Hey hey -- our lowest price for a gallon of Regular gas since the end of April.
My roommate says gas prices are coming down because members of Congress are looking into why gas prices have been so high -- especially on the West Coast.
Hmmm, Good Luck with that. You can bet that members of Congress aren't going to look TOO FAR into the business of governmentally-subsidized oil companies. Bet on that.
Meanwhile, we finally got some fake "CASH" and "CREDIT/DEBIT" signs posted on our big station ID sign out in front of the store, so there's been a lot less screaming about our prices. Thank Ghod. The whole cash-discount vs. card thing is still bogus, though. I don't really blame people for screaming about that. Wish they'd be a little nicer, though....
More soon!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
$4.08! (cash)
It's the end of the first week of June and a cool rain is falling over the gorgeous Pacific Northwest as Monsoon Season continues....
We're at $4.08 per gallon for Regular gas, a drop of 10 cents from yesterday and a pretty good deal in our neighborhood -- if people could get it into their thick heads. We're 2 to 16 cents cheaper than our two competitors at our intersection, but nobody seems to notice that -- they're too busy trying to zing us for being misleading about our posted gas prices....
But at least people have been nicer the past two nights than they were last Sunday night. Thank Ghod....
Around 11 p.m. tonight a guy came in, filled up his truck with $75 worth of gas, then complained when he was charged $4.16 per gallon -- because he used a credit card at the gas pump rather than paying me cash. He felt we were being deceptive and threatened to call our parent company/headquarters office to complain.
I gave him their 1-800 toll-free number and wished him luck. We'll see how that turns out....
By the way, the "discount" he didn't get for using a charge card totaled $1.44. If he wants to cause trouble over $1.44, more power to him. It's the principle of the thing, right...?
We're at $4.08 per gallon for Regular gas, a drop of 10 cents from yesterday and a pretty good deal in our neighborhood -- if people could get it into their thick heads. We're 2 to 16 cents cheaper than our two competitors at our intersection, but nobody seems to notice that -- they're too busy trying to zing us for being misleading about our posted gas prices....
But at least people have been nicer the past two nights than they were last Sunday night. Thank Ghod....
Around 11 p.m. tonight a guy came in, filled up his truck with $75 worth of gas, then complained when he was charged $4.16 per gallon -- because he used a credit card at the gas pump rather than paying me cash. He felt we were being deceptive and threatened to call our parent company/headquarters office to complain.
I gave him their 1-800 toll-free number and wished him luck. We'll see how that turns out....
By the way, the "discount" he didn't get for using a charge card totaled $1.44. If he wants to cause trouble over $1.44, more power to him. It's the principle of the thing, right...?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Second Anniversary (a little late....)
A couple years back, I started this blog because I was spending too much time writing about Work over at my other blog, TAD's Back-Up Plan, which was supposed to be mainly for music and book reviews. I figured if my job was making me THAT crazy, maybe it needed more space....
And one of the first things I learned was that I didn't really want to think about my job or write about it all that much. I've written more posts since February of this year (due to increasing gas prices) than I did in the previous 18 months....
There's still some things I'd like to do. The gas-price updates will continue until we get back down to a reasonable price -- whatever that is -- or until I get fired. Which COULD happen, the way this summer is starting ... but more on that below.
I'd still like to do a piece on DRUNKS -- but they've mellowed-out lately. Or else I have. Anyway, I'm getting along with them better. Most nights....
I'd still like to do a piece on The Gas Nazi's Ten Commandments. But I also know well one of the Blogging Commandments: Thou Shalt Not Write A Post Before Its Time. So that one's gonna have to cook for a little longer....
Anyway, to the handful of folks who are out there reading this, many thanks.
And when I get fired, you'll be the first to know.
And then I'll have to think of Something Else to call this blog....
By the way, our current price for a gallon of Regular gas is $4.18. If you're paying cash. If you're using a debit or credit card, you'll pay $4.26 per gallon.
My boss put this new system into effect last Wednesday, but it took people until Sunday to realize what was going on, and then they REALLY started complaining.
I'm against anything that gives people more reasons to bitch.
The basic gist is lots of people seem to think we're doing something wrong, that there's some kind of rip-off going on.
There isn't.
The station across the street from us does this; the station over the hill from us does it; LOTS of stations across the country give a price-break for paying cash.
People just hate change. And they love a chance to complain.
And they're rude as hell about it, too.
Right after I got to work Sunday night, SIX CUSTOMERS IN A ROW zinged me about the price, about why card-users didn't get a break. Three of them left. One woman said if she'd known she got a break for paying cash, she wouldn't have used her credit card. She was going to hang up the pump and pay for the rest of the gas in cash, but then she realized her car was almost full, so.....
