Lubes distributors urged to put the customer first

The Managing Director Vivo Energy Ghana Limited, Mr. Ebenezer Faulkner has urged Shell lubricants’ distributors to make customers the centre of their businesses.

Mr. Faulkner made this remark at the end of the Vivo Energy Ghana lubricants’ distributor conference in Accra, held for over 35 distributors. The conference focused on reviewing the performance of distributors across the country, as well as sharing the current business priorities.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The Customer – Our People, Our Growth’, Mr. Faulkner said that the customer should be the focus of the business. “It is important for distributors to focus on good pricing, on time delivery of products and the continuous training of their staff to provide the highest level of customer service at all times” he said.

Mr. Faulkner said that the company’s lubricants business saw significant growth in the commercial sector last year and urged the distributors to go the extra mile to achieve their individual targets for this year.

He commented on some of the initiatives that Vivo Energy Ghana has put in place to support lubricants’ distributors to grow their businesses, such as an interest-free credit facility, arrival of lubricants vans, branding of lubricants outlets and an all-expenses paid trip for leading distributors to join the Shell family at a Formula One motor racing event in Monza, Italy.

Mr. Faulkner presented awards to distributors that had performed exceptionally well. Mr. Dickson Yengbe, the Managing Director of Dicko Dee Company Limited was awarded the Best Distributor for 2015 and Mr. Michael Banahene, the Managing Director of Dap Motors, was named the Best Distributor for the first quarter of 2016. Mrs. Cecelia Konadu of Konadu and Owusu Limited was also named the Best Distributor for Kumasi.

The Country Lubes Sales and Marketing Manager of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mr. John-Doe Samlafo said that the company will continue to embark on marketing initiatives to create top-of-mind awareness for Shell lubricant brands, which have led to a surge in demand in recent months.

Mr. Samlafo said that for over a century Shell had been at the forefront of lubricants development and that it currently leveraged the expertise of over 120 scientists, in about 11 research centres around the world to create the world’s most advanced lubricants that meet the needs of motorists.

In addition, Shell lubricants are endorsed by the world’s top vehicle manufacturers including Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota and the world’s leading motorbike brand, DUCATI.