 |
|
 Caltex’s earliest service station dealers inherited a tradition of service from its parent companies, dating back to 1907 when John McLean, manager of Standard Oil Co. (California)’s sales plant in Seattle, Wash., created the world’s first service station. The Texas Co., Caltex’s other parent, had been a pioneer in establishing service stations across its vast marketing area. Not surprisingly, when Caltex took over The Texas Co.’s operations east of Suez, it knew the meaning of service.
By the early 1950s, one writer observed that at Caltex stations, it was customary not only for the station attendant to give the “normally accepted goodwill,” but to provide tourist information, road maps and restaurant advice. “For the regular customer at these stations, there is even more,” the writer continued. “The man who regularly takes care of your car really makes a job of it.” Station attendants knew the importance of thorough maintenance and were trained in all aspects of servicing a car, including the application of Caltex Circle Service and Texaco’s Marfak lubrication service.
This tradition served Caltex well when its retail business flourished following World War II, as spiraling demand for automobiles led to a marked increase in fuel sales. By the late 1940s, Caltex’s general manager in the Philippines’ capital of Manila was telling prospective service station dealers: “Paint the front of your house white. Put some green stripes on it. We’ll give you a pump and tank.” With service stations lining the roads outside Manila, Caltex’s market share rose to a hefty 40 per cent by the late 1940s.
 The look of Caltex’s service stations varied throughout its marketing area, though many retail facilities adopted either of two Texas Co. designs. The “Texaco Type” station had a white porcelain-enameled façade marked by three green stripes; neat, tasteful, eye-catching ornamentation, and extensive use of flood lighting. It, like the similarly designed “Texaco Type A,” combined operating efficiency with a streamlined look. Attendants often wore green uniforms patterned after those worn by Texaco dealers.
Meanwhile, in Europe, where the company had taken over The Texas Co.’s marketing operations in 1947, Caltex went to great lengths to build stations that harmonised with their surroundings. In Pompeii, Italy, a Caltex station boasted a soaring archway which evoked the Roman arches that once graced the ancient city. In Surrey, England, a thatch-roofed dwelling that might be a vestige of the Middle Ages was, in fact, a service station that belonged to Caltex affiliate Regent Oil Co.
Wherever it operated, Caltex adapted its retail business to local needs, such as in Thailand, where the company developed a system of stations built around a series of marine pontoons to provide service to the launches, tugs, fishing vessels and other craft that plied the waterways of Bangkok and other areas.
By 1966, Caltex was encouraging its marketing regions to modernise their service station designs, offering a variety of options that would lead to greater uniformity within each region. One such option was an Australian model, which featured a raised canopy and a white grill to contrast with the station’s brickwork facade. Many of the marketing affiliates took the initiative to spruce up their stations. For example, in 1970, Caltex (India) Ltd. launched a programme of modernising the appearance of its “Star Stations,” creating a more streamlined look by enclosing the tire, battery and accessory showcases, erecting internally lighted Caltex signs on the canopies, and installing unifying rows of shrubs and flower pots. The face-lifting effort quickly resulted in significant increases in fuel and automotive diesel sales.
By the 1980s, Caltex launched a major effort to standardise and upgrade its service stations so that they could be clearly seen and quickly identified either from a distance or close up, day or night. A 13-foot-long Caltex identification sign featured a white star on a white background and white stripes running diagonally across one corner to connote a forward-looking image.
During this same period, Star Mart convenience stores were introduced at many retail locations. The popularity of the Star Mart concept reflected Caltex’s identity as a company striving to provide those simple, necessary things that help people get on with the bigger things in their lives. By 2005, the company was operating more than 7,800 retail outlets, including 4,500 branded Caltex stations and some 700 Star Marts across 60 countries.
In keeping with the company’s evolution, Caltex created a new corporate and retail identity program in 1996 utilizing its updated logo, the Delta Star. Its service stations were re-imaged to play up the new graphics and colour scheme. [For more details, see the section on Branding]
However the company’s service station profile has changed over time, its focus has remained constant, dictating that customers will receive ultimate worth and value through fast, polite service, professionally managed, clean, safe and reliable facilities and quality products.
As expressed in a recent company advertising campaign, “We’re not here to change people’s lives. We are here to get them back on the road as fast as possible. Refueled. Revived. Refreshed. And ready for life’s exhilarating drive forward.”
|
|
|
