News | News Archive | Winter 2001

A Partner Who Has It All The Joy of Music — My Window of Opportunity To Treat Others As We Would Like To Be Treated Farewell to Ruth (a.k.a.“RED”) Thank You Norma Worthy Icing On The Cake “Who Works In Customer Service?” Fuel Oil & Service –“Temperatures rising!” Dealer Corner Reliable Tank Line — “Helping To Keep America Moving” 2001 Employee Service Awards Who are these People? Holiday Shopping — on the Internet

Winter 2001 News Core Ideology To do it because it is right To treat others as we would like to be treated To be financially responsible To be better today than yesterday

A Partner Who Has It All

Graham Bennett (left) and Kirk Glenn Happy Holidays! We wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for your support and dedication over the past year. You, our fellow employees, are our most important asset. Looking forward to an exciting and rewarding 2002!

It was once said, "To achieve knowledge, one must study. To achieve wisdom, one must observe." But to achieve wisdom, one must observe.” I have worked with Kirk Glenn for a long time and though he would not admit it, by observing him I have learned an indescribable amount. Being a partner can mean many things. It can mean being an associate — being a colleague. However, Kirk Glenn has exceeded any definition one could give and has taught me what it means to be a steadfast partner.

I must tell you that it is most unusual for a family-owned business to thrive through three generations. In an article I once read, it indicated that the first generation success rate was 30%; second generation was down as low as 10%; and to survive a third generation was 3%. This illustrates the uniqueness of all of us here at Quality Oil Company. But of course, Kirk would always put a humorous spin on these statistics saying, “our families were the only ones dumb enough to hire us. ”

Most of the things that make Quality Oil Company worth working for and dedicating our working lives to are the same qualities that have allowed generations of partners to be successful. Kirk and I readily admit we are the benefactors of the caring talents of our fathers, Jimmy Glenn and Bert Bennett. The heritage of these men speaks for itself.

Kirk Glenn has exemplified our Core Ideology and has been a leader, a friend, and a true partner. But most importantly, he has brought great honor to what is important to the past and present employees of Quality Oil Company. Now, let me tell you a little bit about my partner.

First — and foremost — in every decision that he made or was a part of, he kept his fellow employees’ best interest in mind.

Second — he loves his family and always has them in his thoughts. I heard him once say if an employee doesn’t watch over his family’s interest he is certainly not going to watch ours.

Third — work ethic. Boy, that speaks for itself. Hard worker, seven days a week — many times late at night. One word of caution ... do not catch him early in the morning.

Fourth — he invented, nurtured, and shoved down our throat the value of our Core Ideology, “To Be Financially Responsible.” We all wish we could be paid for the times we have heard, “How much does that cost” and also, “Spend that money like it was yours.”

Fifth — his business ethics and sense of moral obligation to do what is right is always a sense of comfort to his fellow employees.

Sixth — his office is in total disarray ... well, what can I say. There must be order in chaos. As he said with pride (with papers in every chair and not a place to sit down) ... “it keeps for a short meeting.”

Seventh — he has a great sense of community. Kirk saw corporate leadership go far beyond our company walls. I watched with great admiration over the years as he led groups that needed him the most and generally worked for those that were less fortunate, such as Crisis Control, Advocacy for the Poor, and Special Children’s Center, and never took part in any group for ego or personal gain.

Eighth — in times of trouble, he is a perfect partner. I can always count on him during the tough times … a great source of comfort.

I was blessed with a partner who has it all. He is smart (especially in the areas that I was the weakest). He has a great business sense. He is morally and ethically sound and extremely caring and sensitive to others.

Thanks partner,

Graham

The Joy of Music — My Window of Opportunity

The Clif Notes, standing in front of Biltmore House during a Christmas season.

Three and a half years ago I left the mountains of Boone to move to Winston Salem to join Quality Oil as manager of the Sleep Inn. I had mixed feelings, not because of the work or leaving the mountains which had been my home for nearly19 years, but because of leaving the music program at church and the university. I had been the organist at a church in Boone for seven and a half years and accompanied several students in voice classes and recitals.

