Prepay Goodies

[Gaki]

And so it has begun.

SC: I've never had to prepay at any of [company] before.
Me: We just started it last week. The trade off is [REALLY AWESOME PROMOTION.]
SC: ......Well I guess I'll use that. But it still sucks.


SC: *over the intercom* TURN ON THE PUUUUMMMMP!!!
Me: I'm sorry sir but we've gone to prepay or pay at the pump with your card only. The button you're pressing has been deactivated.
SC: YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME.


SC: Well that's the only reason I ever came here! I'll go somewhere else!
Me: I'm not sure where you'll go since everyone else does it too. By the way, have [REALLY AWESOME PROMOTION.]
SC: .......hmmf.


SC: THIS IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T TRUST YOUR CUSTOMERS!!!
Me: Believe me, the people who steal from us are NOT considered customers.
SC: ....*brain explodey*


SC: Did you do it because people were leaving with it?
Me: No, if that were the case we would have gone to it about five years ago. It was just as bad then as it was three days ago. We did it for [REALLY GREAT PROMOTION].
SC: Oh. I thought...
Me: We've lost millions of dollars over the years. If that was the reason, it would have been long before we ever lost all that money.
SC: .....*defeated*


SC: I'm NEVER coming here AGAIN. WHAT IS YOUR MANAGER'S NAME!?
Me: That's your choice, we respect that and here, you can have corporate's number instead since yelling at my manager won't do much.
SC: ....*brain explodey*


For some reason all of these customers seem to think that talking to the manager will get them somewhere. No sweetie, the manager didn't make this decision. And no, it's not just THIS store. It's all of them. So good luck finding a station that will let you pump before you pay (there are none anymore). I've also decided to make a sport of watching all the people who go up to pumps 15-18 and seeing them stand there for a little while before they realize that oops. They can't steal gas anymore. Some of them just leave without doing anything and some of them just use their card out there and just take like 10.00 worth or 5.00. I have had about two people who I'd NEVER SEEN BEFORE come in from those pumps, hand me ten dollars and ask me when we went to prepay as if they came all the time and they were "regulars" or something. Believe me, honey, you ain't a regular. I know them all. Funny how they never come back.

I'm just hoping that I'm there when my favorite blue Jeep Grand Cherokee comes back to pump 15. Then I can wave at him. Oh man you're gonna take this reaaaaaal hard, ain't cha buddy?

[PepperElf]

wtf is so hard about this?

gee pay at the pump with a card or walk the tooshie inside and pay there. and you can even buy prepaid cards - which i suspect is what the promotion is for.

SC: THIS IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T TRUST YOUR CUSTOMERS!!!
Me: Believe me, the people who steal from us are NOT considered customers.
SC: ....*brain explodey*

I love it!

[thehuckster]

wtf is so hard about this?

gee pay at the pump with a card or walk the tooshie inside and pay there. and you can even buy prepaid cards - which i suspect is what the promotion is for.

The only inconvenience I can possibly see in this is when you prepay you have to actually think about how much money it will take to fill your tank, and if you wind up pumping less than that, it's a big annoyance to get the difference back.

But, I've been pumping fuel at prepay stations for over 10 years and never had a problem with this... mainly because I always use credit or debit cards.

[pzychobitch]

I work at a gas station and get people from Jersey and Oregon all the time who come in and bitch at me because I dont run outside and pump their gas for them. Lol.

[Catwoman2965]

I work at a gas station and get people from Jersey and Oregon all the time who come in and bitch at me because I dont run outside and pump their gas for them. Lol.

Not all of us! I will admit to sometimes getting out of my car, and having to think a minute as to HOW to pump gas. I also pay at the pump with my cc, much easier, and I'm lazy and hate walking inside to pay,come out to pump, and then go back in to pee.

[Talasar]

My gas station isn't pre-pay all the time, but we (the clerks) have the option of telling a customer to come in an pre-pay if we can't see them/their plates/ we think they'll drive off/etc. I'm super popular on third shift because EVERYONE pre-pays end of story. They always threaten to talk to my manager when they take office to having to pre-pay, it does no good.

I like your giving them corporate's number instead of subjecting your manager to complaints they can do nothing about.

