Customers are set to enjoy a whole new experience and level of service when Esso City, in the centre of Hamilton's financial district, reopens its doors to the public next Monday.

There will be wireless Internet access for laptop computer users, a mighty selection of 30 types of coffees, an expanded ready to eat food selection, additional seating and fuel discounts for Taxi Association members.

The gas station at the junction of Par-La-Ville Road, Church Street and Richmond Road, closed about seven weeks ago after Esso decided not to renew the former dealer's contract.

But now the Tigermarket store and station under its new dealers Craig and Antoinette Cannonier is looking forward to a bright future.

Mr. and Mrs. Cannonier were approached by Esso a month ago to take over the station and get it back up and running.

The Cannoniers are also the business owners of the Esso gas station on South Road near Collector's Hill, where they have been in charge for the past four and a half years. They have produced a winning formula which they plan to apply at Esso City.

In an exclusive interview Mr. Cannonier told the Royal Gazette: "We have a good management team. I think one of the key things is to ensure that Collector's Hill doesn't suffer because of what is going on here, so we have aligned both on the businesses to be functioning well so the consumer shouldn't feel a difference.

"We have been in retail all of our lives and have always been involved as managers or general managers at various places.

"Our main priority here though is to restore consumer confidence - any time a place closes down people want to ask questions and find out what is going on, so it is important that we get the place up and running as soon as possible because the consumer has been inconvenienced. I gather customers had come to rely on this place, and I think what we are looking at today is bringing our management expertise to Esso City because we have been successful at Collector's Hill and we want to try and emulate that here."

Mr. Cannonier firmly believes that the key to achieving this is through top customer service.

"Customer service is the key - it is all about the customer and because today's market is so competitive in that we have got retail businesses all round us and even the nature of what we do has not been really changed, there are more players in the market," he said.

"It is important not just to provide you with the goods you want, but provide them with a flair with customer service that means something and that is the number one goal that we have.

"Gas stations are not just straight forward gas stations any more - people used to get their tyres fixed and their oil checked before, whereas with the kind of service station you have today we have traded the garage for a food store and so customer service has become of the upmost importance and the same kind of experience that people had down in Collector's Hill they can expect in Hamilton.

"Bermuda is an interesting market - it is unlike any other market in the world because we have such a mix of people and I think Bermuda is pretty much different in its own unique market and it is difficult to take something that works in another country and make it work here, so we will be focusing on what works well here."

The Cannoniers also reckon Esso City is unique in that it provides a 24-hour service tailored to what the customer wants.

Mrs. Cannonier said: "I think its is important to listen to what your customers tell you and do what works.

"If your customers want a particular product or service you can provide you need to listen to what their requests are.

"I think that Esso City's uniqueness is in that we do have things going on that other businesses provide, but this is a 24-hour operation, so you are still able to get products and services from here when the rest of the city closes.

"I think we offer something that no one else offers in the city."

The new look station will offer a range of new services including everything from 30 types of coffee on an 'island' stand as well as teas and baked goods such as bread puddings to additional seating and a wireless service for laptop and other computer users. In addition, Esso will be offering discounts on fuel to members of the Taxi Association.

"I think the biggest difference will be in how we do things," said Mr. Cannonier. "We know this material works - it is just about executing it well and that is the challenge and that is where we come in."

Esso are also putting an emphasis on training and retraining new and existing staff in the day-to-day running of the station, including food preparation and cooking.

"Training is a very important and ongoing training will be a major part of what happens here in Esso City," said Mr. Cannonier. "Staff from Collector's Hill will be coming here to help out and to lend their experience."

With the reopening now less than a week away, the Cannoniers are excited about the prospect of trading recommencing again on one of the City's busiest forecourts.

"We are every day people and we will work hard to ensure that things are done well and efficiently," said Mr. Cannonier.

"We lead by example and today I might be working with the pump attendants, tomorrow with the cashiers and the next day with the guys in the food department and they know that I am with them helping out and doing my bit.

"Gone are the days when you could just open up a business and take a step back from it.

"With today's competitive market we need to take hold of this opportunity and make it happen.

"People are going to be looking at the closed station and saying 'What is going on there then - Esso is a big name and a big company, so why is it closed?', but when it reopens we are going to be relying on what we are do and what we do best, and that is serving our customers well and hopefully the customer will repay their confidence in us."