I admit that the signs telling people what's going on could be A LOT more obvious. A LOT MORE. But it's an old station with old equipment -- don't get me started -- and YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT. And in the meantime, the employees take the beating.
One woman argued with me for 5 minutes over the 80-cent price break she DIDN'T get by using a credit card. After pointing out what a small amount of money she was worried about, I offered her the 80 cents if it would make her feel better.
"I don't want that," she said. "It's just ... it's CHEATING!"
WHAT DO YOU WANT?!
Then 2 gas pumps decided to act stupid all night. First they'd work, then they wouldn't. First they'd read credit cards, then they wouldn't. My boss came in and fixed them by throwing computer switches in the back room, and THEN they worked great. For ONE customer. And then it was back to a guessing game.
At 11:30 p.m. a woman came in and tried to get gas out of one of these stupid pumps -- the card-reader screen was hash, she couldn't see what she was doing. When I offered to set her up, I realized I had NO FAITH she was going to get her gas out of that pump, so I advised her to move somewhere else.
"I don't mean to be rude, but is your gas any good?" she asked. "I mean with your little signs and notes all over everything, I don't get it. My truck won't run on bad gas...."
"Ma'am," I said, "I've worked here 8-1/2 years. The gas is good. It's just the EQUIPMENT that keeps on breaking down."
She left. Was I not nice enough? At least I didn't tell her to keep her stupid opinions to herself.
Hey, we've got a lot of problems, no point denying it. Pumps don't always work. Printers don't always print receipts when you use your credit card. The boss still hasn't fixed the faceplate on a pump somebody punched-in two years ago. We've got our problems.
And then there's just the high price of gas, of course.
And the employees take the beating for all the problems. Especially the ones we can't fix.
And how well do things work where you work? Does everything ALWAYS work perfectly? 24/7? No matter what kind of a beating the equipment takes?
All in all, the worst night I've had at work in months.
Happy anniversary.
I'm gonna go grump through my weekend.
Think I'll start by being in a coma through most of Monday.
More eventually....
And one of the first things I learned was that I didn't really want to think about my job or write about it all that much. I've written more posts since February of this year (due to increasing gas prices) than I did in the previous 18 months....
There's still some things I'd like to do. The gas-price updates will continue until we get back down to a reasonable price -- whatever that is -- or until I get fired. Which COULD happen, the way this summer is starting ... but more on that below.
I'd still like to do a piece on DRUNKS -- but they've mellowed-out lately. Or else I have. Anyway, I'm getting along with them better. Most nights....
I'd still like to do a piece on The Gas Nazi's Ten Commandments. But I also know well one of the Blogging Commandments: Thou Shalt Not Write A Post Before Its Time. So that one's gonna have to cook for a little longer....
Anyway, to the handful of folks who are out there reading this, many thanks.
And when I get fired, you'll be the first to know.
And then I'll have to think of Something Else to call this blog....
By the way, our current price for a gallon of Regular gas is $4.18. If you're paying cash. If you're using a debit or credit card, you'll pay $4.26 per gallon.
My boss put this new system into effect last Wednesday, but it took people until Sunday to realize what was going on, and then they REALLY started complaining.
I'm against anything that gives people more reasons to bitch.
The basic gist is lots of people seem to think we're doing something wrong, that there's some kind of rip-off going on.
There isn't.
The station across the street from us does this; the station over the hill from us does it; LOTS of stations across the country give a price-break for paying cash.
People just hate change. And they love a chance to complain.
And they're rude as hell about it, too.
Right after I got to work Sunday night, SIX CUSTOMERS IN A ROW zinged me about the price, about why card-users didn't get a break. Three of them left. One woman said if she'd known she got a break for paying cash, she wouldn't have used her credit card. She was going to hang up the pump and pay for the rest of the gas in cash, but then she realized her car was almost full, so.....
I admit that the signs telling people what's going on could be A LOT more obvious. A LOT MORE. But it's an old station with old equipment -- don't get me started -- and YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT. And in the meantime, the employees take the beating.
One woman argued with me for 5 minutes over the 80-cent price break she DIDN'T get by using a credit card. After pointing out what a small amount of money she was worried about, I offered her the 80 cents if it would make her feel better.
"I don't want that," she said. "It's just ... it's CHEATING!"
WHAT DO YOU WANT?!
Then 2 gas pumps decided to act stupid all night. First they'd work, then they wouldn't. First they'd read credit cards, then they wouldn't. My boss came in and fixed them by throwing computer switches in the back room, and THEN they worked great. For ONE customer. And then it was back to a guessing game.
At 11:30 p.m. a woman came in and tried to get gas out of one of these stupid pumps -- the card-reader screen was hash, she couldn't see what she was doing. When I offered to set her up, I realized I had NO FAITH she was going to get her gas out of that pump, so I advised her to move somewhere else.
