Each month, NACS Magazine publishes the “Bits & Bytes” column, addressing the technology issues that affect the convenience and fuel retailing industry. This month’s column is by Anthony Shop, co-founder and chief strategy officer for Social Driver, on the importance of connecting with customers. For more on technology topics, visit Conexxus.org or hear more from Shop at the Conexxus Annual Conference in Annapolis, April 26-30.

When my grandfather and his brother opened their full-service filling station in 1945, the world was different. For example, they used their pockets and a cigar box as a cash register, never paying a cent in credit card fees.

But over the years one thing hasn’t changed: Great businesses still put their customers at the center of everything they do. They understand success is not about finding new ways to market to customers; rather, customers are the marketing.

Nowhere is that philosophy more evident than in social media. In 2015, if your business doesn’t take social media seriously, then you aren’t taking your customers seriously. And it’s not all gimmicks and hashtags. The best companies don’t pursue clever new ways to interrupt their customers. Instead, they leverage new tools to do what great businesses have always done.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Listening has never been more important or accessible. A wealth of data is available thanks to Twitter, Google, Instagram and hundreds of other free and low-cost tools. You can investigate how much your competitor across town is charging for gas, or who experienced poor customer service at your store last night, all from your mobile phone.

Of course, we’re thrilled when we discover positive feedback. It gives us a chance to engage our customers in conversations — but it’s not always positive. We can’t shirk from negative feedback. It’s a free gift, telling us what’s not working so we can fix it, and in many cases giving us an opportunity to make right by responding directly to a customer.

Ask yourself: Where are your customers publicly sharing information about their experience with you, your products and your competitors? Are you actively listening, analyzing and learning from what you find?

Give people permission to speak. Social media lubricates and accelerates word-of-mouth marketing. Today, more than ever, customers are writing real-time autobiographies by posting birthday wishes on Facebook, checking into their office on Swarm, and uploading photos of their lunch to Instagram. To better understand and engage with our customers, let’s not look for new ways to tell our story. Instead, we have to become part of theirs.

Ask yourself: How can you become a character in your customer’s autobiography?

Serve customers where they are. Service doesn’t have to come from behind a counter. Technology empowers us to assist customers wherever they are, enhancing the value of our service and brand.

More than ever, consumers refuse to play by our rules — wait in lines, complete comment cards and call help lines. Social media has demolished these artificial barriers.

On a recent Virgin America flight, I corresponded with a customer service agent via Twitter about an upgrade gone wrong. Before the plane even pushed back from the gate, my problem was resolved and a refund issued.

Ask yourself: How are customers’ service expectations changing as a result of their everyday behaviors and interactions with other industries? How can you align customer service with 21st century culture?

This is how you put customers at the center of everything you do, and this is how you stay relevant in a fast-changing world.