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There is an elegant, simple solution ... don't go to those fuel stations that have mini-supermarkets attached to them.
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There is an elegant, simple solution ... don't go to those fuel stations that have mini-supermarkets attached to them.
This is the answer, i approach my usual on the way home from work Morrisons site (only the basics in shop) at a speed i can either pull in if there's a space or carry on without really slowing up, its only 100 yds from a mini roundabout, i fill up at 1/4 fuel level so can be three or four passes if needs be.
We have the same problem at lorry fuel pumps in MSA's, some of the more 'challenged' take as much time as possible handing in their fuel card, then have a pee, then stroll back to the lorry, then fill up slowly, then amble back, get a coffee from the rip off machine (i will not pay £3 for a cup of coffee no matter how much i want one) then dawdle back and fill in some paperwork for another bit of final timewasting...by the time that performance is over they've had a 15 minute statutory (if technically illegal) break.
You get two of them at the pumps and imagine the frustration they cause, you can't ask these people for courtesy and politness does not compute, much the same as the dimwits shopping at the fuel station come supermarket.
Luckily where i work we have our own fuel pumps so no longer have to put up with this charade.
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... don't go to those fuel stations that have mini-supermarkets attached to them.
Not so easy, Rob. Petrol stations are getting fewer and further between, and the proportion with a shop attached is increasing. A double whammy, and in most areas not worth driving a few extra miles to avoid. This small town (about 8000 population) has one filling station (with shop) and the next one in any direction is at least 2½ miles away.
Edited by Andrew-T on 23/01/2017 at 11:29
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Use the pay at the pump. That way is quicker, and you don't have to rub shoulders with the great unwashed and try to think of some small talk :-)
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When returning to the airport in Bologna, to refuel the hire-car, I stop at a filling station where they not only put the fuel in for you, they also don't charge if it goes-over the nearest Euro by a couple of Cents. I have also had the same service at the one which is at the entrance to Venice Marco-Polo airport, happy days.
On the flip side, the unmanned ones which seem to be everywhere in Italy can be a total nightmare.
Edited by nick62 on 23/01/2017 at 14:42
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My girlfriend finishes work late a few times a week so not beig able to drive and with public transport negligible after 6:00 pm. Both local stations have a dozen pumps but also have small supermarkets. At that time only about a third of the pumps are in use. The cheaper also has “pay at pump” facilities. Also if you need a few things the queues are minimal. Both though have minimal parking even if someone wanted to pay for their petrol and then shop. Having been trapped for over twenty five minutes last August I try and avoid busy times (I use to have the choice of half-a-dozen but most have now been redeveloped as flats but that is another story).
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Time was when a filling station could only sell "TBA" (tyres, batteries and accessories) but that fell by the wayside in the 70s IIRC. I did a part time job at one to pay for driving lessons in 1983, at a princely 60p/hour. Business in those all-essential accessories (barbecues and firelighters and garden furniture - it was a pretty good summer as I recall!) was fairly brisk back then but things really took off when the manager decided to stock an impressive range of condoms. Friday nights were never quiet after that, but at least our new client base didn't hang around too long after their purchases. I managed to deliver a pretty good deadpan "something for the weekend, Sir?" without laughing after a few hours' practice...
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Many years ago when I had a proper job I was a manager for Safeway/Morrisons and very briefly managed a petrol station. It was probably one of the worst jobs I have ever had! The staff all seemed to be the rejects from the main supermarket, the hours were long, and because there was so little profit from the petrol there was always huge pressure to sell the extra stuff.
The customers were often rude as well. I remember having a power cut and having to close, but got so much abuse as people still pulled in and couldn't understand why the pumps didn't work! I only lasted a few months in that job.
If I am remembering correctly the fuel made around £200k a week, with everything else around £5k a week! There are two petrol stations near here that have recently converted to mini supermarkets, with food to go and coffee machines. I tend to avoid them except at quiet times. Although one of them, now has a member of staff out on the forecourt offering to put the fuel in while you shop. Is this a tactic to get us to spend more in the shop?
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"If I am remembering correctly the fuel made around £200k a week, with everything else around £5k a week!"
That'll be the turnover not the profit though... firms make very little from fuel sales. The market doesn't function properly as retailers are not able to pick and choose suppliers by price and are instead totally dominated by the fuel suppliers who dictate the price the pay and sell on for. One way we'd see lower prices would be to ban the exclusive contracts petrol retailers are forced to sign up to in order to operate. Allow them to buy from whoever offers the best price that week and watch them really compete for business.
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... One way we'd see lower prices would be to ban the exclusive contracts petrol retailers are forced to sign up to in order to operate. Allow them to buy from whoever offers the best price that week and watch them really compete for business.