I wondered if I would find a musical environment in which I could use my talents. About two years ago, an old college roommate and friend of mine asked me to come to a rehearsal with a group in King. That night I was asked to join the Clif Notes. This group was originally involved in the madrigal singers at South Stokes High School a few years ago (I will not say how many in order to protect their aging dignity). They got together about 12 years ago for a reunion concert. Afterwards they decided that their love for music and singing deserved re-forming the group. I was able to fill a recently vacated position with the group which just happened to be my part (although I myself sometimes wonder what that is exactly.) The group is composed of folks from many religious faiths and professions.

We travel to different churches to present concerts. For the past three years, the group has sung at the Biltmore House in Asheville for the candlelight tours at Christmas. Last year, I got about 30 seconds of my 15 minutes of fame — a solo at the Biltmore.

Also last year, we sang at the North Carolina Choral Festival at Emerald Isle. The group has also been to several rest homes to share our music and is planning to do a joint concert with a couple of high schools in Stokes County in the spring in hopes of boosting an ailing choral program.

We are currently involved in preparing to sing at the National Cathedral in Washington — but so much red tape!

Out of this group has evolved another love of mine, gospel music. Three other friends in the group and I began singing gospel music and have given several concerts with more already scheduled for 2002.

The Clif Notes presented its annual Christmas concert on December 2 at First Christian church in King and on December 9 at the Reynolda House in Winston-Salem as part of the holiday celebration. We currently have a tape and CD of Christmas music available. Anyone interested can call me at the Sleep Inn, 336-774-8020. It’s really quite good!

Well, my window of opportunity to put music back in my life was opened. Sometimes, we just have to look and listen to find things that bring us joy and then be ready to take advantage of opportunities that land in our laps.

I wish for each of you all the joy and happiness that life can give during the upcoming holiday season and in the year ahead.

Many blessings,

Art Williams
Manager, Sleep Inn
Hanes Mall, Winston-Salem, NC

To Treat Others As We Would Like To Be Treated

“Like most Muslims I strive to live peacefully with my neighbors regardless of religion or nationality.”

Ali Nasedin, store manager of Quality Mart #34, started with our company in April of 1989. He has displayed exceptional leadership in operating the largest volume mart in the Quality Oil family.

He is of Middle Eastern origin, and because of this I wanted to get his view on the September 11th attack. He wrote the following quote:

“When the September 11th attack happened, I was in Jordan visiting my dad. That’s when I realized how much I love this country and how I have grown to call it home. Being from the Middle East, terrorist attacks were nothing new to me, although I had never known anything of this magnitude.

“I am a Muslim, and these attacks do not represent my religion as I practice it. Like most Muslims, I strive to live peacefully with my neighbors regardless of religion or nationality. My American customers have been very supportive since the attack. For this I am very thankful. It is part of what makes America great.”

— Jimmy Sutton

Farewell to Ruth (a.k.a.“RED”)

Ruth Snider

She has paid the price, made the sacrifices and now it’s time to say so long and thanks for a job well done.

Ruth Snider came to Quality Oil on April 18, 1966, over 35 years ago, working then for Woodrow Bryant. Woody knew Ruth had many talents and would be an asset in many different aspects of the Company. She began her career with us in the Data Processing Department, performing a variety of duties. Later, as Quality started experimenting with convenience stores, she became instrumental in getting that segment underway in the accounting department. In later years, as some restructuring was undertaken, she found herself in the payroll department where she has served the last 17 years as Human Resources Manager.

Many of you may have not had the opportunity to meet or work with Ruth. But if you had, you would know that she is a very caring and conscientious individual. She is a “stickler” for details and has a memory that would shame an elephant. Her “claim-to-fame” in my mind has been in the administration of our retirement plans. You cannot appreciate the hours she has spent year after year making sure our individual accounts are accurately accounted for in every respect. She keeps the banks straight!

Ruth hasn’t disclosed to us exactly what she will be doing after her early retirement, but I smell “travel.” Knowing Ruth all these years, I’m confident she will find a way to stay just as busy after leaving as she was before. And if she needs any ideas, I’m sure one of her three children (Kim, Shannon or Millie) or any of her three grandchildren will help fill in her vacant time slots.

