What makes a good Petrol Station ?

ryan101

ba_barabus wrote: »

clips to keep it pimping till it's brimmed

what kinda clips to pimps wear ?

Rasheed

The one thing that stands out at my favourite petrol station in town is that it is the only one with a manned forecourt. I understand that this isn't possible for all petrol stations but to have some one to help with a load of briquettes or fill the car if it's pissing etc is lovely.

Veloce

Would really like to see super unleaded 98 back.

PeteK*

A deli that doesn't smell the whole shop.
Fresh looking food in the deli.
Great deals.
Clean pumps. Gloves, too. Or even those wipes some shops have at the entrance. Even a sink!

artvandelay48

Customer service all the way for me. I don't want some grumpy f*cker when I fill up at an adequately-sized petrol station

DuckSlice

I thought they take those clips out to stop you walking away from the pump in case it fails and fuel ends up all over the forecourt?

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

I thought they take those clips out to stop you walking away from the pump in case it fails and fuel ends up all over the forecourt?

They are commonplace across the US so I don't think there is a risk of that.

DuckSlice

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

They are commonplace across the US so I don't think there is a risk of that.

They remove them for some reason? They are in the uk aswell in some garages I have yet to see them in Ireland though.

deliege

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

They are commonplace across the US so I don't think there is a risk of that.

Common place too in Belgium. The pump just stops when the tank is full (like it does here btw even if you keep your finger on the "trigger" thing). I've yet to understand why these clips are removed / broken everywhere here, but find that pretty much annoying.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

They remove them for some reason? They are in the uk aswell in some garages I have yet to see them in Ireland though.

Irish garages removed them en masse a while back apparantly.

Kind of annoying when you own gas guzzlers like I do that take 120-140 to fill up from empty. Most I've paid is €150 in the truck when she was bone dry. That took an age, would have been a much preferable "customer experience" if the auto-clip functioned.

Bandara

Hi all

The clips must be removed under statute

44. Subject to any conditions attached to a licence, every hose through which petroleum Class I is dispensed by a self-service pump to the fuel tank of a vehicle shall be equipped with a nozzle so designed, constructed or arranged that—

( a ) no stop or catch on the nozzle is capable of keeping the nozzle valve open to permit delivery of petroleum and to eliminate manual control,
( b ) the nozzle valve cannot be kept open to permit delivery of petroleum other than by manual pressure and closes automatically to prevent delivery of petroleum immediately manual pressure is released,
( c ) it is provided with an effective automatic shut-off device to prevent spillage caused by splash-back or obstruction in or overfilling of the fuel tank of a vehicle or container,
( d ) the maximum flow-rate to operate the automatic shut-off device to prevent delivery of petroleum shall not exceed 45 litres per minute,
( e ) after the shut-off device of the nozzle has been activated, it is not possible to re-commence delivery to the fuel tank without first returning the nozzle control lever to the "off" position.
45. (1) Where the dispensing of petroleum Class I is carried on at a retail store the following provisions shall apply:

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Cheers.
Is that for diesel too? I only see references to "petroleum"

Pretty annoying law, since it is commonplace elsewhere.

ronn

Moneymaker wrote: »

Sounds silly but quality and well priced coffee definitely influences my choice of garage. :pac:

Friendly staff and reputable fuel are distant 2nd and 3rds.

Nice proper coffee for me too

Bandara

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Cheers.
Is that for diesel too? I only see references to "petroleum"

Pretty annoying law, since it is commonplace elsewhere.

No it's just for Unl, derv can be sold unmanned (hence why the automated stations only sell Derv

I think the industry pretty much has to take them all off as the insurance companies required it after the statue was introduced (which was in 1979 - and hasn't been revised since)

DuckSlice

You could just have a little piece of wood at the right size with you.? Would do the same job as a clip

Ded_Zebra

etxp wrote: »

You could just have a little piece of wood at the right size with you.? Would do the same job as a clip

You can force your filler cap from the car into the trigger to hold it

blackwhite

paulfosters wrote: »

any one hoping to be succesful in business know that depending on profit from fuel is asleep. the profit is from whatever else the customer is buying !

