Supermarket fuel

[Whyman]

Yes it was just a tube run over the forecourt. Never really checked how it worked but you are probably correct.

On thing I don't miss,running a village garage, is being knocked up in the middle of the night by non customers who think that because they have run out of fuel I will be happy to getup, get dressed, open up the garage, sell them a gallon in a can, some even expected a can, make a profit of about 10p and then lock up, go back to bed and try to get back to sleep.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Whyman

I used to own a small garage in a village with a bell and attended service- usually me.

My first semi-legitimate job (I was 15 and underage, but couldn't stand anymore school, wanted to get on with my life, but hey) was working at a petrol station.

I had five pumps, four petrol with varying grades of "stars", and one diesel. But that wasn't the bit which stayed with me. Because I was taught about the air-line, no £1 for air, it was just there. Part of the service. Water too, we had watering cans next to each pump, it was my duty to keep them filled, plus a squigee for your windscreen. There were also disposable gloves and most important of all, paper towel to mop any spillage. As well as the buckets of sand and fire extinguishers, obviously.

I don't see that stuff anymore. I go to a supermarket and it's the most stripped down bare filling service it's possible to get. They literally provide nothing except for the fuel.

I think self-service is rubbish. I want to be able to pull into a garage, fuel and top up anything else as well while i'm there. I might choose to do this work myself, but an elderly person might not. Either way, I would expect a driver to be able to roll in thirsty, and roll out knowing everything has been taken care of. Washers, oil, the lot.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by canis

I don't see that stuff anymore. I go to a supermarket and it's the most stripped down bare filling service it's possible to get. They literally provide nothing except for the fuel.

I think self-service is rubbish. I want to be able to pull into a garage, fuel and top up anything else as well while i'm there. I might choose to do this work myself, but an elderly person might not. Either way, I would expect a driver to be able to roll in thirsty, and roll out knowing everything has been taken care of. Washers, oil, the lot.

I believe there is a legal requirement for even self-service garages to stock a range of oils and bulbs and also provide water on request (if it isn't already in place in the form of a tap and watering can) for topping up of screenwash bottles and even radiators.

My local Shell station recently tried attended service (they may still have it, Shell has once again changed the formula of their fuel and instead of running well on it, my car runs like a bag of spanners) and one day, in the 760, i decided to try it.

First thing, the person doing it couldn't remove the fuel cap. Even with the key!

Second, after seeing the fuel cap (it's green - big clue!) come off, he reached for the nozzle containing the Devils Fuel!
I'd already said £20 of V-Power unleaded which brings me to the third point.

£20.33 of V-Power Unleaded was dispensed. Not £20 as asked for. If i hadn't stopped him, i dread to think how much would have gone in!

When i went in to pay for it, there was a guy at the tills arguing the amount as he had only asked for £25 and the same clown as tried overfilling mine had put £35 in. From what i could gather, this guy only had £25 left in his bank until pay-day so couldn't pay the extra anyway. As far as i could tell, they waived the tenner.

I did take a slightly fiendish delight in telling them i couldn't pay the extra 33p (i could, it was the principle of the thing) and after arguing the point that if the server of fuel couldn't put in the amount the customer asked for, they shouldn't be doing the job was let off the 33p and happily paid my £20 bill for the fuel i'd asked for.

After this episode i declined to take "advantage" of the attended service and very glad i did! Several times after that i saw a "Fuel Doctor" van or something very similar (same van each time - makes you wonder!!!) draining a freshly filled tank of the wrong fuel and then the poor victim having to buy a second tankful of the correct fuel, in addition to paying the Fuel Doctor.

[Dippydog]

Don't know if they're the same across the country but our local ASDA only has fuel pumps,there are no staff,no kiosk just a bare forecourt with half a dozen pumps on it.All payments have to be made by sticking your bank/credit card into the pump and go from there.It's the one petrol station I avoid using[although it is largely off my normal route[s]] In the late '70s a mate of mine had use of a Daimler XJ12-personal plates,electric windows etc etc and he offered me a lift home in it.On the way he said he needed to stop for fuel and pulled into a small village petrol station which happened to have attended service.Old bloke came out of kiosk/shop looking quite deferential and as he approached the car my mate lowered the window and when asked he said "Stick us a quids worth in this tank" pointing towards the o/s side filler cap.I nearly died of shame

[Whippy]

I miss the days of going into the local, chatting to the 'steve' while he filled it up, then wandering in to pay 'our mavis' while Steve polished the screen.

[Zebster]

Originally Posted by Whippy

I miss the days of going into the local, chatting to the 'steve' while he filled it up, then wandering in to pay 'our mavis' while Steve polished the screen.