"I don't mean to be rude, but is your gas any good?" she asked. "I mean with your little signs and notes all over everything, I don't get it. My truck won't run on bad gas...."
"Ma'am," I said, "I've worked here 8-1/2 years. The gas is good. It's just the EQUIPMENT that keeps on breaking down."
She left. Was I not nice enough? At least I didn't tell her to keep her stupid opinions to herself.
Hey, we've got a lot of problems, no point denying it. Pumps don't always work. Printers don't always print receipts when you use your credit card. The boss still hasn't fixed the faceplate on a pump somebody punched-in two years ago. We've got our problems.
And then there's just the high price of gas, of course.
And the employees take the beating for all the problems. Especially the ones we can't fix.
And how well do things work where you work? Does everything ALWAYS work perfectly? 24/7? No matter what kind of a beating the equipment takes?
All in all, the worst night I've had at work in months.
Happy anniversary.
I'm gonna go grump through my weekend.
Think I'll start by being in a coma through most of Monday.
More eventually....
Monday, May 28, 2012
Media Fail
Hope you had a great Memorial Day holiday weekend, and as you may have noticed, gas prices DID NOT GO UP 30 TO 50 CENTS PER GALLON LIKE THE NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA HAD PREDICTED.
At least they didn't in my neighborhood. We're still sitting at $4.24, just like we were last Thursday night -- a price hike of 7 CENTS for the big profit-taking weekend.
How about you?
So, the world didn't end. Again.
More and more often these days, I get pissed off at the national media. Every time they predict something, some end-of-the-world calamity guaranteed to spoil your vacation, IT FAILS TO HAPPEN. I swear they do it just to make people panic, just to make people look stupid.
As a former reporter, I don't think this kind of prediction should be considered as the media "doing its job." If the media was doing its job, it would tell you in a clear, detailed, in-depth way how Mitt Romney plans to save this country.
But they can't be bothered to do that. And Romney doesn't have a plan anyway.
Too bad no media types have enough balls to ASK him.
...Course it wasn't just the media. The guy who delivered our last gas shipment last Friday morning said he was POSITIVE gas prices were going to go up 30 to 50 cents over the weekend. This guy should KNOW, he DELIVERS the stuff....
Lots of people still think Obama's to blame for high gas prices. You might as well blame God. Obama has nothing to do with it. But oil companies and those slimeballs who speculate on future gas prices, they have a lot to answer for.
One guy in the store over the weekend said that if high gas prices will keep Obama from being re-elected, he'll take the higher gas prices....
Lotta stupid people out there.
Don't let the media herd you into doing something just because they think they have the power. That's how we ended up with things like the annual "Black Friday" start to Christmas shopping season. And what a great national tradition THAT'S become, right?
In fact, consider that maybe you SHOULD do everything the media tells you NOT to. What the hell do THEY know? Red wine causes cancer? Better stock up! Red meat will make your intestines fall out? Broil me up another steak!
EVERYBODY has a hidden agenda -- the national news media is no different. Any time they predict disaster, they're just softening you up for it to happen. Where was the all-knowing media when the housing market crashed? Where were their all-seeing predictions then? Where was the all-knowing media when the economy went down the toilet? Probably trying to figure out if Michael Jackson was still dead.
Think for yourselves, while you still can. Before it's too late. And don't be swayed by stupid predictions of "disaster" from those who supposedly Know Better Than We Do. It's probably bullshit.
COMING VERY SOON: The Nazi marks its Second Anniversary....
At least they didn't in my neighborhood. We're still sitting at $4.24, just like we were last Thursday night -- a price hike of 7 CENTS for the big profit-taking weekend.
How about you?
So, the world didn't end. Again.
More and more often these days, I get pissed off at the national media. Every time they predict something, some end-of-the-world calamity guaranteed to spoil your vacation, IT FAILS TO HAPPEN. I swear they do it just to make people panic, just to make people look stupid.
As a former reporter, I don't think this kind of prediction should be considered as the media "doing its job." If the media was doing its job, it would tell you in a clear, detailed, in-depth way how Mitt Romney plans to save this country.
But they can't be bothered to do that. And Romney doesn't have a plan anyway.
Too bad no media types have enough balls to ASK him.
...Course it wasn't just the media. The guy who delivered our last gas shipment last Friday morning said he was POSITIVE gas prices were going to go up 30 to 50 cents over the weekend. This guy should KNOW, he DELIVERS the stuff....
Lots of people still think Obama's to blame for high gas prices. You might as well blame God. Obama has nothing to do with it. But oil companies and those slimeballs who speculate on future gas prices, they have a lot to answer for.
