May Effler recently celebrated her 20-year anniversary with Onvo. She enjoys her job at the company’s Gibson, Pennsylvania, location so much that when it came time for her to retire from her position as store manager—a role she’d held for 12 years—she passed the torch to another team member and stayed on as a cashier.

Effler moved to the United States from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1973, and worked in the banking industry until she began as a cashier with Onvo in 2004.

She spoke with NACS Magazine about:

Why she loves working at a c-store:

Convenience stores offer the whole spectrum of anything someone would need, so we are the go-to place for people—from locals to people passing through on their travels. Through that, I have met so many interesting people over the years. We have people from all different cultures and from all over the world that come through our stores. You meet so many people from different walks of life here.

We get a lot of travelers being near the highway, and I like to ask them, “Where are you going on your journey?” I like hearing where they’re from and what they’re doing. It’s about so much more than just serving them and thanking them for their business, it’s about being personable.

What she finds most fulfilling about her job:

It’s being of help to people that need it. A lot of people will ask for directions and I can help them find their way or suggest a shorter route to them. Or if they’re looking for an item and we don’t have it, I’ll tell them where else they can find it, even if it’s across the street at another store. It’s about always being helpful to a customer—if a customer comes in and has a need, you are the one that serves that need.

To read the rest of the November 2024 NACS Magazine edition of Faces of the Industry, “A Helping Hand for Customers,” click here.