The best customer experiences begin with clean, comfortable environments. To create the best experience, customers expect cleanliness, especially at the gas pumps. An unkempt operation can literally drive them to your competition. Follow these tips when putting together a training and cleaning checklist for employees. 

1. Disinfect High-Touch Areas

After cleaning high-touch areas with soap and water, it’s important to also disinfect the area with chemical cleaners. Killing germs on a surface after cleaning further lowers the risk of spreading infection. Cleaning and disinfecting these high-touch areas should happen frequently throughout the day to ensure safety to customers.

Rather than using bleach or bleach-based cleaners – which can be dangerous and hazardous to the environment – try using waste receptacles with built-in wipe dispensers, which make disinfecting surfaces fast and easy.

2. Restock Pump Islands

Fluid in windshield service centers often only get refilled, not replaced. While expedient, simply topping off the fluid – rather than replacing – leads to dirty, smelly windshield fluid that turns patrons away. Attendants should regularly check and fully replace the windshield cleaning fluid inside the pump islands. Don’t forget to refill the paper towel dispenser next to the squeegee while you’re at it.

3. Empty Trash Cans

53% of Americans say that the last time they filled up they also took trash from their car and threw it in the station’s trash can. And, few things are more inconvenient than an overflowing trash can, so it’s crucial to regularly check and empty outdoor receptacles. Because trash cans at the pump can fill up regularly, it’s best practice to develop a schedule to regularly check them and empty as needed so that they don’t present a sloppy appearance or allow collected trash to become litter.

4. Clean High-Touch Areas

Gas pumps and windshield cleaning stations get a lot of traffic, so making sure they are sanitary is essential, especially in a pandemic. The first step of cleaning high-touch areas like fuel dispensers, squeegee buckets, garbage cans and towel dispensers is to remove germs, dirt, and impurities from these surfaces with soap and water. Cleaning alone does not kill all germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

5. Check for Repairs

Over time, windshield service centers can become damaged due to harsh weather conditions and normal wear and tear. During the winter months, it’s especially important for operations with gas pumps to give extra attention to their windshield cleaning stations. With the accumulated snow, salt and dirt buildup, patrons expect fully functional and clean windshield stations. If upon inspection you see that equipment is in need of replacement, Commercial Zone offers durable windshield cleaning stations that also double as waste containers. For added sanitation measures, replace your current windshield center for the Aruba Single-Sided Windshield Service Center. This new solution promotes cleanliness at the pump with a hand sanitizer and glove dispenser on the unit.

To learn more about the windshield service center solutions or the complete line of Clean Solutions, waste containers and other site furnishings available from Commercial Zone, contact us online or call 800-782-7273.