"Rainbow" (rainbeaux)
08/06/2014 at 03:31 • Filed to: None
2
11|
"Rainbow" (rainbeaux)
08/06/2014 at 03:31 • Filed to: None | 2
| 11 |
The first time was nice and I helped a customer check her oil, which was filled way beyond the marks in the dipstick, and she asked "So I should just add one quart then?" I told her that she really shouldn't need to add any, then asked if there were any warning lights that prompted her to check. Nope. She just pulled in, decided that she absolutely needed to check her oil, and then wasn't sure what to do. Definitely an interesting experience.
But today... Oh man. First of all there was a roach in my kiosk, and I named him Fruit Loops even though I hate him. But then, out of nowhere, a shelf full of lighters and 5-Hour Energy just decided it didn't like the wall anymore and would rather jump out at my face. And as soon as that happened I got the most customers of the day, maintaining a line for at least an hour before they thinned out enough that I could clean up. Fun times.
Also, there's a guy in a red Marauder who's driven by every day now, even while I was training. He still hasn't stopped in for a fill-up, but one of these days...
NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 03:34 |
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My first "real" job was at a garage with attached gas station.
Probably learned more about basic human behavior there than any other job. You just never know who you're going to deal with next.
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Rainbow
> NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
08/06/2014 at 03:43 |
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Oh, definitely. It's especially surreal when they're on the phone. I've had several customers go back and forth from ghetto gangsta speak or modern-day valley girl to perfect English. And then there are those who don't have a public/business side and just act obnoxious no matter what.
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NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 03:46 |
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All the best with it. Learn everything you can, stay safe, and enjoy the laughs. There were plenty of those, too. :-)
Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 03:46 |
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Im always extraordinarily nice to gas station attendants, I ask them about their day, I comment on the weather, etc... I know it always puts a smile on their face, and it makes me feel good that I made someone else a little happier
kanadanmajava1
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 05:34 |
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This oil filler customer just reminded me of a story that I heard. One of my friend served his military service in the vehicle unit (as did I). The daily duties usually included vehicle maintenance. There was one girl doing voluntary military service there and she had just completed her first oil change for a Russian made UAZ car. After it was started it barely idled and engine seemed really tired.
On closed examination they found that the girl had filled the whole engine with oil. The oil level was in the valve cover. She just had no idea about the concept of a dipstick. But we learn by failing...
Vic-in-Norway
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 06:01 |
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Brings back memories, my first "real" job, meaning not a summer job or burger flipping, was at a small-town auto parts store back in Alaska. What that means is lots of poor rednecks maintaining their old cars and trucks. Even though it was a small town it was always extremely busy because of the rednecks. I loved it though, the day was always over before you knew it. Plenty of the customers had really cool cars, whether they knew it or not. The one I remember off the top of my head was the old lady with the original owner four door '62 409 4 speed Biscayne Wagon her gearhead husband had bought. It was quite the sleeper. This was in the early 90's so it was still just a car then to most, nowadays this thing would be a gem.
deekster_caddy
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 06:53 |
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Weirdest gas station night for me was when a guy pulled in to tag a deer. I had no clue what to do. I let him do it himself, I was too squeamish.
shop-teacher
> kanadanmajava1
08/06/2014 at 07:39 |
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Heh. A friend of mine in high school, put engine oil in her power steering fluid reservoir.
UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy
> Rainbow
08/06/2014 at 08:12 |
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My first job was also at a gas station. Mine was a wierd setup. It wasn't a franchise Marathon, my bosses' dad bought it in the 60's, so we had 4 full service car bays, 2 full service gas pumps (which is wierd for Ohio), filled propane, a bunch of random things. Once I learned to "close" (open/close shop for the night, or open the shop on Sunday mornings) most of my shifts were working alone like that. My boss was old school, and taught us how to count change correctly, how to treat customers with respect, and how to be mature young men. Jobs like those and what you've got are great jobs to have when you're young. Also, it makes me cringe when I go to McDonald's or comparable business and the change just pops out of the machine, or the clerk can't count back and I have to help.
Word of warning: Be careful when working alone at night. One time I was working alone, and a guy short changed me. I never dealt with it before, but he got a few hundred bucks off of me (I had happened to be short on cash, had to grab more and he leaned over the counter and stole a bunch of it). It was a terrible experience. However, the week before I left for college my boss presented me with a check back to our business from the courts, meaning they caught him, which was awesome.
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Rainbow
> UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy
08/06/2014 at 14:28 |
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I actually closed last night without ever being trained for half of it. I left all of the garbage because no one told me where the dumpster was and no one would answer the phone, but then there were other things to do like "Print off the Veeder-Root thingamajig and compare it to the delivery things and make sure there was no cross-contamination and highlight these numbers and staple them in just the right way" which really pissed me off when I realized that was already done in the morning even though it was on the night shift check list. I spent 30 minutes trying to call for help while scanning over every inch of the place before I found the papers already done.
And that sounds awful! I think I should be good since I'm in a box with just a little tray for the money, but there's a lot of merchandise outside that can easily be stolen. On my first day, I was actually told that we don't bother with shoplifters because it's too easy for them. So not only would we have no chance to stop them, but they're too scared to try because of how simple it seems. Nearly all stolen items come out of the store itself, and I've only seen one pack of gum go missing, which was my fault for not scanning it. Usually people hold the bar codes up to the window since the things are too big to go through, but she apparently put the gum in the tray with her money and I didn't see it until she took it out and left.
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Rainbow
> Vic-in-Norway
08/06/2014 at 14:31 |
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Nice! I've seen an old lady in a mint-condition un-modified S14 Silvia (with hubcaps! I don't know why, but I liked that part the most. It's probably the only one out there with those anymore) but that's about it as far as people not knowing what they have.