You must be nearly 100?

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Dippydog

Don't know if they're the same across the country but our local ASDA only has fuel pumps,there are no staff,no kiosk just a bare forecourt with half a dozen pumps on it.All payments have to be made by sticking your bank/credit card into the pump and go from there.It's the one petrol station I avoid using[although it is largely off my normal route[s]] In the late '70s a mate of mine had use of a Daimler XJ12-personal plates,electric windows etc etc and he offered me a lift home in it.On the way he said he needed to stop for fuel and pulled into a small village petrol station which happened to have attended service.Old bloke came out of kiosk/shop looking quite deferential and as he approached the car my mate lowered the window and when asked he said "Stick us a quids worth in this tank" pointing towards the o/s side filler cap.I nearly died of shame

Reminds me of the 2000 fuel crisis where all the refineries were blockaded. Nobody had any petrol - except me i think.
I lived on the east side of town and had a company van which is why both tanks of my 84 Jag Sovereign XJ6 4.2 (yes, with private plates too) were brimmed. A mate of mine worked on an industrial estate just east of centre but as the crow flew, fairly close to me.
He came out of work one day to find his car was completely empty and he couldn't get any more fuel as nowhere had any.
He lived on the west side of town, about 18 miles away on the motorway.

I had a lot of fun giving him a lift home that day! Everyone else was doing 56mph, not me ***mph all the way there and back!

Originally Posted by Whippy

I miss the days of going into the local, chatting to the 'steve' while he filled it up, then wandering in to pay 'our mavis' while Steve polished the screen.

That's when attended service was proper atteneded service with those providing it having a vested interest in getting it right!

Originally Posted by Zebster

You must be nearly 100?

Cheeky young whipper-snapper!

It wasn't that long ago in the great scheme of things. I remember it and i'm nowhere near 100 years old, admittedly from the back of the car as i was too young to go in the front but it did still happen.

[David404]

Previous car was a Saab 95 1.9TiD on supermarket fuel the tickover was noticeably rough, very noticeably so. I switched to Shell VPower the tickover improved almost instantly. It wasn't just me, this car/engine had reputation for poor tickover and Shell V Power was a fix several other users used.

Didn't notice any performance gain or improved mpg.

I now use Costco fuel which has good reputation. Switching between this and V Power in current car I don't notice any difference.

FWIW V Power is said to include a % of synthetic diesel, said to burn cleaner, kinder to DPF.

[canis]

People are talking about their fancy cars with their fancy engines requiring certain fuels ... I call BS.

It's when you've got a 1600 V40 loaded with the family plus luggage and a dog, that's when you REALLY notice differences. The T4 will go fast no matter what's put in it. The 1600, on BP fuel, barely moved! On ASDA, it's fine.

Sorry to contradict y'all, but that's honestly my experience. Go figure.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

I believe there is a legal requirement for even self-service garages to stock a range of oils and bulbs and also provide water on request (if it isn't already in place in the form of a tap and watering can) for topping up of screenwash bottles and even radiators.

Someone should tell my local ASDA. Great fuel, but there's nothing. There's a water spout, if you can pay, and if it's working. Same for air, but that's all. No oils at all.

Hell, the kiosk attendant can't even figure out which pump you were at! I got in a huge argument with one once. I asked her why she wasn't paying attention.

Her: "Because you're supposed to tell me which pump you used."
Me: "Well, that's stupid! I could fill the tank, say any pump, and you'll just believe me."
Her: "Yes, but it's YOUR CAR!"
Me: "True but it's your pumps, and your job."

When I was selling petrol, I never had to ask. I kept my eyes open. The onlyi time I ever had to ask pump numbers was once when I had two cars at each pump and a tanker between them all rendering two petrol and the one diesel pump invisible to me.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

My local Shell station recently tried attended service ... the person doing it couldn't remove the fuel cap ... reached for the nozzle containing the Devils Fuel!

Yeah, see, what you got there is an idiot who doesn't really want the job. I expect the garage, just like you, think attended service is the fault but really it's the idiot. If I'd been doing that job, you'dve driven off happy and not payed a penny extra.

I also remember attended service being quite normal out in the rural parts of Sussex. Never had a problem at all. You asked for a gallon, they put it in, if they went over it's their own fault.

And I too remember the ding-ding as I drove in. I'm thinking in particular to a little village garage just outside Amberley, I was volunteering at the chalk pits as part of a compulsory trial experiment "work for your benefit" scheme (Tony Blair). I liked that little garage, used to stop there frequently. I like attended service.

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As a sidenote ... why in these technological days does the user not get a choice between litres and gallons? Even my wife's kitchen scales seem to be able to manage with both systems at her choice.