One guy in the store over the weekend said that if high gas prices will keep Obama from being re-elected, he'll take the higher gas prices....
Lotta stupid people out there.
Don't let the media herd you into doing something just because they think they have the power. That's how we ended up with things like the annual "Black Friday" start to Christmas shopping season. And what a great national tradition THAT'S become, right?
In fact, consider that maybe you SHOULD do everything the media tells you NOT to. What the hell do THEY know? Red wine causes cancer? Better stock up! Red meat will make your intestines fall out? Broil me up another steak!
EVERYBODY has a hidden agenda -- the national news media is no different. Any time they predict disaster, they're just softening you up for it to happen. Where was the all-knowing media when the housing market crashed? Where were their all-seeing predictions then? Where was the all-knowing media when the economy went down the toilet? Probably trying to figure out if Michael Jackson was still dead.
Think for yourselves, while you still can. Before it's too late. And don't be swayed by stupid predictions of "disaster" from those who supposedly Know Better Than We Do. It's probably bullshit.
COMING VERY SOON: The Nazi marks its Second Anniversary....
Friday, May 25, 2012
$4.24, down from $4.27!
Just in time for the Memorial Day Weekend....
On Thursday afternoon, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas up 10 cents to $4.27. But he dropped the price 3 cents later Thursday night, so we're now sitting at $4.24.
Could be worse. I heard the national TV news was predicting gas prices might rise from 20 to 50 cents per gallon this weekend. That would be pretty hard to believe -- it's never happened before. And at least we haven't hit $5 per gallon like everyone was predicting....
I don't know how reasonable $4.24 is -- I've heard prices as high as $4.35 quoted in the last week, I just haven't SEEN them.
I'm still not sure what's driving this recent price rise. Oil barrel prices still seem to be dropping, according to the media. My boss might be competing against the newly-opened gas station across the street. Those folks don't seem to be doing that well.
Don't think it's DEMAND, either. We've been pretty steadily busy, lately. We'll see if this Memorial Day breaks any records. I kind of doubt it....
More soon, including the official Second Anniversary of this blog. What will I do to celebrate...?
On Thursday afternoon, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas up 10 cents to $4.27. But he dropped the price 3 cents later Thursday night, so we're now sitting at $4.24.
Could be worse. I heard the national TV news was predicting gas prices might rise from 20 to 50 cents per gallon this weekend. That would be pretty hard to believe -- it's never happened before. And at least we haven't hit $5 per gallon like everyone was predicting....
I don't know how reasonable $4.24 is -- I've heard prices as high as $4.35 quoted in the last week, I just haven't SEEN them.
I'm still not sure what's driving this recent price rise. Oil barrel prices still seem to be dropping, according to the media. My boss might be competing against the newly-opened gas station across the street. Those folks don't seem to be doing that well.
Don't think it's DEMAND, either. We've been pretty steadily busy, lately. We'll see if this Memorial Day breaks any records. I kind of doubt it....
More soon, including the official Second Anniversary of this blog. What will I do to celebrate...?
Saturday, May 12, 2012
$4.17!
Seriously? Our price for a gallon of Regular gas has gone up 22 cents since Wednesday. Still haven't heard what's driving this. We still might hit $5 per gallon by Memorial Day....
More soon....
More soon....
Friday, May 11, 2012
$4.07!
Our price for a gallon of Regular gas went up to $4.07 on Thursday, up 12 cents in 2 days. A couple customers wondered if we were beating up on them for Mother's Day weekend? I told them to wait for Memorial Day....
I still don't get what's driving the latest price increase, but I don't really want to talk about that.
What I want to do instead is talk about the worst customer I've had in awhile....
I said awhile back that it's been a very smooth and mellow last couple of weeks? Well, that sort of came to an end on Thursday.
During Rush Hour I had a guy chew on me like I haven't been zinged in awhile. He left me shaking. He was scary.
The sun was out, a beautiful afternoon, and it was mildly busy. In the middle of it, a big red pickup pulls up to Pump #1. An older guy climbs out, runs his card, everything seems to be OK. After his card is accepted, I check on the computer screen to make sure he's getting his gas OK, like I do with everybody, because I don't like to get blindsided by problems.
The old guy takes a LONG time to start pumping his gas. WAY TOO LONG. I start thinking there might be a problem. Probably nothing major. #1 might've lost pressure -- happens all the time with our old pumps, nothing major. The guy might have to start from scratch, hang up and slide his card again, but no big deal. Happens almost every day.
I have another customer in the store, looking for drinks. Normally I wouldn't leave the cash register but.... I take another look.
The guy on #1 STILL hasn't started pumping his gas. About 30 seconds have passed, maybe a minute, and he's just staring at the pump.
