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Total Service Station Complaint
Just thought I would share this 
:
Customer Complaints Department
Total UK Limited
40 Clarendon Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD17 1TQ
4th November 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
In my work as an IT project director, I am required to travel extensively throughout the UK and as such am a frequent visitor to fuel stations. In fact, I would almost consider myself something of an aficionado - for example, I can provide speculative fuel prices for various regions to within a couple of pence, and what I don’t know about Ginsters’ fine range of pastry products isn’t worth knowing.
Well practiced as I am, when I visited your TOTAL station on the A46 at Newark on the evening of Saturday the 23rd of October I did so with minimal concern for my own physical and mental wellbeing. I am a natural optimist, and in fairness my arrival at the petrol pump was without note and all seemed to be progressing well until I was about halfway through refuelling, at which point I abruptly went blind.
This struck me as odd, and I took a moment to verify that I had not always been blind by remembering that I had laughed at a stranger’s haircut just that afternoon. Whilst doing so, my eyes adjusted enough to confirm that they were still functional and that I had been plunged into darkness due to the forecourt lights being turned off. In retrospect, I think it was the lack of any warning whatsoever which prompted my confusion.
Now, I appreciate that sometimes Britain’s health and safety laws can seem overzealous. I join in the national rolling of eyes when it is reported that children are not allowed to play conkers, for instance. Or that office workers are forbidden from hanging coats on the backs of their seats. However, on occasions when a man is wielding a device which spews great volumes of highly flammable liquid in unfamiliar surroundings, I would offer that plunging him into sudden blackness is erring on the side of rash.
Have you ever attempted to replace a fuel nozzle when deprived of the sense of sight? Or tried to close and lock a fuel cap? I now have, and I can confidently advise you that it is surprisingly difficult. The sheer quantity of petrol which ended up on my clothes is testament to this. It’s probably why the profoundly blind are discouraged from driving.
Gamely accepting the fact that I was now incendiary, I gingerly picked my way through the blackness toward the shop to pay. I should perhaps be grateful that I only tripped the once en route, and that in doing so I did not create enough friction to ignite.
I had time to muse over this spot of good luck upon entering the shop, whilst the staff chatted to friends who had paid them a visit. I’m as sociable as the next chap, but I must admit that in my now bewildered and flammable state I was quite keen to complete the transaction and get home to wrap myself in a fire blanket and sooth my frayed nerves with a cup of tea. Gladly the attendant and her companions eventually ran out of things to say, as is sadly so often the case in relationships. Granted her attention, I asked why she had turned out the lights when I was clearly halfway through refuelling. She replied “we weren’t going to serve you because we’re closing”. Suddenly a woman of few words, she chose not to elaborate on why she had waited until I was actually putting fuel in the car before plummeting me into darkness. Nor did she offer any apology. She did however make time to appear slightly disgruntled by the fact that I did not know which number pump I had used, what with the blackness and everything.
Aside from the emotional scars and dry cleaning bill, I have a further memento of this displeasing episode in the form of a receipt. I am slightly bemused by the fact that I paid for this experience, by the way, as I am not generally a man given to handing over cash to be endangered and humiliated. That’s what MPs are for. Anyway, said receipt informs me that I paid at 9.28pm. Your website, meanwhile, informs me that the petrol station closes at 10pm. As such, I don’t think it particularly unreasonable to suggest that the staff could have left the lights on until I’d finished, unless it appeared to them that I had some degree of disability which causes me to take 33 minutes to fill the tank of a small family hatchback. I’m not sure what that would be. Lack of opposable thumbs, perhaps. Or a genetic anomaly which precludes me from performing any task without pausing midway through to complete the Times crossword. I can confirm that I am afflicted by neither condition, although of course have sympathy for those who are.
I can’t helping thinking it preferable for this never to have happened, and having given it some thought I have concluded that it just might have been avoidable. Options include turning off the lights before or after my visit, or indeed remaining open during opening hours. Even an apology to a customer who’s safety has been genuinely compromised by your actions would have been an improvement.
Your website tells me that “We want your experience at TOTAL to be as good as it can be, every time you visit.”. This is an admirable aspiration. Can I perhaps suggest that you direct the attentions of the staff in question toward this commitment? You may wish to put special emphasis on the word “good”, and in particular how it is rarely interchangeable with “startling”, “exasperating” or “death-defying”.
As previously mentioned, I am a natural optimist. As such I have been able to view this to some degree as a character building exercise. It relieved me of some of that pesky money which has been hanging around in my bank account, and it has also given me renewed appreciation for those occasions in life when I am not veiled in blackness and combustible. However, I would appreciate your feedback on what I'm sure you'll agree was a pretty appalling example of customer service.
I look forward to your response.
Kind Regards
Lee Cobley
:Customer Complaints Department
Total UK Limited
40 Clarendon Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD17 1TQ
4th November 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
In my work as an IT project director, I am required to travel extensively throughout the UK and as such am a frequent visitor to fuel stations. In fact, I would almost consider myself something of an aficionado - for example, I can provide speculative fuel prices for various regions to within a couple of pence, and what I don’t know about Ginsters’ fine range of pastry products isn’t worth knowing.
Well practiced as I am, when I visited your TOTAL station on the A46 at Newark on the evening of Saturday the 23rd of October I did so with minimal concern for my own physical and mental wellbeing. I am a natural optimist, and in fairness my arrival at the petrol pump was without note and all seemed to be progressing well until I was about halfway through refuelling, at which point I abruptly went blind.
This struck me as odd, and I took a moment to verify that I had not always been blind by remembering that I had laughed at a stranger’s haircut just that afternoon. Whilst doing so, my eyes adjusted enough to confirm that they were still functional and that I had been plunged into darkness due to the forecourt lights being turned off. In retrospect, I think it was the lack of any warning whatsoever which prompted my confusion.
