Things I Like About America: Gas Stations
[Moozik: New Order - Temptation]
Gas stations. Those bastions of transportation worldwide. Terribly exciting places these days aren't they? Fill the car up, buy some dog food, get some frosty beverages, sandwiches, movies, magazines. A shoppers dream.
No? Not feeling it? Well, maybe I'm just easily amused, or just need to get a life. I can never remember which one it is.
In my last post I mentioned how it's those little things that ensure I'll keep going back to a business time and time again. One such place just happens to be a gas station. And as gas stations go, I have to say Quiktrip has certainly got it right.
• They always always say hello to you when you enter. Without fail. I'm sure this isn't because they're super friendly, it's probebly just one of the mandatory things each employee must do on pain on death. But regardless of the why, I still like it. Makes me, Joe Customer, feel important.
• The stores are clean, well stocked with stuff I like, and they have just the right ambient lighting for me. For whatever reason, the lighting in a store is important to me. Bright fluorescent lights really put me off. If a store has the right amount of mood lighting, I'm there. Yes, I really am that sad.
• It seems as though their one mission in life is to get you out the door as quickly as possible. If there's ever more than one person waiting to pay for something, they'll go on some kind of alert. They call for backup and everyone flies around working to get that queue down to a manageable size. I don't think I've ever waited more than 20 seconds to pay for something.
Where you really notice how spoiled you've become is when you go somewhere else. You queue for ages, the staff couldn't care less, dirty floors, and there are unknown smells you're probably better off not knowing too much about.
It's those little things I tell you.
We don't have those in my area. Wow, you really like this gas station don't you? I've never seen so much effort go into praising one ;-)
Wow. Customer service as a local gas n stop. That's great to hear they still exist.
The name of this store reminds me of one we had here in Utah. It was called QuikSack, which caused a few snickers the first few times I said it out loud.
Sadly, due to the lack of customer service, it's no longer around.
I haven't seen a quiktrip since I left Oklahoma. I loved them. My mini-mart of choice, in Washington, is am/pm. Best Dr. Pepper mix from the fountain.
Gas station mini-marts suck in Canada. Only about 10% of them even have fountain drinks. I don't know what they have against fountain drinks in Canada.
jake... no, not gas stations in particular - I just like good customer service. And they have good customer service ;-)
marty... quicksac. (Beavis & Butthead snicker) he he he. Quicksac.
jodi... no fountain drinks? That's not even right.
That was supposed to be "I <3 Quiktrip" but your blog ate my angle bracket!
brian... oh I <3 it too.
Not like the ANG in Buckden eh?
jase... I dunno, I have some good memories of the ANG in Buckden after a night down the pub ;-)