A SOFT bright green-and-blue signage looms far ahead along the highway near 13TH mile in Byrnihat,Meghalaya. On moving closer, swanky steel fuel dispensers under a large concrete canopy, smart, courteous youngsters in deep blue uniforms and the ambience of no-nonsense professionalism beckon the customer.
This Reliance Dealer owned Dealer operated (DODO) outlet was inaugurated on 7th Jan 2007 and the Reliance sign still takes the Indian driver by surprise.
Do these ROs (retail outlets) make any difference to customers? Mr David Lyngdoh, a Byrnihat businessman,who has been buying fuel at RIL's flagship RO, for the past few days believes that the brand is new to retail business and hence away from the adulteration networks .The automation and computer network leaves no scope for any sort of malpractices.He also says that the mileage of his vehicle has improved.
Reliance has a computerised system for fuel delivery. The trucks carrying fuel from the company's depot at Numaligarh refinery to the retail outlet and the underground fuel tanks are sealed with special Finnish Abloy locks worth Rs 44000/- each, says a senior Reliance official. Tanks and fuel dispensing units are all connected to a mother computer, which keeps a tab on fuel volumes. The main outlet server is connected to Dhirubhai Ambani knowledge city (DAKC) at Mumbai through VSAT.
There is an obvious emphasis on standardisation at all outlets with uniformed attendants wielding computer-linked hand-held devices, operating imported Japanese pumps. Reliance Industries has tied up with the Ogden, Utah (US)-based Flying J, an integrated petroleum company, to automate its retail outlets."Flying J has expertise in setting up fuel stops along national highways. "There is absolutely no place for adulteration," says a RO official.Pure-fuel assurance is only one of the magnets for attracting the vehicle users.
The Outlet offers services such as clean rest rooms, water, etc.
