The customer service space encompasses so many industries–food, hospitality, travel, retail, wellness, technology–and offering the best customer experience in any given area is something that any company ought to be proud of. Being the best in a singular market is one thing, but being the best at a little bit of everything is an impressive feat. In the U.S., we have one very niche jack-of-all-trades place that for the most part, is known for anything but its customer service: the convenience store.
It’s the only place in America where you can get a coffee, windshield wiping fluid, a bouquet of flowers, shampoo, pet food, gas, Advil and a fresh made sandwich, all in the same place. For many, the convenience store is a go-to move for that last minute milk pick-up, a quick road trip bathroom stop, or that one thing we forgot to bring to the family barbecue. Customers frequent these stores looking to get in and get out, with little to no concern for whether or not the check out clerk was helpful. The convenience store can be described as a liminal space where the concept of customer service barely exists, if at all. And although most convenience stores function as one in the same, there is one northeastern U.S. chain that has garnered a cult following for bringing a whole new meaning to the word convenience–Wawa.
As it turns out, 60% of convenience stores are independently owned, and most are competing with coffee shops and chain restaurants. Amid the pandemic, companies with fewer than 200 shrank their store counts but others grew–Wawa among them–according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. As of November 2021, there are currently 959 Wawa stores across the Delaware Water Gap area of the Northeastern U.S., as well as one location in Florida. Today, valued at $11B, Wawa currently ranks as Pennsylvania's largest privately owned company, and 29th in the nation. All things considered, Wawa’s success two years into the pandemic is an impressive accomplishment.
For our West Coast readers, Wawa may ring a bell as a mythical creature, a special place where “down the shore” carries a deep and familiar meaning to the Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey locals who know the beach day roadside pitstop as the signifier of their next great summer adventure. When asked by CCW Digital what it is that makes the Pennsylvania-based chain so incredibly appealing, customers gave a multitude of reasons ranging from clean bathrooms to quality coffee and even seasonal holiday turkey stuffing. Perhaps, it’s even the Disney World of convenience stores.
“This place has everything,” one customer says. “Coffee, sandwiches, chicken strips, donuts, elaborate milkshakes, 24/7 availability, gas, people watching, and best of all, the gobbler.”
“You know that sound on TikTok where they’re like, ‘Why did you love Studio 54?’ and he’s like ‘It’s the only place you can get drunk, go dancing and get your shoes shined all in one night.’ That’s how I feel about Wawa,” added another. “It’s the only place I’ll get a deli sandwich–not breakfast–and an iced coffee at 7 a.m. to hit the beach.”
Wawa has developed a reliable East Coast fanbase, and it’s not just by word of mouth. When it comes to going above and beyond in the world of grab-n-go, customer service scores don’t lie: Wawa has been named the convenience store with the best customer experience by Newsweek’s 2023 America’s Best Customer Service list. The chain beat out its rival Sheetz, QuikTrip, Casey’s General Stores and Cumberland Farms with a rating of 8.62 out of 10. When it comes to the list which also ranks gas stations and fast food eateries, Wawa beats out the customer service ratings of every single gas station from Sunoco to BP, and comes out on the heels of In-N-Out Burger’s 8.95 rating. The results, stemming from an independent survey of more than 30,000 U.S. customers over the past three years, judge each company by the criteria of communication quality, professional competence, range of services, customer focus and even accessibility.
The customer service industry operates through an understanding of expectations, one which Wawa appears to defy time and time again. If you go to a Michelin star restaurant, you’re going to expect for all of your silverware to be spotless, for your napkin to be placed on your lap for you each time you return from the restroom, and for your meal to be one of the best you’ll ever have in your life. If you go to a concert, you’re going to expect for the beer you buy to cost $14 at the venue, for there to be a long line to purchase merchandise, and for the venue floors to be littered with trash by the time the show is over. When you go to a convenience store, you should expect for there to not be any toilet paper in the restroom, the food to perhaps be a day old, and that there may not be anyone behind the counter to even ring you up at the time you arrive. But yet, Wawa seems to be immune to most of the lower level customer service one might equate with a roadside pitstop. With bread baked fresh daily, healthy options, a variation of snacks and beverage options, and even fee-free ATMs, your options are virtually limitless. In fact, one Wawa customer says its touch-screen customizable ordering system is one of the store’s best features. As foodandwine.com notes, Wawa isn’t just a convenience store. It’s a lifestyle:
“Personalization is so encouraged here, it's almost daunting, from the many kinds of spreads and sauces to the generous selection of cheeses, to luxury add-ons like avocado, or bacon. Even if you've been to Wawa before, you can end up lost in a customization loop, presented with so many options, so many ways to jazz up your meal, you'll be shocked at the end to discover, once you get there, that after all that, you'll typically spend less than $6 on a 10-inch sandwich. And that's if you even want a sandwich—as you'll have learned, on your way down the touchscreen rabbit hole, there's so much else you can order. Soups, bowl meals, complete breakfasts, fancy coffee drinks—who knew they had a whole restaurant back there, behind the deli counter?”
Not only can you customize your order to excurating lengths, but you can even use Wawa’s app to pay via mobile, earn and redeem rewards, find the nearest store, look up nutritional information, check fuel prices, and track purchases. With options galore, customers can walk into Wawa with a pretty positive attitude, or at least walk out the door with one. Its good customer satisfaction also has a lasting impact–while the company does its part to satisfy customer needs via technology, it also makes sure to improve its employee experience as well. In 2016, Wawa made No. 11 on Forbes‘ list of Best Retail Employers, and also boasts a 100 percent Corporate Equality Index rating with the Human Rights Campaign. Wawa employees receive not only a store discount, but a 401k plan, paid time off, employee stock options and lost health benefit costs. Employees rate the company 3.9 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. Each year, the company even publishes a book highlighting contributions Wawa employees have made to their community in and outside of their roles at work.
All this is possible within the confines of what was one might envision as a corner shop thanks to the company’s six core tenets:
- Value people.
- Delight customers.
- Embrace change.
- Do things right.
- Do the right thing.
- Have a passion for winning.
When it comes to customer experience Wawa, a local chain that is legend to some and a well kept secret to others, provides quality service so good that it can be measured up to some of the world’s largest, most well known food and service establishments. The store doesn’t seek to be anything that it isn’t—not a 5 star hotel or an all-inclusive resort. Wawa knows exactly what it is, and it is committed to being the best damn convenience store you’ve ever seen. It not only defies the definition and expectations of what a convenience store means, but also takes the customer experience a step further as a maker of memories. One customer tells CCW Digital “I love stopping there on the way home from Six Flags. Another views Wawa as a vestige of her childhood that has followed her into adulthood: “It’s nostalgic to a time before we could drive or afford fine dining while visiting the Jersey Shore. It was there at 2 am when we’d sneak out of the house for some late night munchies.” Now, it’s here for all of us, as an example of what happens when you go beyond the status quo of customer service and creates just not an experience, but a brand and a cultural moment that can be carried with you, quite literally.