[Jay 2K Winger]

For all that it makes trouble for the poor gas station attendants, it warms the cockles to see the righteous indignation wither and die when faced with the fact that their arguments go precisely nowhere.

And it warms the cockles further to know that Gaki's regular gas thieves now have to actually pay or go elsewhere.

[Ophbalance]

Folks from Jersey... I just cannot grasp how it can be so hard to figure out how to pump gas. Most pumps even have pictographs for pete's sake! It seems to be more an issue of "won't" than "cannot".

[Catwoman2965]

Folks from Jersey... I just cannot grasp how it can be so hard to figure out how to pump gas. Most pumps even have pictographs for pete's sake! It seems to be more an issue of "won't" than "cannot".

Not really. If you've never ever had to do it, it can be a bit confusing. The first time I had to pump gas I was 21 and brought my car back to college. I asked a friend to come with me and show me how to do it as I had no clue.

I have no problem doing it when I'm out of NJ, but it just takes me a second or two to remember how to do it. It's like anything else you don't do all that often; when you have to do it again, you need to stop and think how. While I'm sure there are plenty of folks from my state who won't do it, I'm not one of them. Alhtough I do miss my full serve when its cold and windy out!

[bhskittykatt]

Not really. If you've never ever had to do it, it can be a bit confusing. The first time I had to pump gas I was 21 and brought my car back to college. I asked a friend to come with me and show me how to do it as I had no clue.

I have no problem doing it when I'm out of NJ, but it just takes me a second or two to remember how to do it. It's like anything else you don't do all that often; when you have to do it again, you need to stop and think how. While I'm sure there are plenty of folks from my state who won't do it, I'm not one of them. Alhtough I do miss my full serve when its cold and windy out!

Hubby moved here from Oregon. First time I was with him to fill up a car in WA State, he got out to do it. I was like, "Are you sure you know how?" He was all "I haven't lived in Oregon all my life; I'm from California you know!"

I ended up getting out of the car and walking him through it after he couldn't figure it out. What happened to the Cali excuse? His excuse then became he moved to Oregon as a teenager and thus never learned. I simply stood back and enjoyed watching his ego deflate as I pumped the gas for him.

[Docmayhem]

Not really. If you've never ever had to do it, it can be a bit confusing. The first time I had to pump gas I was 21 and brought my car back to college. I asked a friend to come with me and show me how to do it as I had no clue.

I have no problem doing it when I'm out of NJ, but it just takes me a second or two to remember how to do it. It's like anything else you don't do all that often; when you have to do it again, you need to stop and think how. While I'm sure there are plenty of folks from my state who won't do it, I'm not one of them. Alhtough I do miss my full serve when its cold and windy out!

My problem was always the opposite - when I drove through NJ going between Long Island and PA, I would forget that you can't pump your own gas. There were at least a couple of times that an attendant had to run over and stop me.

[Bright_Star]

SC's create problems where none exists.

[XCashier]

The only inconvenience I can possibly see in this is when you prepay you have to actually think about how much money it will take to fill your tank, and if you wind up pumping less than that, it's a big annoyance to get the difference back.

More like a mild irritation, IMHO. Back in AZ, I did that a lot, and really, it's not that big of a deal. If someone were wheelchair-bound, yes it would be troublesome, but most of the complainers are perfectly able-bodied.

Gaki, I am very glad you switched to pre-pay, and I really hope it stops all the thefts (it'll definitely reduce them signifigantly). You seem to be handling the SCs pretty well, too, and very wise to give them corporate's number rather than the manager's. Few SCs are willing to go all the way to corporate level; they'd rather bully someone who can give them a goodie right away.

[MoonCat]

You should totally take pictures when that blue Cherokee comes around again. Should be pretty damn funny.

[KatherineB]

My problem was always the opposite - when I drove through NJ going between Long Island and PA, I would forget that you can't pump your own gas. There were at least a couple of times that an attendant had to run over and stop me.

I'm sorry, stupid question from an Aussie who has always pumped her own petrol - why would they stop you? Do they assume you won't pay it if you do it yourself, or is it a health-and-safety issue, or is it just tradition?