So I go out there.
"Looks like you're having a little trouble with #1...." I start.
"Yeah," the old guy says, "when the hell am I gonna get some gas here? I keep pressing START and it won't start."
Sure as hell, he's got the nozzle in his gas tank, but the pump's still beeping at him -- something hasn't kicked in.
He's got the PLUS nozzle in his tank.
"Are you trying to get PLUS?" I ask.
"No, I want Regular, and I keep pressing Regular, but nothing happens!"
"That's because you picked up the PLUS," I say gently. I pick up the Regular nozzle, hang up the Plus, and put the Regular in his gas tank.
"Now how do I get the damn thing started?" he asks.
"Just press start," I say, pressing gently on the button that says PRESS HERE.
"It doesn't say START," he says. "I've been pressing everything, but nothing says START. You've got REALLY BAD, UNCLEAR DIRECTIONS here. And I pressed the Intercom button SEVERAL TIMES, but it doesn't seem to work either."
We've never had an intercom, but I don't tell him this. At this point I'm already backing away with my hands up, because this guy is ABSOLUTELY SEETHING. I thought at first that maybe he couldn't see too well and I'd unintentionally embarrassed him by hanging up the Plus and setting him up with the Regular he wanted. But it was becoming clear that he was going to complain about everything. He was already angry -- or at least distracted -- before I ever spoke to him.
And if he couldn't see that well, why was he DRIVING?
I kept backing away as the guy kept talking to himself. I went back in the store and the guy quickly finished pumping his gas. He hung up and drove away with a screech, and I looked at the computer to see how much gas he'd bought.
He did all that complaining for $10.19 in gas. Still not sure precisely what he was on about. He didn't seem to be drunk. Just VERY angry. Over Ghod knows what. But do people really need an excuse anymore?
I was still shaking because of how angry he got about not being able to see -- or apparently hear. Nothing could be simpler than our gas pumps: You slide your card, you pump your gas, you go away happy. But people have GOT to make it complicated.
After that, the folks who were rude and the folks who complained about the price didn't bother me too much. And the one guy who suggested that with gas prices like ours, we should toss in sodas for free -- I suggested he take that up with my boss. Does everybody say whatever pops into their head all the time?
I also reminded him we haven't yet come near the record high price from 2008 -- $4.59 for a gallon of Regular.
But there's plenty of time....
Can't wait for Summer! Can't wait for Memorial Day!
I still don't get what's driving the latest price increase, but I don't really want to talk about that.
What I want to do instead is talk about the worst customer I've had in awhile....
I said awhile back that it's been a very smooth and mellow last couple of weeks? Well, that sort of came to an end on Thursday.
During Rush Hour I had a guy chew on me like I haven't been zinged in awhile. He left me shaking. He was scary.
The sun was out, a beautiful afternoon, and it was mildly busy. In the middle of it, a big red pickup pulls up to Pump #1. An older guy climbs out, runs his card, everything seems to be OK. After his card is accepted, I check on the computer screen to make sure he's getting his gas OK, like I do with everybody, because I don't like to get blindsided by problems.
The old guy takes a LONG time to start pumping his gas. WAY TOO LONG. I start thinking there might be a problem. Probably nothing major. #1 might've lost pressure -- happens all the time with our old pumps, nothing major. The guy might have to start from scratch, hang up and slide his card again, but no big deal. Happens almost every day.
I have another customer in the store, looking for drinks. Normally I wouldn't leave the cash register but.... I take another look.
The guy on #1 STILL hasn't started pumping his gas. About 30 seconds have passed, maybe a minute, and he's just staring at the pump.
So I go out there.
"Looks like you're having a little trouble with #1...." I start.
"Yeah," the old guy says, "when the hell am I gonna get some gas here? I keep pressing START and it won't start."
Sure as hell, he's got the nozzle in his gas tank, but the pump's still beeping at him -- something hasn't kicked in.
He's got the PLUS nozzle in his tank.
"Are you trying to get PLUS?" I ask.
"No, I want Regular, and I keep pressing Regular, but nothing happens!"
"That's because you picked up the PLUS," I say gently. I pick up the Regular nozzle, hang up the Plus, and put the Regular in his gas tank.
"Now how do I get the damn thing started?" he asks.
"Just press start," I say, pressing gently on the button that says PRESS HERE.
"It doesn't say START," he says. "I've been pressing everything, but nothing says START. You've got REALLY BAD, UNCLEAR DIRECTIONS here. And I pressed the Intercom button SEVERAL TIMES, but it doesn't seem to work either."
