have a clean bathroom? I’m hoping you’re not one of the guilty ones. If you are, clean up your act."

~ Erin O. Pressley Editor-In-Chief/Publisher SOURCE: NACS Magazine (October 2014)

The Power of Cleanliness in the Convenience Store Industry

Imagine: you're on a long road trip, perhaps en route to your child's away soccer game, and you decide to stop at a convenience store. You're hoping for a quick rest stop, maybe to grab a bite to eat, and fuel up for the journey ahead. But as you approach the store, you're met with oil stains, dirty fuel dispensers, and the unmistakable sight of litter. Your first instinct? Drive past and find a cleaner alternative. Why? Because the cleanliness of a store plays a critical role in shaping the customer's perception and influencing their buying decisions.

1. First Impressions Matter

For many customers, the first point of interaction with a convenience store is the forecourt. If the gas pumps are dirty or there are visible stains and grime, it sets a negative tone. A customer's subconscious may interpret this dirtiness as a sign that the store is poorly managed, making them less inclined to trust the quality of products inside.

2. The Bathroom Experience

One critical area often overlooked by many convenience store operators is the bathroom. As detailed above by Erin O. Pressley, Editor-In-Chief/Publisher of NACS Magazine, a bad bathroom experience can deter customers forever. A clean bathroom is not just about hygiene but also about preserving the reputation of the entire industry. When customers encounter filthy restrooms, they may associate that neglect with other aspects of the store. Think about it: if a store can't keep its bathroom clean, what does that say about its food handling practices?

3. The Connection Between Cleanliness and Sales

CAF did a case study on this very subject. Company A and Company B's case studies serve as perfect examples. By focusing on exterior cleanliness, including addressing challenges such as oil stains and maintaining consistent standards company-wide, these stores witnessed remarkable improvements. Company A saw a significant 27% increase in stores meeting brand standards for exterior cleanliness in just six months. Meanwhile, Company B experienced a 5% surge in sales by simply emphasizing exterior image and cleanliness.

Moreover, according to M/A/R/C® Research, after the price, cleanliness is the top reason customers choose a particular convenience store. This indicates the direct relationship between cleanliness and profitability.

4. Online Reputation and Reviews

In today's digital age, a store's reputation is not limited to word of mouth. A staggering 70% of Americans check online reviews before making a purchase, according to Mintel American Lifestyles 2015. If a customer has a negative experience due to the store's uncleanliness, it can easily translate into a bad review online, deterring potential customers.

5. Differentiating on Cleanliness

Retailers that stand out in areas like cleanliness, safety, and friendliness don't just enjoy more foot traffic; they earn double the wallet share. For the convenience store industry, where turnover is rampant and competition is fierce, setting a high standard for cleanliness can make all the difference.

Conclusion

The cleanliness of a convenience store is not just about aesthetics; it's about trust, reputation, and ultimately, profitability. As consumers, we're not just buying products; we're buying experiences. A clean environment signals to customers that the store values them and is committed to providing a safe, high-quality experience. For store operators, prioritizing cleanliness is not just good hygiene practice—it's good business.

All CAF Outdoor Cleaning Products



The CAF name and reputation were built on a foundation of trust. This online privacy policy describes the information CAF collects through the services available on our web site, mycaf.com (the “Site”) and how we use that information. Our policy also describes the choices you can make about how we collect and use your information.

What type of information does CAF collect about me?

CAF may collect personal information. Personal information does not include business contact information (e.g. office address, telephone number) in those jurisdictions that recognize such information as not being personal information. Personal information means information about an identifiable individual and may include:

  • identifying information, such as name, address, e-mail address;
  • financial information, such as credit card number

In addition to the personal information you actively provide us, we also collect web site use information which includes information about your internet service provider, browser type, domain name, IP address, the web site that referred you to us, the web pages you request, the date and time of those requests, and entry and exit points. Our collection of web site use information may involve the use of cookies and pixel tags.

Is my personal information shared with third parties?

Our web site may share information with companies that provide support services to us (such as credit card processors, mailing houses or web hosts) or that help us market our products and services. These companies may need information about you in order to perform their functions. These companies are not authorized to use the information we share with them for any other purpose.

We may disclose specific information upon governmental request, in response to a court order, when required by law, to enforce our corporate policies, or to protect our or others' rights, property, or safety. We do not provide information to these agencies or companies for marketing or commercial purposes.

In the event of a sale of some or all of our business, CAF may disclose personal information to those involved in a transfer of all or part of the assets or business.

Unless permitted by law, no personal information is collected, without first obtaining your consent for the collection, use and sharing of that information. The provision of personal information to CAF means that you agree and consent that we may collect, use and share your personal information in accordance with this privacy policy.

How do I remove or modify my personal information?

CAF strives to ensure that any personal information provided and in its possession is as accurate, current and complete as necessary for the purposes for which we use that information.

If you signed up to receive email communications by providing your email address on the home page of mycaf.com, you may either call our customer care line at 425.837.0025 to remove your email address to opt out.

Why does CAF collect web site use information?

During your visit to mycaf.com, we will collect certain web site use information for a number of purposes, namely to:

  • Make your access and shopping more convenient and efficient;
  • Establish Site activity trends;
  • Monitor Site performance; and
  • Improve Site design and functionality.

What about links to other sites?

Please be aware that we provide links to third-party web sites as a service to our guests, and that we are not responsible for the content or information collection practices of those pages. Please note that these web sites' privacy policies may differ from this privacy policy. We encourage you to review and understand their privacy practices before providing them with information.

How is my personal information secured?

CAF strives to maintain appropriate physical, procedural and technical security with respect to its offices and information storage facilities so as to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification of personal information. This also applies to our disposal or destruction of personal information.

We encrypt the pipe through which personal information, such as credit card numbers, is sent, using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to ensure that your information is safe as it is sent over the Internet to our server.

What about links to other sites?

Please be aware that we provide links to third-party web sites as a service to our guests, and that we are not responsible for the content or information collection practices of those pages. Please note that these web sites' privacy policies may differ from this privacy policy. We encourage you to review and understand their privacy practices before providing them with information.

Privacy policy changes

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post a new statement on our Site and change the date at the top of the policy. Therefore, we encourage you to check the date of our privacy policy whenever you visit this Site for any updates or changes. If you have provided personal information to us, we will email you any changes to the privacy policy that might affect the way we use your personal information.

Questions and Feedback

We welcome your questions, comments, and concerns about privacy. Please send us any and all feedback pertaining to privacy, or any other issue.

Terms and Conditions

Please also visit our Terms of Use section that explains other terms governing the use of this site.