Not strictly true.

The problem Irish petrol stations generally encounter is that they have extremely high costs-to-serve, which eliminate the gross margin earned on fuel.

The unmanned forecourt has become a fairly common sight in continental Europe, as it gives a significant cost saving to the operator, and allows them to price at a significant discount to "full service" stations.

A few unmanned petrol stations have cropped up in Ireland over the last year or two - it will be interesting to see if the concept manages to take off in Ireland.

whomitconcerns

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Don't care about the price of fuel, but must be good quality.
Don't care about the price of coffee, again as long as it's high quality.

And working fuel delivery locks, squeezing a handle for 3-4 mins is a pain in the ass, I avoid local stations that don't have them.

interesting you mention that as I havent been in a staition in over a year that has working locks on the pumps for delivery!..ah just saw that the thread discussed it already...

blackwhite

Bandara wrote: »

No it's just for Unl, derv can be sold unmanned (hence why the automated stations only sell Derv

I think the industry pretty much has to take them all off as the insurance companies required it after the statue was introduced (which was in 1979 - and hasn't been revised since)

Legislation was changed in the last year or two, petrol can be sold from unmanned sites now as well provided there is appropriate monitoring in place.

Staplor

I want at least one pay at pump machine.

It's a nightmare filling up with a baby, pay at pump means I don't have move more than 2 foot from the car.

I used to go out of my way for this facility, alas the Maxol that had it is being renovated at the minute.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

As aforementioned, I would prefer pay at pump (as I always pay for fuel with credit cards, can't be carrying 100-140 in cash) but I would refuse to use a pay at pump system where you must select the amount you want before filling.

I refuse to use brennan's maxol in newbridge for this reason.

martingriff

I know this may not be vessible for a lot of places but going on my siuation of being in a wheelchair but an attendant would be nice. They are normally just a petrol station I know with no shop. A nice shop is okay but unless I am looking for something to eat also a nice clean place with some roon is allways good and the pumps working as they should. I have been to a few places where the pump levers are faulty and you have to squeeze the level to a certain tension 2 little and nothing happen 2 much and it cuts out

DuckSlice

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

As aforementioned, I would prefer pay at pump (as I always pay for fuel with credit cards, can't be carrying 100-140 in cash) but I would refuse to use a pay at pump system where you must select the amount you want before filling.

I refuse to use brennan's maxol in newbridge for this reason.

I thought you pick an amount, but they don't charge you until you have actually finished so they only charge what you have out in? That's how all the ones I have used worked, I have only used pay at pump a couple of times and I think it was tesco. Not sure though.

Craazysteve

Fuel quality is key, price not a major factor as long as it's within a cent or two.
Clean toilets, with a Dyson Airblade as the hand dryer.
Properly COLD drinks, if I have to pay a premium for a bottle of water/coke it should at least be ICY cold!
OP-If it's a large station you could try something different with one pump as a (clearly marked) "luxury pump" for say a €1 premium which has an attendant that will fill up your fuel for you and take payments also, allowing you to remain in your car, warm & clean! Would be a nice bonus if they'd also wash the bugs off your windscreen where necessary too!

ryan101

dyson airblade is shyte

maniac2000

* Good fuel! Maxol is my main choice
* Clean inviting deli that is well stocked, good portion sizes! give the people what they want and they will return. also many deli's are over priced for the quality/quantity received!
* free air and water! - pain in the a** if you have to go looking for a 1E coin to use this service imho so I avoid
* space for parking is possible (avoids people blocking the fuel lanes for too long)
* bright clean store with employees well dressed and presenting themselves well, also having robots behind the counter who don't interract or bother to interract with customers is a big let down! Employ friendly people who want to work there not just because it pays a wage! friendly staff will engage with regulars and locals! makes the store more inviting
* reasonable pricing throughout. many stores think its ok to charge what they like but if a store is reasonably priced or even fairly priced it will make an impact (I know larger stores have larger bill but as reasonable as you can make it, you might not make a profit as quick but in the long run it will add up)
* clean forecourt - litter and messy fuel pump are is not very appealing!


long and boring list but that's what I notice from traveling a lot around the country and using many different service stations around Ireland

Oink

Mugatuu wrote: »

Friendly staff [with] a general knowledge of cars and car items such as the different types of oil etc helped. .

