WHY DO THEY CALL THEM SERVICE STATIONS WHEN THERE IS NONE?

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How are you young Bob? been to the Cape I hear, you going to St George?

Fine thanks Bruce,been to the Cape,not going to St George.
Your off soon too are you not?

Cheers Bob.

I agree, but Coles and Woolworths should set an example, I know there is some Independants that do supply a Service to their Customers, but they are few and far between.

Gday Ray
I fill my gas and top up the petrol at the same time on a regular basis.
I can't see that one is more dangerous than the other.
Murray

Likewise I regularly fill the boat and the car at the same time. Different pumps and different fuel. I did get yelled at once for filling jerry cans that were inside the boat. I completely fail to see the difference between filling the tank in the boat and filling a jerry in the boat. Anyway - was a good excuse to stop using that particular outlet. Used to spend $700 a month with them.

Pat

Spot on Landy, And when you consider the number of isles in some of the big outlets, To even have a junior at each one to give service, aint" gunna work in this day and age!!


Cheers Axle.

I would rather do it myself.
Do you trust some pre-pubescent halfwit with a backwards facing baseball cap who only owns a skateboard to tell you whether everything looks OK under there?

Maybe Im in the minority here but I dont see the issue with leaving my children in the car for the 3 minutes it takes me to pay for fuel. Windows down a bit, keys in my pocket and they are fine. If its 35 degrees or so then the chances are im not out in the heat anyway.No I dont leave them in there to do the shopping but for fuel when im in and out for me is not an issue.

I agree with 1arm here, the kids are safer in the car rather than on the fore court of the servo with vehicles coming and going. Windows down, keys out and you can see the car the whole time you're away from it paying.

I've seen it in a few places while travelling, mostly the smaller towns (can't remember where). Of course, then I worry that they'll just pull the nozzle out without pointing the end up and a hose full of fuel will pour out on the side of the car.

Tim, just down the road there is a service station.I am banned from that one by the good wife.Lol


Cheers,


Bob.

My old Shell Training School told us the term "Service Station" came about with the introduction of one brand outlets that were designed and built to carry out scheduled service on your motor vehicle.
i.e. The oil change which for those who like me are old enough to remember was done each 1,000 miles.

There were any number of petrol outlets with various hand operated bowsers standing on the kerb. Some of the brands were; Shell, Vacuum, Plume, COR and BP. Off the top of my head I can't come up with others at the moment. Many of these outlets had no workshop or "service facilities" but all sold more than one brand of fuel.


The introduction of "one brand" marketing in the early fifties saw the first "service stations". A standard design with a "lube bay" or "lubritorium" as one company called it and then room for one or two workshop bays. These outlets were equipped with a air over oil hoist driven invariably by a Pulford compressor. This same compressor allowed the erection of the "free air" signs that appeared on just about every service station. Prior the free air you had the option of buying your own foot pump and pumping your tyres or paying threepence a wheel to have it done by the entrepreneur who spent the money to install a compressor. Untill the spread of the then modern "service Station" most vehicles went back to the manufacturers agent to be serviced.

"Service Station"? No the term came about for reasons totally different to that which most assume.

Do we want full driveway service? Yes we do.

Are we prepared to pay for it? No way!.

I happened to commission one of the Shell Company's first Self Service Outlets. The public loved it and flocked in to get the benefit of the five cents per gallon discount. The poor Mobil Dealer on the approach side hated me and I don't blame him. Motorists would pull in there and buy one dollars worth of fuel, have the oil, tyres checked, windscreen cleaned and anything else they could think of then drive out his side exit across the dividing side street and straight up to my pumps to fill the tank and get the five cents a gallon discount.

Sorry guys but the days of full driveway service are long gone and the reason is that the customers took their business elsewhere. Tyres were bought from Waltons, KMart and the tyre specialist that spouted everywhere. Same with batteries, brakes, clutch and exhaust systems. Then even the care care products went to Coles and Woolworths. These were the high margin lines that allowed a franchise holder to put staff out on pumps to serve you.

Yep. Long gone.

Ian

Geez Ian
I remember those time also, one would drive in over the Rubber Alarm, the Bell would ring, and the attendant would come out and put the Nozzle in the Tank and at the same time wipe the wind screen then lift the bonnet check the fluids, wipe his finger marks of the bonnet with a rag and then finish putting the fuel in the vehicle, well at least we were part of it.

PS, I also used to work for Gilbarcos many years ago doing installations and maintenance with the petrol pumps ect, when I was single.

Then there was the girl with the large knockers that would clean the windscreen . There was always a line of cars there .

Yep!

And the Neptune Service Stations.

Esso put a tiger in your tank but what brand was it that fitted any shape gas tank!
Brian