I love the fact that there are "pay at the pump" options. I REALLY love the fact that they're so much more common, now, than they used to be.
Aren't they there, though, to make things more convenient - to keep the customer from having to enter the building and wait in line to complete the transaction?
Why, yes. Yes, they are.
With that in-mind, it seems a bit silly, to me, that gas stations, like the one near my job, consistently have pumps that say they're printing out a receipt, but that give you nothing (or tell you the receipt's available inside).
(By the way, getting that receipt is important, in my book. Some folks have a tendency to charge you for more than you consumed, so having that receipt, as proof, comes in handy as hell. I've had more than one disagreement about a gasoline charge; in each case, I'd failed to get a receipt, so my case was weak.
Lesson learned.)
Now, I know people are flawed, so anything we create is going to be flawed, HOWEVER... Even if the pump's receipt-printer DOES fail, when I go inside and say, "I'm just here for a receipt," I shouldn't have to wait in a doggone line just for the person to print it out.
That's exactly what I had to do, earlier, though. So, that particular gas station is going on my shit list.
Oh yeah... I couldn't figure out what my pump number was (and it was HOT), so, after driving closer to the building and going inside, we had a bit of a time trying to figure out which pump was mine. She told me, at the end of the transaction, that the pump number's on the right side of the pump. On my way out, I checked and noticed the number WAS on that side - completely out of the pumper's line-of-sight.
Yeah. Straight to my shit-list. This wasn't the worst experience ever, but, fool that I am, I think a convenience store ought to actually be... convenient.
Go figure.
4 comments:
Ahh, yes the inconvenient Convenience store. Love it.
I had a similar episode this week. I had to go in the store, as we were having an afternoon shower. And then telling him I wanted to fill it up wasn't good enough...He needed to have an amount. Let's just say it didn't go well between me...normally pleasant Remnants, and the Indian clerk who was already in offense mode. :-)
TIP: When paying at the pump with a Credit/Debit card, ALWAYS choose the option to receive a receipt. Why? Well the merchant service that administers the Credit Card mechanism at the pump only Pre-approves you for a certain amount based off of the balance that you have on your card. Generally, it checks to see if there is available credit of $50.00+; Why this amount? Well the service assumes that if you are paying by card at the pump that you intend to fill up the tank. Most cars usually take between $30 to $50 to fill up - SUV's of course cost more. Anyway, the amount that you actually spend and the amount that you are pre-approved for are obviously going to be different. Whatever that difference is, is then credited back to your card either that same day or a few days later. Your receipt is to show the actual dollar amount that you pumped so that if there is ever a discrepancy, you can get credited for the money.
Wow! I learned something new from viperteq. I'm one of those cats who always chose the "no receipt" option. That hasn't happened to me yet because I always cut the pump off on or very near the closest dollar. (ex; $20.02 or $21.00)So even when I look at my statement, I always look to see what the gas station's withdrawal numbers were from my account. If it were something crazy like $21.57 or some oddity like that it was on. The inconvenient convenience store. Only you West.
I hardly ever take the receipt at the gas station. You just made me re-think my stance on that.
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