YES!
I still don’t know what oil to put in my car. If I knew walking in that your staff know what a car is (not a given…), I would ask them, and buy it.

markpb wrote: »

All I want from a filling station near home is that it takes my credit card at the pump so I can fill and can go.

Something that clever and practical can’t possibly exist! :eek:

aaakev wrote: »

Clean toilet is very important!

For me that’s the difference between someone like OP who is TRYING to do a good job, and someone else who just wants my money.
If you want to be taken seriously, watch the toilets.

maniac2000 wrote: »

* space for parking is possible (avoids people blocking the fuel lanes for too long)

If you have that, expect to see tears of joy the next time I walk into the shop

_Kaiser_

ryan101 wrote: »

dyson airblade is shyte

+1.. they put them in the office here a few months back and they're nowhere near as good as the "old" kind - plus the noise out of the things!!

ryan101

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

+1.. they put them in the office here a few months back and they're nowhere near as good as the "old" kind - plus the noise out of the things!!

Shiny gimmick, nothing more.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

I thought you pick an amount, but they don't charge you until you have actually finished so they only charge what you have out in? That's how all the ones I have used worked, I have only used pay at pump a couple of times and I think it was tesco. Not sure though.

You pick an amount first though, I want it to be like this:

-insert card
-fill up till car is full
-pump shows final amount and then charges card

PaddyFagan

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

You pick an amount first though, I want it to be like this:

-insert card
-fill up till car is full
-pump shows final amount and then charges card

Yeah. Used a pump just like in the states in '98!!!! Sometimes it feels like we're living in a time warp.

Paddy

Voodoomelon

whomitconcerns wrote: »

interesting you mention that as I havent been in a staition in over a year that has working locks on the pumps for delivery!..ah just saw that the thread discussed it already...

Aye, just read that bit about legislation above. There's a few in Dundalk with working clips, much prefer those stations.

The Real B-man

Self service pump that actually dispenses sausage rolls and coffee in a ideal world :pac:

Crocked

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

You pick an amount first though, I want it to be like this:

-insert card
-fill up till car is full
-pump shows final amount and then charges card

I'd love this too, the same hassle with prepay pumps after a certain time where they want to know how much you want before you can fill up. There's a couple of places I wont go as I can't be doing with all that hassle when I just want to brim the tank.

Although the problem with that sort of pump where you put the card in first and fill away is that they don't want you to just fill and go as there's feck all profit in that. They want you to have to go into the shop to pay and hope you pick up an impulse buy or two when you're there, which is where they can actually make a couple of quid.

PeteK*

PeteK* wrote: »

A deli that doesn't smell the whole shop.
Fresh looking food in the deli.
Great deals.
Clean pumps. Gloves, too. Or even those wipes some shops have at the entrance. Even a sink!

I'd also like to add, why can't prices be to the cent rather than part of a cent?

DuckSlice

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

You pick an amount first though, I want it to be like this:

-insert card
-fill up till car is full
-pump shows final amount and then charges card

Is it that hard to pick an amount? If you pick 150 and only out in 135 it only charges you 135. I'm pretty sure that's how they work.

jimgoose

I have a preference these days for Texaco fuel - don't take that as gospel, it's probably just me. That and accessibility are the only real factors for me.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

Is it that hard to pick an amount? If you pick 150 and only out in 135 it only charges you 135. I'm pretty sure that's how they work.

It isn't, but I should be able to just fill and then pay what it costs to fill, rather than selecting an amount first.

blackwhite

PeteK* wrote: »

I'd also like to add, why can't prices be to the cent rather than part of a cent?