But if there's hardly any profit to be made, who is going to undercut by a noticeable amount, other than by loss-leading - which very occasionally happens?
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"But if there's hardly any profit to be made, who is going to undercut by a noticeable amount, other than by loss-leading - which very occasionally happens?"
It's the retailers who make hardly any profit not the wholesalers/producers who exploit the monopoly over retailers to hold down margins and force prices up.
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We don't have this problem in rural France, apart from some stations on the autoroutes which have cafes and shops attached.
Small town supermarkets just have automatic pumps - shove your bank card in and fill up 24/7 - prints your receipt - very convenient.
The larger super/hypermarkets can have a car wash and the only other thing they usually sell is bottled gas, rural France mostly cooks on bottled gas as we do.
But they have separate lanes so you can go auto pump, or pay cash/cheque at the kiosk for fuel and/or gas bottle except lunchtime when the kiosk closes.
I noticed that a large Le Clerc supermarket fuel station near us now has a gas cylinder dispensing machine that sells 13 kg gas cylinders 24/7 - just shove your bank card in!
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I think the reason we don't see more pay-at-pump in the UK is because the small convenience stores want people to come into the shop to buy the higher profit-margin goods.
It's usually only the big supermarkets who do pay-at-pump.
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Thanks for these empathetic comments. I will
1) Try to avoid these places at busy times--sunday lunchtime seems to be the worst around us!
2) Pay at pump-as long as the instructions are easy( unambiguous) to follow -including the addition of the points card!
3) Consider an electric car, but not if everbody buys one!
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There is a large filling station with shop & Subway I use at Newark, and signs there say after filling, move to parking area and browse shop.
Contradicts general practice where you dont/shouldnt move vehicle until payment made.
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The really annoying thing is the numpty that stops at the pump. Doesn't attempt to buy fuel but just wants to shop. Too lazy to park in dedicated spaces for that reason. And hold up those that just want fuel
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All fuel stations near me have a small supermarket attatched. Only ones that don't are ironically allatched to a supermarket - who sell low grade fuel.
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Petrol stations make on average between 2-3% profit on fuel so they are highly reliant on convenience sales to survive but yes they should and most do provide off pump parking but sadly many ignorant drivers don't use it.
Not sure those drivers are ignorant (or stupid) - they just don't care, as do many drivers these days. I personally think when a council planning authority is having its process to assess a new petrol station or change in use to include anything other than selling sweets/drinks/ciggies that they should insist on such redeveloped/new sites with mini-markets having at least half as many shopping-only spaces as pumps, even more if the shop part is deemed likely to be used as a proper local store, especially if the petrol station is already/will likely be well used for fuel anyway.
The staff should also enforce a rule to only serve 'shopping' customers who have parked in the spaces and not anyone buying fuel who is buying more than (say) 3 items (an example being a drink [not hot wher it has to be made], sandwich, sweets, etc which wouldn't take long to select). The daft thing is that them not doing so in some form only pees off other customers who (as I do at such establishments) vote with their feet and go to filling stations that are less busy and better at getting customers in and out.
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"The staff should also enforce a rule to only serve 'shopping' customers who have parked in the spaces and not anyone buying fuel who is buying more than (say) 3 items (an example being a drink [not hot wher it has to be made], sandwich, sweets, etc which wouldn't take long to select)"
Personally agree but 15yrs of owning a high street convenience store has taught me that you've got to give the customer what they want no matter how rude or selfish they may be. It's a difficult game to play trying to please everyone.
Didn't have the fuel side of the business but did try to serve customers over the top of those who were waiting on time consuming lottery/bill payment services not always to the pleasure of those who were waiting on those services even though it wasn't actually costing them any time. Situated at a main railway station meant punters were usually in a rush.
We did have our own parking issues though with owners and staff of neighbouring businesses occupying every space on the street outside thus reducing custom into my business and their own because they were too lazy/ignorant to park in the free car park a 2min walk away... Gits!
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We did have our own parking issues though with owners and staff of neighbouring businesses occupying every space on the street outside thus reducing custom into my business and their own because they were too lazy/ignorant to park in the free car park a 2min walk away... Gits!
You have to wonder at the mindset, here let me load that gun for you, now point at your best foot.
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We did have our own parking issues though with owners and staff of neighbouring businesses occupying every space on the street outside thus reducing custom into my business and their own because they were too lazy/ignorant to park in the free car park a 2min walk away.
In my/our younger days we used to go to the shops on our bikes, parking them outside the shop. Nowadays things have moved on, people have more to spend, and go to the shops by car. Like us, they expect to park them outside the shop, or at least in the nearest available space. 2mins walk - no way ...
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