Speaking for everyone here at Quality, thanks again Ruth for all your many dedicated and loyal years of service. We wish you nothing but the best and all the happiness life has to offer!

— Rocky Nolen

Thank You Norma Worthy

Norma Worthy

Throughout our hectic workdays, we often take for granted the details that make us successful. With ever-shifting priorities, the wheel that doesn’t squeak not only gets little grease but also misses out on truly deserved recognition.

One of our dependable “wheels” is Norma Worthy, manager of Quality Mart #1 in Rockwell. From the time she was hired in 1987, Norma has proven to be one of those people we constantly seek yet rarely find. Her personality is contagious and her leadership style, though laid back, is very effective.

To put into perspective how successful her store is, think of what we gave her to work with: a building that is over 20 years old, halfway between Granite Quarry and Gold Hill on a two-lane road. If you have never heard of those places, then I have made my point. She and her team of employees keep loyal customers coming back for the cozy clean atmosphere and warm friendly greeting that is guaranteed any time of day.

Even though the store is open only 18 hours a day, the gasoline sales were the highest among all Quality Marts in July and October of this year. A new competitor close by has hardly fazed their volume of business. Norma knows that by treating others well and constantly trying to do things better, our Quality vision is enjoyed by her customers and employees alike. Outside her life with Quality Mart, she and her husband Les stay busy with three children and eight grandchildren.

If you have never met Norma, you should take the time to visit. It would be worth the trip to meet one of our truly Quality people.

— Gene Lauer

Icing On The Cake

Have you ever gone into a grocery store, spent thirty minutes to an hour shopping, waited patiently in the checkout line, spent a hundred dollars and then had the clerk hand you the receipt and say, “Here’s your change?” Then, You thank the clerk for giving you your receipt and change. This scenario has happened to me more times than I can remember, but we at Quality Mart know something is wrong with this picture. We are striving to ensure that this doesn’t happen with any of our customers because we add the “icing” of customer service.

During this holiday season we implemented several new programs. We had drawings for pumpkins filled with candy for the kids on Halloween. We started senior citizens day on Sundays in order to assist customers at the pump. We gave away turkeys for Thanksgiving, and the stores give suckers to the children everyday (with parental consent). These programs were initiated to show appreciation to our customers.

“Thank you. We appreciate your business, and come back to see us.” In our business, those words of appreciation are the icing on the customer service cake. We must always maintain this level of customer service.

— Kent Campbell

“Who Works In Customer Service?”

Recently I was showing a visitor through our office, when I came around the corner to the “Customer Service Department,” and said, “This is our Customer Service Department, and these two people are responsible for keeping our customers happy.” While driving home that evening

I thought about what I had said. How wrong I was! Really, I am also responsible for keeping our customers happy. In fact, we ALL are responsible for keeping our customers happy.

Research done by 100 companies who polled their non-repeat customers, yielded these interesting results:

These figures show the powerful effect that we, as individuals, can have on our company, for good or bad. It should motivate all of us to be a part of Quality’s Customer Service.

What is a Customer? Before we can help our customers, we have to have a basic knowledge of what and who they are. One dictionary states that a customer is a person whose “custom or habit it is to support a place of business or store.” When you think of customers in this light, how terrible it would be if our actions or attitudes caused a person to change his habits or customs and give their support to another company.

Who is Our Customer? No matter which area of Quality Oil we are part of, it’s vital to know who our customers are. Who are they? What do they want? What are they thinking? Why do (or don’t) they return? Remember, what a customer perceives about us is his reality. We must know what they perceive if we are to help them. To do this we have to see things from their side of the counter. We should take every opportunity to talk to and know our customers.

What’s at Stake? It is noteworthy to mention that the odds are against us. Recent experiments show when customers have a bad experience they will tell on average eleven other people. On the other hand, when they have a pleasant and encouraging experience with a business they will tell only three other people.

