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ATF Fuels head of sales Kayla Bulstrode tells Emily Moore about the firm’s new rewards programme
WITH the cost of living and seemingly never-ending price rises on nearly everybody’s lips, it is unusual to hear about a commodity becoming cheaper.
But having always been focused on “competitive pricing”, the team at ATF Fuels is once more trying to “bring costs down”, this time through the launch of an app-based loyalty scheme.
“ATF Fuels entered the Channel Islands market when it won the contract to supply aviation fuel to all planes using Jersey Airport,” explained Kayla Bulstrode, the company’s head of sales. “Gradually, we expanded our operations, supplying ground fuels to Islanders and then, in 2018, opening our first fuel forecourt.”
At that point, adds Kayla, the company was regarded by many as a “disruptor” in the market, largely because of its dual focus on sustainability and price.
“As soon as we entered the local domestic market, our focus was on bringing costs down for customers,” she reflected. “We have always been committed to competitive pricing, as well as on helping motorists to fill up their tanks in a more environmentally friendly way.”
This, she explains, is achieved through the company’s biofuels, with ATF Fuels’ Green D HVO, which is available at its St Helier forecourt, delivering “up to 90% fewer CO2 emissions compared to traditional diesel alternatives”.
With the fuel types and pricing strategy having been key differentiating factors for ATF Fuels over the years, Kayla says that the company – which now has three forecourts in Jersey and two in Guernsey – is hoping to add another string to its “unique” bow through its new app, which launched this week.
“This app is the first of its kind in the Channel Islands, and it has been developed specifically to bring more loyalty benefits to our customers,” she said.
Supplementing the company’s “discount days”, Kayla says that ATF Pay+ follows a similar format to the British Airways reward scheme, offering a combination of tier points and loyalty points.
“We call them lifetime rewards and one-off rewards,” she added. “Every time you fill your car with fuel, you will receive one point for every litre you put into the tank. Those points can then be redeemed at any of our forecourts whenever you choose to use them. Those are the one-off rewards, which enable you enjoy up to 30 pence per litre off your next fill once you have reached the appropriate number of points.
“As you accumulate points, you gain lifetime rewards and, again, the more points you have, the greater your savings. For example, once you reach 1,000 lifetime points, you can enjoy one penny per litre of all future fills. As you progress through the milestones, you benefit from greater savings, up to three pence per litre off each fill.”
The decision to switch to an app-based scheme, Kayla adds, was designed to “offer more loyalty in a way which is easily manageable for both customers and the company”.
“This scheme enables us to say thank you to our loyal customers, while giving Islanders an additional incentive to keep coming to us for their fuel,” she said. “ATF Fuels is known for being innovative and prides itself on its good customer service, and this advanced payment and loyalty scheme demonstrates both those elements.”
Stressing the all-encompassing nature of the app, Kayla adds that motorists can do everything – apart from dispense the fuel itself – from the comfort of their car.
“When you arrive at the forecourt, you can use the app to confirm which pump you are at, whether you want diesel or unleaded fuel and then select the grade of that fuel,” she said. “Assuming that you have already added your payment card details to the app, you can also choose how much fuel you want to add to the tank. This can range from a set amount to ‘fill tank’.
“Once you have made your choice and the payment has been confirmed, the pump will be released and you can start fuelling. At the end of the process, you will receive an email receipt, while confirmation of the purchase and your new loyalty point balance will be displayed on the app. You can also track all your transactions on the app by going to My Orders.”
While the app is already available for domestic customers, it is also due to be rolled out to the company’s Refuel account holders.
“Those customers with a fleet of vehicles will be able to add their Refuel cards to the app, allowing them to benefit from the points scheme while continuing to charge their fuel purchases to their business account,” added Kayla.
While building and refining the app has been a “time-consuming labour of love”, the new loyalty scheme has now gone live following a “comprehensive testing process”.
“We have spent a long time testing it and ironing out any teething issues, and are really excited that it is now live,” Kayla said. “While we have tried to make it as intuitive as possible to use, it comes with a built-in step-by-step guide and we have also prepared how-to videos and guides, which people can find on our social media pages. The team is also more than happy to help customers with any queries.”
As a welcome offer, anyone who downloads the app – which is available free of charge on iPhone and Android – will receive 250 points.
And while the structure of the rewards is already in place, Kayla says that further benefits and rewards will follow.
“We are already working on ideas for bonus days or weekends and, as these are rolled out, customers will receive push notifications with the latest news,” she said. “There are also benefits for our Smart Top-Up Heating Oil customers, who will receive double points for every litre dispensed when they download the app and register with their ATF account number.
“We recognise that the cost of living is high at the moment and by keeping our prices competitive and giving people these extra discounts, we are trying to support Islanders as much as possible, while also making the experience at the forecourt seamless and straightforward.”
