QOTD: Missing Full Serve?
We reported yesterday on how Oregon is finally allowing drivers to use self-serve gas pumps.
That got me thinking. When I was a kid, and even when I was a gangly teen getting my first driver's license, you could still find full-serve pumps. Most people used self-serve, but the option existed at gas stations. A fair amount, maybe even a lot, of gas stations, if memory serves.
Of course, over time, fewer and fewer stations offered the option, since few customers used it. I don't know, without looking it up, if this meant a reduction in gas-station attendant jobs, but common sense tells me that even if it didn't, it did allow attendants to focus on other tasks, such as manning the register for people buying coffee/soda/candy whatever.
As for me as a customer, I don't remember if I ever used full service (except one time in Oregon when I was required to) but as I said yesterday, there are some things about full service I would've liked. For example -- staying in the car when it's very cold out. Not getting my hands all grimy from the pump. Just letting someone else do the work.
I don't know why I didn't use full serve. I think it may have cost more -- enough so that I didn't want to pay more for the service. Even if I am remembering wrong and that wasn't the case, I suppose I just felt like I didn't need someone else to do this work for me. I'm an able-bodied adult and operating a self-service pump isn't difficult.
What about you? If full-serve is/was offered where you live -- as an option, and not a requirement -- would you prefer full-serve or self? Would it matter if there's an extra cost -- i.e. would you do full if the price was the same but not for more money?
I suppose NJ and Oregon residents can sit this one out since one state is still requiring full serve and the other one only just now changed things.
The rest of you can sound off below.
[Image: BCFC/Shutterstock.com]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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The mostly guys here will say no, but once your mother/wives/girlfriends/sisters get on in years, they'll be using full service a LOT.
When the last of the Main Street full service stations converted to self serve, one woman in her late 60s complained she had to drive six miles rather than six blocks to have her fill up, oil and tires checked, and windshield cleaned, and it wasn't the old friends who had given her car service for many years.
Her complaint to the local paper brought a dozen other older women to echo her complaint. The youngest of the boomers are in their late 50s now, and there will be a market for full service for quite awhile longer, since women live longer and drive longer than their husbands.
Regarding the complaints about 'gas jockeys spilling gas on my car or chipping the paint'. Well back when full serve was the norm many domestic vehicles had their fuel filling outlet located behind their back license plate. Made it difficult to 'harm' the car, but also difficult for older or mobility diminished people to attempt to fuel their own car. There were exceptions, like the one year (1955?) that Cadillac had the fuel inlet located behind one of the rear lights.
I remember when 'gas jockeys' wore uniforms which often consisted of a hat, tie and jacket. For a while Gulf had provided running shoes with the Gulf logo, for gas jockeys at their stations.
We got a slight commission on every can of oil or wiper blade that we sold. But we cleaned the windshield for each customer, checked their oil and wiper fluid (if they asked or allowed us) and checked tire pressures when asked. A great many customers were grateful for those services.