IOCL Plans to Automate 7,500 Retail Outlets in 2014-15

Bhubaneswar: State-run Indian Oil Corporation plans to automate 7,500 outlets by 2014-15, its chairman B Ashok has said.

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday inaugurated the automation facility simultaneously at all Indian Oil retail outlets in Bhubaneswar by remote control.

"Indian Oil, which has automated more than 6,200 retail outlets till August, 2014, also plans to automate 7,500 outlets by 2014-15 fiscal and more than 10,000 retail outlets by 2015-16," the IOC chairman said.

In Odisha, Indian Oil has automated 192 retail outlets and has planned to increase it to a total of 230 outlets in the financial year 2014-15, he said.

Stating that the concept of '100 per cent City Retail Outlet Automation' is a key initiative launched by Indian Oil, Mr Ashok said in the current financial year, the company plans to automate more than 20 cities in the country.

Friday's automation has made the Odisha state capital the first fully-automated retail outlet city in Eastern India.

"The automation will dispel the doubts in the minds of the petroleum consumer and bring benefit to all. The best practices of customer care and services would be implemented in Odisha," Mr Pradhan said, addressing a gathering on this occasion at Nuagaon Chowk IOC retail outlet here.

Stating that profit is not the prime motive, but customer satisfaction is the need of the hour, the minister said the automated system would help quick and effective customer grievance redressal due to availability of record for each transaction.

The Union Petroleum Minister announced that a toll free helpline in Odia language will be launched soon. Any consumer dissatisfied with the services of a retail outlet or any other petroleum outlet will be able to lodge his complaint in the Odia language based toll free helpline.

He also urged the consumers and general public to use Facebook and twitter handle to communicate freely with the state-run oil utilities to vent their grievances.

Mr Ashok said that the company has launched the initiative of automation of retail outlets to foster a lifetime relationship with their customers with a vision to maximize customer satisfaction and transparency in operations. The automation system will go a long way in bettering the service standards.

The concept of 100 per cent City Retail Outlet Automation is a key initiative launched by Indian Oil. In the current financial year, India Oil plans to automate more than 20 cities in the country, he said.