The suffocating smell of petrol and the long working hours make work at petrol stations unpleasant. However, Daniel Law Kin-pang, station manager of Chevron Companies, views things differently and believes it is a rewarding job. Operating a petrol station can be very labour intensive and tough. We are open 24 hours a day, every day throughout the year. My assistant station manager and I work for 101/2 hours every day on two shifts, while other staff work on three eight-hour shifts. We supervise three cashiers and 15 customer service assistants. At the beginning of my shift, which usually runs from seven in the morning to about five in the afternoon, I have to take care of all the operations within the petrol station. I begin my work by taking a walk around the station to check for any malfunctioning machines and to look for potential hazards in the station area. Then I have a meeting with my staff. I usually brief them about the company's latest policies and promotion plans. I also listen to their feedback and difficulties at work and give them advice. After ensuring the station is ready to operate, I go back to the office to do the paperwork and work on sales numbers and figures. Monitoring the sales numbers closely to ensure the targets set by the company are met is one of my main duties. There is also other paperwork such as setting rosters and reporting back to the company about the condition of the station. Setting rosters can be a tough task because I have to ensure enough manpower for the peak hours. After all the paperwork I spend the rest of the time helping out at the station. I think the best way to learn how to operate a petrol station is through interaction with customers. I am very aware of the buying patterns of my customers. For example, if a customer buys magazines at our mini-store frequently, the next time he is there I will inform him that the latest edition has been published. Developing a long-term relationship with customers is my biggest goal. I feel really delighted when a customer says he only fills his tank at my station. Apart from serving customers, I also supervise and inspire the team to do better. I want to teach my staff to provide better service. It is something that is hard to do verbally, so I show them the right way by role modelling. On top of the daily routine, I have to be prepared to handle emergencies. For example, when a typhoon is coming and the number eight signal is set to be hoisted in an hour or two, we have to handle the sudden surge of business at the gas station. I have to ensure there is enough manpower. When the number eight signal is hoisted, I need to arrange for staff who live far away from work to leave first. I think that the team spirit that my staff and I have built up is my biggest reward from working at the gas station. I remember in 2002 when the company participated in the Po Leung Kuk-Caltex Charity Duck Race, every petrol station had to sell as many duck dolls as possible to raise money for charity. Our whole team was very co-operative, working together and finally we came out on top. It was an unforgettable experience because that was a perfect display of teamwork.
