Making Gas Stations Great Again – Titusville BP Station Commended for their Exceptional Service During Hurricane Irma

It is highly uncommon to get positive feedback for businesses in this day and age. Especially within the convenience and fuel industry, where there are hundreds of interactions every day. According to NACS Online, the typical gas station customer may only spend on average between three and four minutes either at the pump or going into the station. In fact, customers that have a bad experience are twice to three times more likely to write a negative review versus customers that had a great experience.

With social media and the online world being an outlet where customers can easily vent about their poor experiences, having someone actually take the time to recognize a business for what they did right is something a business owner can really take pride in.

So when one of Southeast Petro’s Titusville BP Gas Stations operated by husband and wife team Andy and Binita Patel received a glowing review from one of their customers, it was a highly appreciated gesture.

Loretta Dreier, a loyal patron to the station wrote to BP Corporate in Houston Texas on October 22nd, several days after Hurricane Irma slammed the entire state of Florida:

“Dear Sir or Madam:

I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to Andy and his wife, who own the BP station at

[4310] S. Washington Avenue in Titusville, Florida. Because of their dedications in supporting the people in our community through the services they provide, they relieved a great deal of my anxiety and concern before, during and after Hurricane Irma.” 

She goes on to explain that her husband had been scheduled for surgery the day that Irma was set to make landfall, and she was deeply concerned about how she would keep her vehicle fueled for the 50 mile drive to the hospital and back.

Her concern was a valid one. Hurricane Harvey had just hit Texas two weeks prior, where Houston received the brunt of the system’s rain. Houston is a central hub for many of the major oil company’s refineries. An estimated 50 inches of rain fell in some parts of the city leaving residents scrambling for higher ground and completely decimating the community. 

The impact from Harvey is said to have knocked out over a quarter of the U.S. refinery capacity, making fuel allocations tight. This caused a shortage of fuel with major delivery delays.

As Hurricane Irma came barreling toward the peninsula, it only exacerbated the fuel issues for Florida.

Governor Scott declared a State of Emergency well in advance of Irma’s landfall. South Florida residents began to mass evacuate while the projected path looked as if Miami would be on the receiving end of this massive storm. The path ended up shifting West, which prompted more mass evacuations to take place from the Florida Keys and the rest of Southwest Florida. 

Hurricane Irma’s projected landfall was uncertain and ever-changing, yet no matter where she landed, the entire state of Florida would be affected by the worst part of the storm. This created a state of panic that touched almost every community.

So, with heightened demand, carrier delays, and limited fuel supply, Loretta’s concern for fuel supply and how she would commute was a common worry for many Florida residents, and also gas station owners. Southeast Petro was in a scramble for weeks to get fuel to all of their 400+ stations throughout the state. The effort was not without flaw, but due to the unprecedented circumstances, fuel was allocated to the best of the ability by the Southeast Petro Logistics Team.

Our customers were exceptionally understanding. Especially customers like Andy, who only wanted to keep his customers like Loretta fueled and safe during the storm.

Loretta’s letter continues –

“Thank goodness for Andy and his wife. They sacrificed the time they needed to take care of their home and family to keep their BP Station’s gasoline tanks full and pumps opened as long as possible before the hurricane hit and then opened soon after. Their generosity of time and efforts on our behalf enabled Titusville residents such as myself to have the gas we desperately needed for travel and generators. My husband and I really appreciate their thoughtfulness.

Additionally, Andy and his wife are such pleasant and personable individuals. They make you feel so welcomed when you enter their store greeting you with smiles and a big hello – even in the midst of chaos before a hurricane. That’s one reason I will always come back to their station for gas.”

Andy and Binita Patel have owned the BP station located at 4310 S. Washington Ave. in Titusville for 11 years, so they are well established within the community. “This is our second home,” said Andy, “and we love our customers.” 

At Southeast Petro, we take pride in receiving letters like these about the way our customers are taking care of their patrons. “This is what it is all about,” said Summit Shah, Southeast Petro’s Vice President. “With as much competition that is out there today, acts of service and genuine concern like this is what sets us apart in the industry. We may have big names on our door, but these stations are run by local business people, often husband and wife teams, that work day in and day out to keep their doors open.”

Summit went on to say, “We are proud to be partnered with Andy and Binita, and appreciate their leadership to fuel our community, and put an effort into making gas stations great again. This just reinforces our mission in creating mutually profitable partnerships.”

Mike Shah, Southeast Petro’s President added, “Without hard working partners like Mr. and Mrs. Patel that do all of the day to day operations of the business, we would not be the company that we are today.”

They represent the BP brand well. They represent the Southeast Petro brand well. And they represent their community well.

Our hats are off to you, Andy and Binita, for “Making Gas Stations Great Again” and stepping up in a time of crisis. Thank you for your dedication!