We've never had an intercom, but I don't tell him this. At this point I'm already backing away with my hands up, because this guy is ABSOLUTELY SEETHING. I thought at first that maybe he couldn't see too well and I'd unintentionally embarrassed him by hanging up the Plus and setting him up with the Regular he wanted. But it was becoming clear that he was going to complain about everything. He was already angry -- or at least distracted -- before I ever spoke to him.
And if he couldn't see that well, why was he DRIVING?
I kept backing away as the guy kept talking to himself. I went back in the store and the guy quickly finished pumping his gas. He hung up and drove away with a screech, and I looked at the computer to see how much gas he'd bought.
He did all that complaining for $10.19 in gas. Still not sure precisely what he was on about. He didn't seem to be drunk. Just VERY angry. Over Ghod knows what. But do people really need an excuse anymore?
I was still shaking because of how angry he got about not being able to see -- or apparently hear. Nothing could be simpler than our gas pumps: You slide your card, you pump your gas, you go away happy. But people have GOT to make it complicated.
After that, the folks who were rude and the folks who complained about the price didn't bother me too much. And the one guy who suggested that with gas prices like ours, we should toss in sodas for free -- I suggested he take that up with my boss. Does everybody say whatever pops into their head all the time?
I also reminded him we haven't yet come near the record high price from 2008 -- $4.59 for a gallon of Regular.
But there's plenty of time....
Can't wait for Summer! Can't wait for Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
$4.03!
The price for a barrel of oil must have gone up. On Wednesday, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas to $3.99 in the morning, and then to $4.03 in the afternoon.
Strange, I thought oil-barrel prices had been going DOWN.... There might still be time to hit $5 per gallon by summer....
It's been a pretty smooth and quiet last couple of weeks, though. Our customers have at least mellowed out a bit as the weather has improved. Thank Ghod.
More soon....
Strange, I thought oil-barrel prices had been going DOWN.... There might still be time to hit $5 per gallon by summer....
It's been a pretty smooth and quiet last couple of weeks, though. Our customers have at least mellowed out a bit as the weather has improved. Thank Ghod.
More soon....
Thursday, April 26, 2012
$3.95!
Our gas price continues to drop, rather quickly. We came down another 4 cents per gallon as of Wednesday morning. By not buying gas for a couple of days I actually saved ... about 50 cents, total. But what the hey....
Wednesday night at work wasn't bad, pretty smooth and quiet, but the weather here has taken a turn for the worse -- "monsoon season" has followed up the three or four days' worth of sun and temps in the 60s and 70s that we had last week. We've been cool and rainy since Monday. In fact, almost the entire country is warmer than we are, right now.
Just another glorious Spring in western Washington. More soon....
Wednesday night at work wasn't bad, pretty smooth and quiet, but the weather here has taken a turn for the worse -- "monsoon season" has followed up the three or four days' worth of sun and temps in the 60s and 70s that we had last week. We've been cool and rainy since Monday. In fact, almost the entire country is warmer than we are, right now.
Just another glorious Spring in western Washington. More soon....
Monday, April 23, 2012
$3.99!
Hey, first time we've been under $4 for a gallon of Regular gas since the end of February. I thought gas was going to be $5 per gallon by Summer? There's still time....
Besides, we're sort of involved in a small-scale Gas War right now. We have a newly-opened Chevron station directly across the street from us -- first time that station's been open in 4 years. And we have a Fred Meyer gas station kitty-corner across the street from us. On Monday afternoon, when our Regular price was posted at $3.99, Fred Meyer's was at $3.98 and the Chevron's was at $3.97. I was working at our station 4 years ago, the last time we had competition directly across the street, and I'm not worried. But it should make for an interesting Summer....
It's already been an interesting Spring. Though every day hasn't been an award-winner, the weather here has been MUCH better over the past couple weeks, with most days sunny and temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s. On Sunday it finally got above 70.
There were A LOT of people out over the weekend to enjoy the FINALLY warmer weather -- this past Friday night was my busiest work night since last Thanksgiving. Everybody wants it to be Spring, and I don't blame them. Western Washington could use about 18 months of uninterrupted sun and mild temperatures after the past couple Winters we've had.
But the nicer weather is also an invitation for the assholes to come out. That's the reality.
All weekend I had people screaming at work -- people arguing in the parking lot during their supposed Friday night partying, people yelling at me when I couldn't give them what they wanted and the store was jammed, people yelling at my co-worker on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, customers yelling at each other and cutting each other off in the parking lot on Sunday night.
It wasn't just at my store, either. When I was outside emptying garbage cans on Sunday night, I heard -- and THEN saw -- horns blaring and backed-up traffic at the stoplight just down the hill from our gas pumps. A blonde climbed out of the passenger's side of her SUV -- which was second in the line of traffic waiting at the turn signal -- and POUNDED on the passenger's-side window of the minivan in front of her: "What in the hell's WRONG with you, you stupid fucking bitch?!" the blonde screamed. "The fucking light's GREEN!"
