Balancing AI with human insight: Navigating fuel retail’s tech evolution

In the fuel retail industry, there’s a real buzz around AI. From voice analytics that instantly identify customer issues or training opportunities, to “pay-by-plate” technology that eliminates the need for a manual payment transaction, AI is making rapid strides in fuel retail. But in the rush to adopt the latest tech trends, it’s crucial to ask: Is every AI advancement the right fit for your business needs?

As Charles Wetzel, CEO of Kalibrate, recently shared in Forbes, “AI is a force multiplier and a digital assistant.”

It can enable efficiency, support human decision-making, and provide valuable insights. But there’s an important distinction to be made between technology that genuinely enhances business operations and technology that simply rides the innovation wave.

Prioritizing the right technology

During a NACS Show education session, Doug Yawberry, President of Weigel’s, emphasized this idea, stating, “It’s not about having all the technology – it’s about having the right technology.” Retailers should start with a clear understanding of what specific challenges they want to solve with technology and evaluate whether AI or other tech tools are actually suited to addressing these needs.

How do fuel retailers ensure they’re choosing technology that benefits their business? The answer lies in assessing where technology replaces human roles versus where it augments them.

The human element in fuel retail

One thing was clear from this year’s NACS Show discussions: the value of skilled employees remains as high as ever. AI can streamline operations and improve efficiency, but the human touch is indispensable. Across the industry, many leaders recognize that the emotional and personalized support employees provide plays a huge role in shaping customer loyalty and satisfaction.

A 2022 NACS customer fuels survey found that 84% of consumers rated “Friendly employees who make me feel welcome” as an important attribute of a c-store. Friendly and engaged employees at c-stores can create a positive experience that defines a customer’s day – shaping how they feel about the brand overall. But it’s not just customer facing roles that are impacted by AI innovation. Back office and operational processes like fuel pricing can reap the rewards of combining good AI tools with skilled people. (as covered in this blog: The trinity of fuel pricing success)

The power of AI to empower employees

When technology is thoughtfully chosen, it can enable employees to focus on high-value tasks. Predictive AI tools in inventory management or automation in fuel pricing can free up team members to focus on valuable strategic tasks. The key is for technology to support human roles, creating a productive synergy rather than making employees feel obsolete. This type of technology can allow employees to be more responsive, efficient, and ultimately empowered in their roles.

Building a balanced future for fuel retail

As the industry embraces AI and other technological advancements, fuel retailers should remember that successful technology is that which complements and elevates the human side of the business.

By choosing technology that supports rather than replaces employees, fuel retailers can build more resilient, customer-focused businesses.

In this evolving landscape, the smartest retailers will be those who embrace a balanced approach — where people and technology work together to create value that stands the test of time.

AI at Kalibrate

Kalibrate takes great care to ensure our solutions strike the right balance between adopting the cutting edge of AI techniques and complementing the domain expertise of our users. Where this equilibrium lies depends on the problem at hand. For digital assistants, we provide the AI with free reign to search through our knowledge bases. For data analytics and insights, we seek to minimize the “black box” elements of AI to ensure each insight is explainable in terms of its influencing factors. Then when it comes to automated decision-making processes powered by AI, such as fuel price optimization, we implement additional guardrails to ensure that each decision outcome falls within parameters that are defined by the user.

Approaching to AI on a case-by-case basis eliminates the risk and maximizes the value derived from the latest in AI technology.