In convenience stores and fuel distribution businesses, where every detail matters—from safe handling of fuel to fast and friendly customer service—the phrase “I didn’t know” can be costly. It can mean a frustrated customer, a compliance risk, or a missed opportunity to build loyalty.
The good news? There’s a simple, proven way to eliminate those words from your workplace vocabulary: empower your employees by setting them up for 100% success.
Why “I Didn’t Know” Happens
Most employees don’t come to work planning to make mistakes or underperform. Yet, leaders in retail and distribution hear excuses like “Nobody told me,” or, “I wasn’t sure what to do” every day. These responses point to a gap in clarity, training, or empowerment—not a lack of motivation.
Industry leaders with low turnover and high customer loyalty share a common belief: if you set up your people and work environment for 100% success, people will perform better and stay longer. That belief is backed by decades of results from Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-winning companies, including Pal’s Sudden Service, which cut turnover to half its industry average while achieving four times the customer loyalty of competitors.
The Triple 100® Path to Excellence
How do companies like Pal’s achieve such outstanding results? They follow the “Triple 100®” approach:
- 100% to your brand standards
- 100% of the time
- 100% of the conditions
When employees know exactly what’s expected, are trained to perform to that standard, and are given the authority to adjust when things go wrong, excuses disappear. Instead, employees hold themselves accountable and take pride in delivering excellence.
Building Empowerment into Everyday Operations
The key is embedding self-management into your processes. For an employee to be empowered, three conditions must be met:
- They know what they’re supposed to do (clear expectations and standards).
- They can compare what they are producing to what they are supposed to do (the standard).
- They have the ability and authority to adjust if their performance isn’t meeting the standard.
If any one of these is missing, accountability crumbles. Employees fall back on “I didn’t know,” and leaders are left chasing problems instead of preventing them.
By contrast, when all three are present, employees manage themselves. Leaders can spend less time fixing mistakes and more time growing the business.
The Results Speak for Themselves
Companies that embed these principles into their culture don’t just reduce turnover—they dramatically improve customer experience. For example, Pal’s Sudden Service trains every employee to perform their job 100% right, 100% of the time, under 100% of the conditions. The result: industry-leading speed, accuracy, and customer loyalty, with turnover consistently at half the industry average.
For convenience store and Oil & Gas operators, the implications are powerful. Imagine employees who always know the correct way to handle fuel safely, who consistently deliver a clean and welcoming store, stores where the “to go” items are always 100% stocked to your brand standards, and who never leave customers waiting because “I wasn’t sure what to do.” That’s the difference between ordinary operations and extraordinary ones.
How You Can Achieve the Same
To empower your employees and eliminate “I didn’t know” excuses, focus on these key improvements:
- Reduce turnover through proven best practices in hiring, onboarding, training, and coaching.
- Communicate and reinforce expectations so they’re 100% understood and committed to.
- Design jobs and processes so when employees precisely follow the process, the product and service is delivered to your brand requirement every time and they can succeed under any conditions.
- Deliver your products, services, and environment 100% to brand standards, every time.
We’re Here to Help
McClaskey Excellence Institute offers the Achieving World-Class Results (AWCR) class, ideal for C-suite executives, directors of operations, HR leaders and store managers who want to empower employees, reduce turnover, and boost customer loyalty.
Limited Time Special Offer – Complimentary AWCR Registration
We’re offering a complimentary AWCR class seat*, for all companies whose team members haven’t yet taken the class: November 6, 2025 or January 13, 2026. Contact McClaskey Excellence Institute to determine eligibility and sign up.
*One complimentary seat for each business line—convenience store, lubricants, fuel distribution, etc.
