SOCIAL MEDIA New way to connect with fans of our brand


If you’re like most people you probably have two, maybe three, close friends in your life—people you confide in, share stories, photos and life experiences with —people you talk to on a regular basis. You call them on the phone, grab a bite to eat together, and in this day and age, you may also email, video chat, text, etc. If you have taken the plunge into social media and


have your own Facebook® account, you’ve probably changed the way you reach out to those friends yet again, plus, picked up a few more to connect with along the way. The average user of Facebook has 130 “friends” they communicate with online via their own personal profile page. Social media has changed the world of communication, and at Sheetz, we’re getting in on the action. What we’ve come to recognize is that people


aren’t just using Facebook to connect with the neighbor down the street or their old high school sweetheart. They are reaching out to their favorite places of business, too. That’s why we decided to take ownership of our own Sheetz branded Facebook page in December. We want to connect with our customers, share information with them, get their feedback, hear their complaints, be their “friend.” At the time of publication for this article, the Sheetz page had more than 111,000 fans! “The great part about our brand is advocates find ways to include us as a part


of their life,” said Director of Brand Development Fred McConnell. “As a result, we are shared with other online communities and other customers.” The Sheetz page was originally started by one of our fans, growing to more


than 50,000 fans. He contacted us and offered us administrative rights. After only a few months of ownership, our page has grown its fan base considerably. Customers really feel the love for Sheetz. They take time out of their day to


reach out to us, praising our employees for a job well done, talking about food and beverages they love at Sheetz and much more.


“One of the most popular comments on our page is a request for new stores,”


said Andrea Rogers, employee communications specialist and one of the page admin-istrators. “Customers love us and want us in their town, even if that town is across the country. We see posts from people who say they used to live near a Sheetz, but now that they’ve moved, they miss us.” Not all of the discussion on the Sheetz page is positive, however. Thankfully, customers also share unpleasant experiences with us, too, like when their food orders are prepared incorrectly or they receive poor customer service. Hearing their stories is helpful so we know where we may be able to improve. The bad part is when they have a complaint, and sometimes even post a photo, it’s up there for thousands of people to see. That’s why it’s crucial that we all do our best every day to keep our customers happy. A bad comment on Facebook can spread like wildfire. The fact that comments aren’t really private on


sites like Facebook, or on other social media sites like Twitter®, Foursquare®, etc. is important to remember. Employees especially need to think before they post (or tweet). We have a Sheetz Social Media policy that addresses this issue. Basically, use your head, be respect- ful and don’t forget, you are an ambassador of the Sheetz brand even if you’re off the clock. Disciplinary action has resulted from inappropriate posts. To review our policy, log on to


Sheetz.NET at store level or non-store employees can visit the corporate intranet site. The mentions of Sheetz across the internet are impressive. It’s a strong


testament about the role our brand plays in our customers’ lives every day. Customers care enough to take time out of their day to talk about us online. They love Sheetz and they are talking about it with their friends and their friends’ friend.”


If you have a facebook page and haven’t connected with us yet, you should. And tell your friends and family!


www.facebook.com/sheetz Family Matters APRIL 1

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