It's to do how bulk fuel is priced when it is bought by petrol station operators.

In Eurozone countries it's generally priced in Euro per cubic metre (1000 litres)

€1 per cube is equal to 0.1c per litre.

Rounding to the nearest cent could make a big difference to the station operator when you look at a single delivery of circa 36,000 litres.

Staplor

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

It isn't, but I should be able to just fill and then pay what it costs to fill, rather than selecting an amount first.

It is how they work, I pre select €80 if I hit €80 the pump will stop, my car takes €70 to fill so it's not an issue. I then hop back in my car, drive off and get charged €70. It's class.

DuckSlice

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

It isn't, but I should be able to just fill and then pay what it costs to fill, rather than selecting an amount first.

Well all the ones I have used that's how they work.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

Well all the ones I have used that's how they work.

My example, the maxol in newbridge co kildare does not work like that.

DuckSlice

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

My example, the maxol in newbridge co kildare does not work like that.

Have you tried it like that? Or are you always cautious to put less than what u need as your chosen amount?

jimgoose

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

You pick an amount first though, I want it to be like this:

-insert card
-fill up till car is full
-pump shows final amount and then charges card

This. Oh please, this. It's not so bloody hard, is it?? I also want pubs to work like this - they do in most other civilised jurisdictions.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

etxp wrote: »

Have you tried it like that? Or are you always cautious to put less than what u need as your chosen amount?

I don't want to have to drive in and select an amount more than what I'm going to need. There should be a "read from the pump after I'm done and charge me that" option.

Not a workaround, which the idea of "select a higher amount than you think you'll need".

As part of my job I write and maintain a lot of automation tools, if I produced something akin to the "select a random amount higher than you need" I'd be laughed out of any dev meeting.

Mc Love

Free air and water

Bandara

jimgoose wrote: »

This. Oh please, this. It's not so bloody hard, is it?? I also want pubs to work like this - they do in most other civilised jurisdictions.

Hi Jim

Unfortunately it is hard, the cannot work like this as what happens then when person comes in, puts €150 into their car, their credit card is then declined?

We have no way (obviously) of knowing a customers balance, nor can we check a variable amount, the only option is to preauthorise a set amount, and dispense up to this amount with the preauthorisation in place. If the customer only gets €120 then this amount is then charged to the card and the preauthorisation for €150 is released. The issue can be that the banks here drag their heels and may not release the €150 shadow on a customer account for up to 7 working days.

When these pumps where first installed a few years back tens of thousands was lost by people purposing using prepaid credit cards with a euro in credit on them to obtain €100+ of fuel as they knew that by the time the payment was presented they had gotten their fuel and were long gone.

Hence the current system was introduced

blackwhite

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

I don't want to have to drive in and select an amount more than what I'm going to need. There should be a "read from the pump after I'm done and charge me that" option.

Not a workaround, which the idea of "select a higher amount than you think you'll need".

As part of my job I write and maintain a lot of automation tools, if I produced something akin to the "select a random amount higher than you need" I'd be laughed out of any dev meeting.

The problem is to do with the banks, not the station operator or the pumps manufacturer.

The banks will only let you check if there a card is valid/has sufficient funds if it is an attempt to pre-authorise the card. To submit a pre-authorisation request an amount has to be submitted. That's why they ask you to select an amount pre-fill.

To get around this, the station operator could ask for the card reader to automatically submit a pre-authorisation request for am amount bigger than any potential fill (say €250). But then customers who want to top up with €40 and only have €100 in their account will be refused.

Allowing a fill without a pre-authorisation check wouldn't work, because there's plenty of lovely people around that would quickly cop on that using a card with insufficient funds would result in free petrol/diesel!

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Bandara wrote: »

Hi Jim

Unfortunately it is hard, the cannot work like this
......

How come it works like this in the US?

blackwhite

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

How come it works like this in the US?

The US banks allow a credit check without pre-authorisation request.

Data protection laws here mean that a pre-authorisation request is required to do a funds check.