Asda is ranked as the nation’s favourite forecourt in a new independent study by Market Force Information, a global specialist in customer intelligence solutions. 

The survey targeted more than 1500 consumers nationwide last June, in an effort to understand the choices made in purchasing petrol, especially owing to fluctuations in prices and the economic challenges the nation currently faces.

The survey focused on: consumer loyalty based on service; whether they’d recommend their choice of petrol station; and on convenience.

The resutls put Asda on top for customer advocacy, scoring almost 50% on customers’  likelihood to recommend it, closely followed by Sainsbury’s - which topped the chart for overall satisfaction. 

Almost 70 per cent of consumers said they preferred to refuel at their local supermarket due to price and convenience, showing marked competition with national petrol stations. Market Force reported that this was also consistent with its findings in other countries, including the US and France, as dominance of the national brands is being challenged by the supermarket chains.

When asked to rate their most recent experience at a petrol station, 40% gave a 5 out of 5 score. 48 per cent rated their experience as 4 out of 5 and 12 per cent were left unhappy, scoring their experience a 1 – 3. When pressed further, consumers admitted that they rarely told petrol retailers of their dissatisfaction if it occurred. Just 8% said they reported their concerns.

The survey also showed that customers are rarely made aware of any opportunity to provide feedback, , yet of the 3% who were invited to share their feedback, almost 8 out of 10 (78 per cent) said that they went on to complete a survey.

“There is a significant opportunity for petrol stations to increase their business by asking for customer input, and working on improving the customer experience based on that feedback,” said Simon Boydell, Global Marketing Manager at Market Force.

“Market Force has found that delighted customers are three times more likely to recommend a business to friends, compared to neutral consumers.

“It’s no surprise to fuel brands that consumers care most about price, but what this research shows is that consumers also make decisions based on the service and products they receive at their favourite locations,” concludes Boydell.

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