Petroleum dealers in the State have written to the State-level oil industry coordinator, complaining of an oil company’s customer loyalty programme, called ‘Corona Warriors Xtra Rewards’, where fuel outlet owners and pump attendants were allegedly asked to canvass customers for the scheme, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme involves registering basic details of customers, including their e-mail IDs, on an app and linking their phone numbers so that they can earn redeemable points.
“In the process, attendants have to stand close to the customer to get an OTP and enter their phone number. The attendant gets ₹10 for every customer who agrees to register. The SOP issued by oil companies to be followed during the pandemic said no such schemes should be run. But the company is going against its own orders,” said K.P. Murali, president, Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers’ Association.
Association secretary Hyder Ali said that dealers were being threatened and told to meet daily targets, especially in the Coimbatore region. “If targets are not met, we are not given usual privileges like the credit facility to make payments. We are already struggling due to lack of business. We do not mind loyalty programmes, but this puts the lives of attendants at risk, unnecessarily. We want the company to withdraw it,” he said.
The scheme has been in operation from June and has been extended for July. Company sources said that it was a pan-India scheme being monitored and implemented from Mumbai. The phrase ‘Corona Warriors’ was being dropped, they added.