Drivers waiting to turn left went around the stalled minivan ON THE LEFT, driving INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, to make their turn. A few seconds later a tow-truck showed up with its lights going, so obviously the minivan had broken down -- but the driver got no breaks from the traffic.
One of our Regulars got cut-off in our parking lot after paying for his gas and WALKING BACK TO HIS TRUCK -- the driver missed him by about a foot. The Regular told me afterward that they'd had a previous altercation across the street at Fred Meyer's -- and the idiot had followed our Regular across the street to have A Few More Words....
And all this yelling happened on an absolutely GORGEOUS Sunday evening....
All this beautiful Spring weather -- people just can't take it.
And what's all this about being so grumpy on the weekend? Doesn't anybody know how to have a good time anymore?
All night Friday there were drunks yelling and arguing in the parking lot. Several times I heard guys yelling about how fed up they were about "all this fuckin' shit!" Is this how we're spending our weekends now -- getting drunk and angry when we're supposed to be having a good time?
I had more than 225 paying customers this past Friday night, and only 2 of them yelled at me, so I guess that's a pretty good success rate. Everything else went pretty smoothly, like most Friday nights do. But those 2....
One guy got pissed when his credit card got declined at the gas pump and I wouldn't let him fill-up. He sent his girlfriend in first to work it out. I offered to set her up for a dollar amount, but she didn't want to do that -- she said she'd try it again. I gave her clear directions on how to make the system work, and I was very nice to her -- I'm ALWAYS nice to nice women. The second time they got declined, HE came in.
"I don't want to talk!" he shouted, "I just want to pay for $20 of gas, and I don't want you to say A WORD!"
I closed my mouth and my eyes and held up my hands. I thought I'd better risk it:
"Do you want to go debit or credit on this?" I asked.
Once I got him set up I figured I was going to get off easy, but when he was halfway out the door, he came back for more:
"You ought to stop ordering people around!" he said. "We had an EMERGENCY! We were in a HURRY! And all you did was slow us down! You should stop bossing people around and listen to what THEY want sometimes...."
Yeah, that's always worked before. Just let you fill-up with gas you can't pay for. Yeah, I should try that.
The other yeller came in when the store was jammed. Somehow she managed to lock-up a gas pump. It said it was ready to go, but she couldn't get it to pump any gas. I couldn't help her -- there were half a dozen people in the store and all the gas pumps were working -- except hers -- and I was locked into staying inside until the store cleared out. She left in a huff, and when she drove by the front door she yelled out "Thanks for nothing!" Another satisfied customer.
When the smoke cleared, I went out to the pump, flipped a switch, and the blockage went away.
When I went into work Sunday afternoon, a customer was yelling at one of my co-workers, lecturing her about how no other gas station in the area has the problems that ours does. (He may be right, but ... DEAL WITH IT.) He wanted to fill-up on a pump we couldn't set him up on, and my co-worker was trying to explain this, but he was too busy lecturing to hear her. He was running her over. He was already angry before he ever came into the store.
So I jumped in, and told him if he moved to another pump we could set him up and let him fill up. He didn't want to move, it was too much trouble, and he started lecturing again. He just wanted to have an argument with somebody.
So I told him to take his credit card and go somewhere else.
And he did.
And I felt good about it.
Because I'm tired of all of us at the store getting abused 24/7 about things we can't control and can't fix. (A new set of gas pumps with new electronics and new credit-card-readers costs about $250,000 -- so if you've got a spare $250K....)
The only downside was, I wasn't punched-in on the time-clock, so I didn't get paid for having the argument!
I don't get it. What could be easier than buying gas at a gas station? You pay for your gas, you pump your gas, you go on your merry way. Why do people have to make it so hard?
What is with people? Why do they think that when the weather gets nice, civility goes right out the window?
Besides, we're sort of involved in a small-scale Gas War right now. We have a newly-opened Chevron station directly across the street from us -- first time that station's been open in 4 years. And we have a Fred Meyer gas station kitty-corner across the street from us. On Monday afternoon, when our Regular price was posted at $3.99, Fred Meyer's was at $3.98 and the Chevron's was at $3.97. I was working at our station 4 years ago, the last time we had competition directly across the street, and I'm not worried. But it should make for an interesting Summer....
It's already been an interesting Spring. Though every day hasn't been an award-winner, the weather here has been MUCH better over the past couple weeks, with most days sunny and temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s. On Sunday it finally got above 70.
There were A LOT of people out over the weekend to enjoy the FINALLY warmer weather -- this past Friday night was my busiest work night since last Thanksgiving. Everybody wants it to be Spring, and I don't blame them. Western Washington could use about 18 months of uninterrupted sun and mild temperatures after the past couple Winters we've had.