Doing Our Part. Taking small, positive steps, on a daily basis, helps keep customers satisfied. Research on human interaction tells us that in the first seven seconds of contact, a person will make eleven impressions about us! Note the eleven:

From these first impressions they will decide one of three things: To Like; To Dislike; To Be Indifferent. The last is the worst, because they don’t express how they are feeling and, if we don’t know what they are feeling, we can’t help them. One simple way to do our part is by simply treating them, as we would like to be treated. Make an emotional connection with each person we talk to. Listen. People return when they are able to fulfill an urgent need. Find out what their needs are, and do all within your power to meet them.

Steve McCann, who lectures companies on customer service, said, “Customers come in the door expecting to be disappointed with our service. If a company doesn’t disappoint them as bad as they thought they were going to be disappointed, the customer will feel like you have a great company.”

This is a sad commentary on our times, but it doesn’t have to be the case with our customers. We can stop this trend with the people we meet, if we realize that no matter what our job is, we ALL work in Customer Service.

— Greg McCann

Fuel Oil & Service Departments –“Temperatures rising!”

Things are heating up in our Fuel Oil & Service Departments as the temperatures drop outside. Fall signals the start of another heating season here at Quality Oil, and the phones ring like a symphony of bells.

“How much for your oil?” and “How quickly can we get it?” are normally the first questions asked by customers calling in. However, the majority of our customers can relax and rest easy, relying on our Keepfill program to keep them toasty warm until spring. The Keepfill program is a way to keep our oil customers happy and worry-free through the winter season.

We base our program on a series of mathematical figures used to calculate a “Degree day.” The average low and high temperatures for each day are entered into our computer. By calculating how much time during each day is above or below 65 degrees, the computer estimates how many “Degree days” we will experience in one day. Based on this average, the computer utilizes each customer’s previous history and tank size to determine when the next delivery will be needed.

“Degree days” are a very accurate and efficient way to maintain our Keepfill accounts. Many smaller companies still figure this by hand! I am certainly thankful for the computer!

— Danita Groseclose

Dealer Corner

Dealer Night 2001

On Saturday, October 6, 2001, Quality Oil Company held its annual Dealer Night at Farmington Dragway. Service Station Dealers, their employees and families were treated to one of the most exciting drag racing events in the South.

Our hats go off to the “Grill Masters,” Kent Harper, Billy Scales and Dick Garrett, for the great job they did feeding the 101 people attending. The food was fantastic and plentiful.

The racing program was outstanding. The field featured the very fast Pro-Modified cars and Farmington’s own Quick 8 point contenders all competing for the big payoff in the Quality Oil sponsored race series. The highlight of the night was the special charity races between members of the Quality Oil group. Todd Bailey (’70 El Camino), James Linville (‘54 Willys) and Clay Cox (’99 Camaro) were in there smoking the tires for 801 Shell. Katie Brown (’72 Nova SS) and Dalton Scales (’85 Blazer) were cutting near perfect lights for Quality Oil. Patty Hemrick (’88 Firebird) and Gerald Johnson (’95 Chevy Truck) showed their competitive sides for 1-40 Shell. Mark Anderson (’89 Mustang) scorched the asphalt representing Parkway Shell, and Johnny Medlin (GMC Truck) traveled from Durham to fly the colors of University Shell. Clay Cox and Mark Anderson were the big winners and donated the prize money to their favorite charities.

Everyone who attended this year’s Dealer Night had a great time despite the cool temperatures. We hope to see more of you back next year. A sincere “thank you” goes out to all of the Shell Dealers and their employees for all of your continuous hard work during the last year. We at Quality Oil Company are proud to have you as business partners.

— Danny Brown

Reliable Tank Line — “Helping To Keep America Moving”

As I was going through some old files, I ran across a letter that I received in 1996 from a gentleman who wrote to me on behalf of his son, Rick, who was 11 years old at the time. Rick was so fascinated with big trucks — transport trucks in particular — that he actually studied the trucking manual daily so that as soon as his age allowed he could obtain his commercial driver’s license. Rick idolized truck drivers and wanted nothing more than to be one someday, but until then he simply requested a Reliable Tank Line shoulder patch so he could sew it on his shirt and pretend. I was so impressed with his request that I sent the shoulder patch — never expecting to hear from him again. But to my surprise, his dad quickly sent a thank you note expressing Rick’s heartfelt thanks to me for sending the patch and also commending our drivers for providing our country with gas, diesel and other products to keep this nation moving and warm.

