MANILA, Philippines - Building good relationships is one of the most important factors to succeed in business, especially in the lucrative but competitive market of fuel retail, according to Sidney and Rea Santos.
From their humble beginning as a dealer of a single gas station, the entrepreneurial couple was able to expand and find lasting success in the industry.
Back in 1987, when the country was still reeling from Martial Law, an opportunity came knocking at Sidney’s door in the form of an offer to put up a Shell station on their family property. His ambitious streak kicked in as he was not one to pass up an opportunity.
“I was a new graduate then, fresh from college and I applied for five jobs but there were no offers. So when Shell proposed to put up a gas station in our property, I told my parents that I was interested to operate the station and they gladly supported me,” shared Sidney.
Rea, his girlfriend back then, supported him in the venture as well and became his business partner. This is one of the many relationships that Sidney underscores as vital to the foundation of their success.
Fast forward to the present, they now own and operate six Shell retail stations in Quezon City, Cavite and Laguna.
All in the family
Also, another valued relationship in their business today is the one they have with their 25-year-old son, Jerome. Sidney and Rea are glad that they have found a trusted partner in their son, who has shown genuine interest and malasakit toward their business.
Imbibing the values and lessons taught by his parents, Jerome has already adopted a positive approach in the face of challenges and adjusted to the demands of his newly-assumed role. “There will be great challenges, but without hard work, there will be no rewards. And the rewards greatly outweigh these challenges,” he remarked.
Each member of the Campos family possesses a unique expertise — Sidney being an engineer, Rea an accountant, and Jerome an economist. They have learned how to complement each other’s strengths in order to consistently give their business the necessary edge in the competitive fuel business.
The odd-numbered group brings the needed balance in terms of handling conflicts, and pitching and polishing ideas during their regular brainstorming sessions.
“Each one of us has something to bring to the table,” affirms Rea, acknowledging the importance of individual contribution of talent, effort, and knowledge.
Trust and goodwill
Having been Shell partners for nearly three decades now, the Camposes also value the trust that the company has given to them. They in turn are more confident in building long-lasting relationships with their customers, by providing only the latest products and services to their customers.
They actively support Shell programs that promote smarter mobility and fuel efficiency, through proper driver education and adopting proper driving behavior to save fuel and money.
To them, every customer is important as they are the life force of their business. “We believe in the lifetime value of customers,” said Rea. “The customers’ value is forever. There is no small customer. They are equally important.”