But the nicer weather is also an invitation for the assholes to come out. That's the reality.
All weekend I had people screaming at work -- people arguing in the parking lot during their supposed Friday night partying, people yelling at me when I couldn't give them what they wanted and the store was jammed, people yelling at my co-worker on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, customers yelling at each other and cutting each other off in the parking lot on Sunday night.
It wasn't just at my store, either. When I was outside emptying garbage cans on Sunday night, I heard -- and THEN saw -- horns blaring and backed-up traffic at the stoplight just down the hill from our gas pumps. A blonde climbed out of the passenger's side of her SUV -- which was second in the line of traffic waiting at the turn signal -- and POUNDED on the passenger's-side window of the minivan in front of her: "What in the hell's WRONG with you, you stupid fucking bitch?!" the blonde screamed. "The fucking light's GREEN!"
Drivers waiting to turn left went around the stalled minivan ON THE LEFT, driving INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, to make their turn. A few seconds later a tow-truck showed up with its lights going, so obviously the minivan had broken down -- but the driver got no breaks from the traffic.
One of our Regulars got cut-off in our parking lot after paying for his gas and WALKING BACK TO HIS TRUCK -- the driver missed him by about a foot. The Regular told me afterward that they'd had a previous altercation across the street at Fred Meyer's -- and the idiot had followed our Regular across the street to have A Few More Words....
And all this yelling happened on an absolutely GORGEOUS Sunday evening....
All this beautiful Spring weather -- people just can't take it.
And what's all this about being so grumpy on the weekend? Doesn't anybody know how to have a good time anymore?
All night Friday there were drunks yelling and arguing in the parking lot. Several times I heard guys yelling about how fed up they were about "all this fuckin' shit!" Is this how we're spending our weekends now -- getting drunk and angry when we're supposed to be having a good time?
I had more than 225 paying customers this past Friday night, and only 2 of them yelled at me, so I guess that's a pretty good success rate. Everything else went pretty smoothly, like most Friday nights do. But those 2....
One guy got pissed when his credit card got declined at the gas pump and I wouldn't let him fill-up. He sent his girlfriend in first to work it out. I offered to set her up for a dollar amount, but she didn't want to do that -- she said she'd try it again. I gave her clear directions on how to make the system work, and I was very nice to her -- I'm ALWAYS nice to nice women. The second time they got declined, HE came in.
"I don't want to talk!" he shouted, "I just want to pay for $20 of gas, and I don't want you to say A WORD!"
I closed my mouth and my eyes and held up my hands. I thought I'd better risk it:
"Do you want to go debit or credit on this?" I asked.
Once I got him set up I figured I was going to get off easy, but when he was halfway out the door, he came back for more:
"You ought to stop ordering people around!" he said. "We had an EMERGENCY! We were in a HURRY! And all you did was slow us down! You should stop bossing people around and listen to what THEY want sometimes...."
Yeah, that's always worked before. Just let you fill-up with gas you can't pay for. Yeah, I should try that.
The other yeller came in when the store was jammed. Somehow she managed to lock-up a gas pump. It said it was ready to go, but she couldn't get it to pump any gas. I couldn't help her -- there were half a dozen people in the store and all the gas pumps were working -- except hers -- and I was locked into staying inside until the store cleared out. She left in a huff, and when she drove by the front door she yelled out "Thanks for nothing!" Another satisfied customer.
When the smoke cleared, I went out to the pump, flipped a switch, and the blockage went away.
When I went into work Sunday afternoon, a customer was yelling at one of my co-workers, lecturing her about how no other gas station in the area has the problems that ours does. (He may be right, but ... DEAL WITH IT.) He wanted to fill-up on a pump we couldn't set him up on, and my co-worker was trying to explain this, but he was too busy lecturing to hear her. He was running her over. He was already angry before he ever came into the store.
So I jumped in, and told him if he moved to another pump we could set him up and let him fill up. He didn't want to move, it was too much trouble, and he started lecturing again. He just wanted to have an argument with somebody.
So I told him to take his credit card and go somewhere else.
And he did.
And I felt good about it.
Because I'm tired of all of us at the store getting abused 24/7 about things we can't control and can't fix. (A new set of gas pumps with new electronics and new credit-card-readers costs about $250,000 -- so if you've got a spare $250K....)
The only downside was, I wasn't punched-in on the time-clock, so I didn't get paid for having the argument!
I don't get it. What could be easier than buying gas at a gas station? You pay for your gas, you pump your gas, you go on your merry way. Why do people have to make it so hard?
What is with people? Why do they think that when the weather gets nice, civility goes right out the window?
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