FYI TSD Logistics Fuel Savings Program

[TJ&LadyDi]

There’s nothing wrong with defending your business but the reality is that when you look at the details of the situation, CW/GS doesn’t even have a business to defend here and therefore the action only serves to harm the consumer. Which is why I call it “a garbage move”.

I guess it must be a generational thing with me. Back when I grew up, you honored the agreements you made. Farms were bought and sold on a handshake and, if you didn't honor the deal, word got around quickly and no one would do business with you again.

TJ

 

[Akdare]

@Akdare … I have downloaded the app and am trying to set it up. Do I need a Loves Rewards Card to use this? I have my TDS card loaded in the wallet section.

FLSteve

I don’t think so, but I picked up a Love’s card a couple of months ago when I was passing by a Love’s in my car...loaded it and the TSD card into the app at the same time. Let us know how it works for you.

 

[DKRITTER]

..… but since it looks like it will be all Loves in the future I think I will try the Love's phone app to see if I can streamline the process at the pump. Is anybody using that and does it really make things easily/faster? If so I will learn how to use it.

FLSteve

That's what we do, you can turn the pump on from inside the MH, it makes it a little simpler.

I stopped by a Love's and picked up one of their rewards card and set it all up. It took a little work to set it all up.

Now I get on the EFS card and put in our route and pick a station that's the best price (so far it's always been a Love's) and as we pull in my wife gets on the app gets everything going and lastly puts in the pump # and I put on my gloves and away I go.

 

[MapNerd]

I guess it must be a generational thing with me. Back when I grew up, you honored the agreements you made. Farms were bought and sold on a handshake and, if you didn't honor the deal, word got around quickly and no one would do business with you again.

TJ

I'm not of the opinion that PFJ shouldn't honor their agreement with CW/GS. I'm of the opinion that CW/GS's agreement with PFJ to be the exclusive fuel discount program doesn't apply to this situation and thus the agreement is non-enforcable. Obviously though, my opinion is wrong here because PFJ is obliging.

You know, TJ. it's really not a generational thing and I think you know that. Its really just two good, honest people who have a difference of opinion and that's okay. People can disagree, it's a healthy thing. By and large my generation honors their word, as does yours, as do the majority of people in every generation. There are scoundrels in every generation but that's no reason to write off an entire group of people simply because they were born in a certain window of years. Word still gets around when those people do their deeds, albeit a lot faster these days and through different means but the end result is the same.

The only thing I was trying to say is that I think CW/GS is being a bully here and pretty naive, enforcing an agreement they know very well doesn't apply based on the circumstances of how the EFS card works. There's no upside for CW/GS in enforcing this. It only harms PFJ through lost sales and TSD participants through the loss of a fueling network. TSD participants, as you can see on this forum and the others, are not suddenly going to drop their TSD cards because they just love filling up at PFJ so much that its worth the $20-$30 difference in savings.

Just because you have a legal agreement in place, from an economic or public relations perspective, it doesn't always make sense to enforce it. Every business has the option to enforce an agreement at their discretion. There is no obligation to enforce other than the precedent that sustained non-enforcement may set. For some reason that I can't understand, CW/GS is choosing to enforce their agreement with PFJ even though there is no upside for CW/GS or PFJ in doing so.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

You may be correct regarding the viability of the agreement between CW/GS and PFJ. Since I don't have access to the agreement language, I'm not in a position to comment on that.

What may be lost here, however, is that revenue through RV sales via the TSD card is likely pretty insignificant in PFJ's overall sales volume. It relies primarily on sales to trucking fleets and individual truckers for the bulk of its business. So, dealing with RVers may not really be significant to PFJ and may be the reason it doesn't want to risk a legal battle over a relatively insignificant (to PFJ) fuel discount issue.

From CW's perspective, the "upside" is being able to offer a fuel discount as a membership incentive. It is a marketing tool and that's probably why they negotiated the agreement with PFJ in the first place. I think it is quite possible that CW/GS actually paid (or pays) PFJ for this program based on the increased membership income generated. If they don't try to protect that agreement and allow PFJ to honor another more liberal RV discount program, it would undercut that marketing tool.

What I do appreciate is that we can come at this discussion from different perspectives and still keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

What I do appreciate is that we can come at this discussion from different perspectives and still keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

TJ

That IPA is still waiting for you, buddy. No chance I’ll drink it. You make a good point a out CW/GS paying for the exclusivity as well. I didn’t think of that but money usually does exchange hands in these types of transactions.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

That IPA is still waiting for you, buddy. No chance I’ll drink it. You make a good point a out CW/GS paying for the exclusivity as well. I didn’t think of that but money usually does exchange hands in these types of transactions.

What should I have in the fridge for you when we meet? And, while a cold IPA would work for me, if you're going out to buy one, an amber ale would be even better.

TJ

 

[MapNerd]

Lagers and Belgians are always welcome

 

[Gizmo]

Here in Kansas loves with the EFS/TSD card are 1.78 cents for diesel. When the last time you've seen those prices?

 

[Joe Hogan]

GS fuel discount program is a good revenue producer for GS. GS probably gets a <>=$1.00 off and "shares" .05 with members. This is why all the fuss about being exclusive for RVs. I did try to find specific language in the latest 10K. only general GS service and CC revenue is discussed. But GS Services and CC revenue is a big number.