We sat down with Ramanathan Uthayarajan (Raj), from JET Castle Service Station, to hear the story behind one of Norwich’s first 24-hour service stations, creating luck through hard work, and serving the community with a ‘smile’ for 25 years.
Tell us the story behind JET Castle Service Station.
This year marks 25 years since I made the move from Peterborough to Norwich to set up JET Castle Service Station. Relocating to Norwich was a completely fresh start. I didn’t know anyone here, and it felt like an exciting challenge. One of the first things I did was extend our opening times to 24-hours, which was not the norm back then. The original site had been operating a limited late-night service through a hatch, but we went one step further with a fully operational all-hours site.
We’re situated in a lively part of the city – next to the train station and by the oldest nightclub in town – which brings its challenges, but we always deliver service with a smile. Over the years, we’ve faced fierce competition from nearby sites owned by big supermarkets, but we’ve kept our edge, and it’s helped us remain here to this day. I don’t believe in luck – I believe you make your own through hard work!
What do customers like most about your site?
Our customers are what it’s all about. Some of our regulars have been coming for nearly a quarter of a century! At JET Castle Service Station, our personalities are our business cards, and I believe smiles are the mirrors of the heart. Making people feel comfortable is paramount, but also ensuring we have everything they need is a constant pursuit. It helps that I have a great team – really, they’re the bosses and I’m just the doorman!
One thing that’s very important is that we’re stocked up and ready for any eventuality. If someone travels in from far away, we must guarantee that we have fuel for them. So, that’s another important quality – being reliable. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy all the time, however hard you try to accommodate everyone. Most of the time, unhappy customers are a greater source of learning, so we must listen to them and respect them.
Talk us through a typical day.
I wake up at 5am and I’m on site from 6am every day. It’s important for my staff to see that I’m present, but I also like to check that they’re okay or whether they need a hand with anything. You’ll always find me around the site organising things, doing admin, tackling problems where they arise, or checking we’re all stocked up. After work, you might find me at my local cricket club – cricket is my religion! A love of the sport is something my 19-year-old son has taken on, and something we can share.
JET Castle Service Station
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What’s the secret to running a successful site?
Never be too comfortable! After all, a good reputation must be earned. My successes have always come from taking risks. During harder times, I made some changes that were the making of my site. Being surrounded by big-brand competitors, I’ve always sought to be the best we can be. In economically challenging times, we’ve dropped our prices and provided a level of customer service you won’t find elsewhere – delivering items to people’s cars and really listening to everyone. The pay-off is that we’re doing very well to this day, and our customers are fiercely loyal.
Tell us about your relationship with JET.
Graham Clout (Retail Sales Manager at Phillips 66 Limited) signed our first deal with JET nearly 25 years ago in 2001, and to this day, whenever he’s in the area, he pops in to say hello and have a chat. Our Retail Account Manager, Naina Patel, has also always been there to help when we need it. It’s one of the reasons I’ve remained with JET for so many years – they’re there when you need them, without fail. I’m so proud to be a JET Dealer!