What is important to you at a full service gas station?

I help out at one that a friend owns. He and I were talking and both had ideas but neither know for sure.

So I figured I would ask you all. Hell ask your kids wife's husbands significant others what they like and don't like and post up.

full service as in they pump gas or full service as in i can run in and grab a slushie and a bag of funyuns? because coke/pepsi flavored slushies and funyuns are at the top of my list.

I go to one here in town for mounting and fixing tires. He's the only one around that takes the time to clean up the bead surface. While waiting for my tires, I've seen him cater to the other customers who seem to love him. He checks tire pressure, fluid levels and gives kids suckers. I think he also does oil changes for some of the little old ladies.

that they not touch my car other then too pump gas. the only time i use the full service station is if gas is alot cheaper there.

Full service as in pumps the gas for you has three bays and does state inspections. No food sofa. The station is part of a very small group of stores that my friend owns. One of the tenants is a small food store that makes sandwiches and sells coffee cigs soda and snacks.

Full service? What's that?

Not interested in full service. I can pump my own gas and don't need to pay 10 cents per gallon extra for someone else to do it, and then feel obligated to tip the guy too (I always tip service people since they don't get paid well).

Make it self-serve and add a second state inspection bay instead. Because sittign in line for an hour to get inspection sucks.

Funny you day that as yes the gas does not make much money where as the inspections actually do.

A bathroom without cooties?

(Or at least a bathroom without swear-words written in poop on the walls)

This might be a tough place to ask because so far it sounds like you'll get a lot of guys like me who won't even go to our local car-wash because there's three people at the end of the tunnel waiting to towel off your car. I hate that, leave me alone. (Asking non-car guys will help you/your friend more.

He could always put a suggestion box at the station, no?

Full service appeals to me when it's -10f out and I need go-go juice.

Competitive pricing, efficient service and good traffic control.

Competitive pricing: i dont mind paying up to $0.10 more since that is only $1.20-$1.70 per fillup depending on which vehicle I'm filling. I'm not going to go out of my way and use $1 worthof gas driving out of my way to save $0.50 on a tank of gas.

I don't want to be sitting there waiting for the guy working to finish his call/text/email so I can get gas.

As for traffic control, don't let people pull in/back in in order to cut line because they think they are entitled. I'm the guy patiently waiting his turn in line and it drivesme nuts when some self absorbed asshat thinks his time is more valuable than mine and doesn't want to wait their turn. I avoid one of the self serve places in town because the customers are idiots and I've been stuck waiting after filling my tank because someone blocked me inso they didn't have to wait while I put my gascap back on.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Full service? What's that?

This.

I haven't seen a full service station in 25 years.

That said, make sure it's clean. Inside and out. Most of the privately owned stations around here are trashy. They don't maintain their property, buildings, pumps or bathrooms. That makes me think they don't maintain their tanks and filters as well, so I don't buy gas from them. Make it look professional.

haven't seen a full service station around here in, pushing 30 yrs

Fast gas pumps. There is one gas station locally in an area that has 5 or 6 to choose from. I'll always go to that one instead of others because the pump will fill the tank and get me on my way faster.

Check the oil and stuff for my wife.Cause s ain gonna. Also friendly, clean place to be. Giving the munchkin a succer or apple would be a good way to get me to stop there as well.

Also fresh local grown produce.

Might be worthwhile to be retro with that full service.

As in cap and uniform. Wash the windshield, check the fluids. "Yes sir, no madam, have a good day".

Hmm. For the morning crowd, if you could figure out a way to give/sell coffee with their morning fill up, that might be a nice hook. As in just hand it to them, they don't have to get out and go get it, that might also be a heck of a draw. Just look at the business Dunkin Donuts does with morning coffee in their drive-through.

I'm not interested in people pumping gas for me. Ever. If there was a way for me to plug my own car into a port a at machine for emissions I'd do that in a second.

The last time someone pumped gas for me was in Oregon back in the late 90's/early 2000's and that was because it is (was?) a law there. I would not stop at a full service station unless I was in a state that required it.

foxtrapper wrote: Might be worthwhile to be retro with that full service. As in cap and uniform. Wash the windshield, check the fluids. "Yes sir, no madam, have a good day".

This! A well done retro gas station would get me to stop, and pay more than normal to for the experience. But it would have to be fully committed to retro, yet be extremely well maintained. I always pump my own fuel, so in order to get my attention, he'd have to do something unique. Not sure that would be a profitable business model though. Realistically you've already stated where the money is at. State inspections. Unless he's running these places for fun, why not chase the easy money with the inspection station, that also sells fuel.

Seems like myself and others posting here took "Full Service" as what it originally was- An attendant that pumps your gas, cleans your windshield, adjusts tire pressure, and checks fluid levels.

The OP is referring to a gas Station with a Service Center.

My first automotive job was as a Full Service attendant and lube tech at a Chevron Station. Our main jobs were oil changes and SMOG inspections for the local neighborhood. We also did plenty of major services and repairs too. We had the luxury of not having much competition either. If you can be competitive on pricing you can corner the local market. It's has to be convenient for your customers to have a repair facility very close to home.