First Entitlement Whore...over 75 cents.....

[Namrepus221]

This old guy comes up to my counter last night and starts going on and on about how we're a very strange BP station in that we don't put card numbers on receipts. He says he came in before and the "girl" couldn't tell him where the card number was, he shows it to me and sure enough "XXXXXXXXXXXX####" is on the receipt.

He keeps going on about how he spends so much money here and on the other services (we have a mcdonalds on premises) and he starts asking why he should have to pay 75 cents for the air machine.

He starts saying that he's allowed to do it because he's been coming here for so long, that he's allowed to be a "judge" as it were.

I tell him we charge for the air machine to pay for the maintenances on it if the compressor breaks down, the hose breaks, or god forbid some kids come and cut the line just for the hell of it (Which I've seen happen before) He says that's not a good excuse and he doesn't' believe it.

He keeps asking about the owner and my manager. I tell him I don't know the owner of the store (I literally don't. I've met the District manager and the actual President of the company, but not the owner) He says he'll go to BP corporate and complain, I tell him we aren't owned by BP (we aren't'. It's an independent licensee) He starts taking this as the owner and manager are trying to squeeze a few extra bucks out of the customers and starts going on and on about it.

Luckily after a half hour of this he leaves. I should be grateful that he allowed other people to go ahead of him while he was going on this tirade as it were... but christ I gave you the answer as I knew it. You didn't have to chew my ear off for a half hour telling me that I was wrong and that I had to be covering up something and that me working there for over 6 months means I don't know shit and that I'm some sort of idiot for working there.

He tells me I should pass along this information to my manager that he's unhappy and that he's gonna still complain to BP corporate (which won't do anything)

If he comes back tonight I'm just gonna tell him that is what our company wants us to charge and that is the end of the discussion. If he decides to press the issue I'm just gonna ignore him.

[IvorTangrean]

I tell him we charge for the air machine to pay for the maintenances on it if the compressor breaks down, the hose breaks, or god forbid some kids come and cut the line just for the hell of it (Which I've seen happen before) He says that's not a good excuse and he doesn't' believe it.

That is why in my city most gas stations don't have air machines anymore. It just sucks when your bicycle has a flat and you ride past 4 gas stations and cannot put air in the tire.

[Enjis]

I'm lucky that a station right near me has an air pump that anyone can use for free!

[LifeCarnie]

This SC must not get out much. There are very few gas stations that don't charge for air. And the one's who don't are usually service stations with a repair bay.

[Bright_Star]

Tell him to go buy a bicycle air pump.

[protege]

Where I live, the only stations that don't charge for air...are the ones that rhyme with Eatz. Just about everyone else charges to use the air pump.

[Elandora]

My dad used to repair those air machines for a living, on the days I accompanied him to work, there were no less than two cases of cut lines per day, and about one machine burglarized every other week. Insanity!

[wagegoth]

In California, stations are required to provide the air machines for free to customers. So, most of them give you tokens for the machines after you buy gas. But it does mean that they have to keep and repair the machines so that they are available for the customers.

[karma_gypsy]

It's not uncommon around here to see Gas Station A charge for air, while Gas Station B may have it for free across/or down the street.

While being charged for air may be a little absurd, it's the use of the machine that you're being charged for. We're just happy to have access to one of those machines when we need it the most ... whether it's free or not ....

[Andara Bledin]

I tell him we charge for the air machine to pay for the maintenances on it if the compressor breaks down, the hose breaks, or god forbid some kids come and cut the line just for the hell of it (Which I've seen happen before) He says that's not a good excuse and he doesn't' believe it.

In California, stations are required to provide the air machines for free to customers. So, most of them give you tokens for the machines after you buy gas. But it does mean that they have to keep and repair the machines so that they are available for the customers.

Close, but not quite. In California, the law says that if you have a machine, you must provide service to any paying customer for no additional charge.

However, all it takes to be a "paying customer" is to buy at least 5 cents worth of gas. So, people who know the law put down a nickel, name any pump they want, and tell the clerk to turn on the machine. Or, they take the easy route and buy a candy or something so there's no chance of argument.

^-.-^

[Primer]

The first time I encountered a pay air compressor was back in 1978. I was appalled, but I needed air, so I paid the 25 cents. Now, we have a portable air compressor in each vehicle.

[Shangri-laschild]

Our station a long time ago, used to have a button under the counter to turn the machine on like if someone's money got jammed or something I guess. We didn't have it now anyway. The older customers would always come in and ask us to turn the machine on and some of them didn't believe that the button was gone.

[pyxee]

Our station a long time ago, used to have a button under the counter to turn the machine on like if someone's money got jammed or something I guess. We didn't have it now anyway. The older customers would always come in and ask us to turn the machine on and some of them didn't believe that the button was gone.

I have worked for two chains that had those. Most of our regulars would ask for free air but it evened out with the people who where just stopping through.

[Andara Bledin]

Our station a long time ago, used to have a button under the counter to turn the machine on like if someone's money got jammed or something I guess. We didn't have it now anyway. The older customers would always come in and ask us to turn the machine on and some of them didn't believe that the button was gone.

I've run into a few stations that don't have the remote turn-on for the air/water station. They'd either hand people quarters for the machine, or the smart stations would have tokens.

^-.-^

[crazylegs]

Most petrol stations around where I live (in the UK) have free machines, but some you have to ask for a (free) token from the counter, probably to stop usage abuse or idiots trying to fill their lilos...?