Petrol Stations - A quick vent

Reggie_Rebel

Enfieldian wrote: »

Must be an age thing then,

A few years ago petrol stations stocked basic parts like that because if a bulb blew late at night you could get a replacement, seeing as Halfords don't tend be open all night.

Obviously you are too young to remember or just too thick to realise that?

Too young, all the stupidity genes had gone

4743hudsonj

So what indicator bulb do you need? Clear in line? clear offset? clear double offset? Orange in line? Orange offset? orange double offset? or maybe a capless clear?

You expect a garage to not only stock bulbs but keep catalogues so you know which bulb you need.

Go to a motor factors, and not halfrauds either otherwise you will be paying over a quid per bulb.

geordieracer

Enfieldian wrote: »

Must be an age thing then,

A few years ago petrol stations stocked basic parts like that because if a bulb blew late at night you could get a replacement, seeing as Halfords don't tend be open all night.

Obviously you are too young to remember or just too thick to realise that?

I remember when they did.. But have you not been into one since 1954?

dkmulvey

4743hudsonj wrote: »

So what indicator bulb do you need? Clear in line? clear offset? clear double offset? Orange in line? Orange offset? orange double offset? or maybe a capless clear?

You expect a garage to not only stock bulbs but keep catalogues so you know which bulb you need.

You'll probably find that a range of around 15 bulb types will satisfy 80% of requirements. And lets face it, the size of the things and their packaging isn't exactly going to rob the shop of a huge amount of shelf space.

I'm completely with the OP on this - I expect to see at least a rudimentary selection of motor 'emergency' accessories in a petrol garage. Certainly when I was working at a small forecourt, there was always a selection of bulbs, batteries, wiper blades, fan belts, etc.. A cappuccino coffee's not much use to me at 3am in the morning with no headlights due to a blown fuse.

geordieracer

dkmulvey wrote: »

You'll probably find that a range of around 15 bulb types will satisfy 80% of requirements. And lets face it, the size of the things and their packaging isn't exactly going to rob the shop of a huge amount of shelf space.

I'm completely with the OP on this - I expect to see at least a rudimentary selection of motor 'emergency' accessories in a petrol garage. Certainly when I was working at a small forecourt, there was always a selection of bulbs, batteries, wiper blades, fan belts, etc.. A cappuccino coffee's not much use to me at 3am in the morning with no headlights due to a blown fuse.

yeh but you could use the cappuccinos napkin to wipe your windscreen clear

4743hudsonj

dkmulvey wrote: »

You'll probably find that a range of around 15 bulb types will satisfy 80% of requirements. And lets face it, the size of the things and their packaging isn't exactly going to rob the shop of a huge amount of shelf space.

I'm completely with the OP on this - I expect to see at least a rudimentary selection of motor 'emergency' accessories in a petrol garage. Certainly when I was working at a small forecourt, there was always a selection of bulbs, batteries, wiper blades, fan belts, etc.. A cappuccino coffee's not much use to me at 3am in the morning with no headlights due to a blown fuse.

Fan belts = emergency supply? you might aswell stock timing belts, tensioners, belt slip.

and it does rob garages of far more valuable shelf space, what do you thinks sells more often and at a higher cost, some bulbs, or fags and booze? Then theres educating staff to recognise the bulbs correctly and use catalogue which not only takes time, but also has the hassle when people get the wrong bulb(which even when using rings catalogue can easily happen 20% of the time), meaning they have to waste time for refunds and finding the correct one. All for 80p?


I work at a motor factors and whilst we make alot of effort into getting the right one and have the space to do them, i think garages doing them is purely common sense in business terms. Just stocking more alcohol, fags, AA batteries and jonnys will in all likely hood make more money, sell in higher quantities and take less time to sell.

That was my point, i agree bulbs would be useful, but theyd be stupid to stock them.

Oil top ups, now that makes sense as its expensive, for its size. Ad its useful hence why 9/10 will have some castrol somewhere (owing mostly to its massively over inflated price). I did find somebody trying to put mineral 20w50 (duckhams) in a brand spanking new jag xk. I did have a polite word to say she couldnt have chosen a more wrong oil for it. But this again is the issue, the tesco staff wouldnt have a clue and she could have ruined her new car with thick oil.....

GemJar_2

saw some car bulbs in poundland last week not too sure which kind or what cars they were for but they were deffo car bulbs...

deanos

When i used to work in a petrol station it used to carry spare bulbs and wipers and those orange emergency fan belts, but they don't tend to do that nowadays, i don't think its stupid to stock them, what do you do if your bulb goes when the motor factors shuts at 5pm and there is nowhere else to go, we used to sell quite a few of bulbs as customers knew they could get them when other places would be shut

4743hudsonj

I know they would sell but i think most places have cottoned on that other more expensive things will also sell.... thats why i think theyd be silly to bother with bulbs that make no money.....

kerri_gt

Before all the big petrol stations sprang up, it was more common (and no I'm not that old but I do take note of history) that there would be a mechanics garage at the same site as the petrol station so it was perfectly reasonable to get your petrol and spares all in one place. Now most stations are part of huge chains, the independant mechanics are sited elsewhere. And i would guess there is more profit on a £4.50 prawn sarnie and a £2.50 coffee than a spare bulb