If you have ever hung around any of our Reliable Tank Line offices, you have found that a majority of our drivers are as equally fascinated with those “big” trucks as Rick was in 1996. These employees are true professionals and have helped make Reliable a reputable, growing company hauling petroleum and propane products throughout five states.

In case you’re a little behind on your knowledge of Reliable Tank Line, here are a few facts to bring you up to speed on this extraordinary part of the Quality family:

• Reliable’s Winston-Salem office is managed by dispatcher Ray Clifton and employs approximately 13 drivers. This office operates the only propane tanker that the Company has at this time.
• Bill Evans manages the company’s Charlotte office, which employs 16 hard working drivers.
• The company’s Selma office is managed by Ray Ranes and employs eight transport drivers.
• Mike Cole will be managing the newest office, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Mike and Clayton Price operate two tankers located at this facility.
• In keeping with the phrase “behind every good man is a hard working woman,” Becky Gordan and Marie Collins (Winston-Salem office), B. J. Evans (Charlotte office) and Brenda Catlett (Selma office) work hard to keep all that paperwork flowing. (They do a good job of keeping all those drivers straight as well!)
• Greg Whitaker, Leon Baker and Terry Isley, mechanics at the Winston-Salem office, keep all those “big” trucks running smoothly and safely.
• And last but not least, Buddy Jenkins, Assistant Manager, and Danny Stroud, Chief Operating Officer, work together to keep these facilities working efficiently and productively on an ongoing basis.

As I read the letter from Rick’s father once again after many years, I couldn’t help but be struck with a sense of awe and pride by the fact that I am associated with a company that does a fantastic job of providing such a vital function to the well being of our country. And naturally, I also wondered if Rick ever got his CDL ... for some reason I think he did.

— Tracy Harmon

2001 Employee Service Awards

Who are these People?

You may be an Angel, but I still need to see your I.D.

Could it be... (top left) Broom Hilda, uh... the lady who messed up dying her hair ... and Little Red Riding Hood? No! These strange characters and the scarecrow arrangement (below) were all part of Halloween at Quality Mart #37 — the winner of the Winston-Salem group’s Halloween decorating contest. Congratulations!!

Holiday Shopping — on the Internet

The holidays are upon us and many of us are shopping for at least a few items online. Before you shop, visit one or more safe shopping sites for tips on making purchases safely. Below are some reasons for paying for online purchases by credit card:

• Paying by credit card is safer than paying by check, cash, or debit card. If you find an unauthorized charge on your credit card, federal law limits your liability to $50. In fact, some credit card issuers and website operators say that under certain circumstances they will even pay this amount for you.
• In case your goods don’t arrive or you aren’t satisfied and decide to return them, paying by credit card may help you resolve any dispute with sellers or website operators. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute unpaid charges billed to your credit card only if ALL of the following are true:
  1. You have made a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute with the seller;
  2. The dispute involves the amount of $50 or more;
  3. The dispute arose within the state of your credit card billing address, or within 100 miles of your address; and
  4. The seller of the goods did not issue the credit card you used to pay for your purchase.

If the seller issued the credit card you used to pay, you may dispute the charges as long as you have first made a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute. The $50, 100-mile requirements do not apply when the seller and card issuer are the same.

Be aware that if you buy goods or services from a seller through a website, there may be some legal uncertainty about where a dispute arose.

The American Bar Association suggests the following precautions and smart practices when you use your credit card to pay for purchases on the net.

• Pay your credit card bill in full when it arrives to avoid finance charges. Check for extended warranties or other advantages some credit card issuers grant for purchases made on the card.
• Check your statements when they arrive. If you identify any irregularities, notify the issuer of the credit card by telephone and in writing.
• Consider dedicating a single credit card for online purchases. It will simplify the review of your records. Also, if the security of the card is compromised, you will have other cards to use.

Although there are pros and cons to all payment options, using a credit card is still your best bet for safety.