Now, I appreciate that sometimes Britain’s health and safety laws can seem overzealous. I join in the national rolling of eyes when it is reported that children are not allowed to play conkers, for instance. Or that office workers are forbidden from hanging coats on the backs of their seats. However, on occasions when a man is wielding a device which spews great volumes of highly flammable liquid in unfamiliar surroundings, I would offer that plunging him into sudden blackness is erring on the side of rash.
Have you ever attempted to replace a fuel nozzle when deprived of the sense of sight? Or tried to close and lock a fuel cap? I now have, and I can confidently advise you that it is surprisingly difficult. The sheer quantity of petrol which ended up on my clothes is testament to this. It’s probably why the profoundly blind are discouraged from driving.
Gamely accepting the fact that I was now incendiary, I gingerly picked my way through the blackness toward the shop to pay. I should perhaps be grateful that I only tripped the once en route, and that in doing so I did not create enough friction to ignite.
I had time to muse over this spot of good luck upon entering the shop, whilst the staff chatted to friends who had paid them a visit. I’m as sociable as the next chap, but I must admit that in my now bewildered and flammable state I was quite keen to complete the transaction and get home to wrap myself in a fire blanket and sooth my frayed nerves with a cup of tea. Gladly the attendant and her companions eventually ran out of things to say, as is sadly so often the case in relationships. Granted her attention, I asked why she had turned out the lights when I was clearly halfway through refuelling. She replied “we weren’t going to serve you because we’re closing”. Suddenly a woman of few words, she chose not to elaborate on why she had waited until I was actually putting fuel in the car before plummeting me into darkness. Nor did she offer any apology. She did however make time to appear slightly disgruntled by the fact that I did not know which number pump I had used, what with the blackness and everything.
Aside from the emotional scars and dry cleaning bill, I have a further memento of this displeasing episode in the form of a receipt. I am slightly bemused by the fact that I paid for this experience, by the way, as I am not generally a man given to handing over cash to be endangered and humiliated. That’s what MPs are for. Anyway, said receipt informs me that I paid at 9.28pm. Your website, meanwhile, informs me that the petrol station closes at 10pm. As such, I don’t think it particularly unreasonable to suggest that the staff could have left the lights on until I’d finished, unless it appeared to them that I had some degree of disability which causes me to take 33 minutes to fill the tank of a small family hatchback. I’m not sure what that would be. Lack of opposable thumbs, perhaps. Or a genetic anomaly which precludes me from performing any task without pausing midway through to complete the Times crossword. I can confirm that I am afflicted by neither condition, although of course have sympathy for those who are.
I can’t helping thinking it preferable for this never to have happened, and having given it some thought I have concluded that it just might have been avoidable. Options include turning off the lights before or after my visit, or indeed remaining open during opening hours. Even an apology to a customer who’s safety has been genuinely compromised by your actions would have been an improvement.
Your website tells me that “We want your experience at TOTAL to be as good as it can be, every time you visit.”. This is an admirable aspiration. Can I perhaps suggest that you direct the attentions of the staff in question toward this commitment? You may wish to put special emphasis on the word “good”, and in particular how it is rarely interchangeable with “startling”, “exasperating” or “death-defying”.
As previously mentioned, I am a natural optimist. As such I have been able to view this to some degree as a character building exercise. It relieved me of some of that pesky money which has been hanging around in my bank account, and it has also given me renewed appreciation for those occasions in life when I am not veiled in blackness and combustible. However, I would appreciate your feedback on what I'm sure you'll agree was a pretty appalling example of customer service.
I look forward to your response.
Kind Regards
Lee Cobley
0
Comments
-
Cut out most of the unnecssary verbiage and they might actually read the thing. It's FAR TOO LONG.
oops too late now - sent in November. Did you actually get a response?0 -
Actually I got a call from the customer care director personally. He complimented me on my letter and assured me a full investigation was under way. I received a letter within a week containing a full apology, recompense for my dry cleaning and a goodwill gesture in the form of vouchers. Perhaps letters you may have written in the past have been FAR TOO SHORT?
Lee0 -
Cut out most of the unnecssary verbiage and they might actually read the thing. It's FAR TOO LONG.
oops too late now - sent in November. Did you actually get a response?
I think the tongue in cheek humour keeps it light hearted enough to not be a "moan moan moan" kind of letter, but the key points about shutting 30 mins early, highlighting a safety issue and getting compensation for an unwanted dry cleaning bill.
I always think if you want to make a complain, it is far better to do it in a calm and courteous manner, then to simply be aggressive and rude...0 -
Incident 23rd October. Letter dated 4th November.
You waited thirteen before putting pen to paper!
Or it took that long to compose it.;)
Dan.We used to to shop at Tesco. But then we saw the light.0 -
I wanted to get it right
0 -
So did they shut 30 minutes early, or did they have a fault with their lights?
Or was it the case of the opening times data on Total's website being out of date?0 -
They shut 30 minutes early and turned off the lights because they wanted to go home.0
-
I have to say I hate this sort of letter. I'm a great believer in setting out the facts in as simple and coherent a manner as possible.
Glad you got the result you required.0 -
Without doing the simple check that there may be someone on the forecourt at the time?!
At least not as bad as during the snow last year when I had the misfortune to visit the Total garage on the A64 during the snow, just to pick up some de-icer, went to the counter to pay only be told by the owner that they were closed (despite the entire place being lit up!) and he had to spend time 'getting the place ready for customers', what was I, scotch mist?! Another driver was attempting to refuel at the time and was also told to go away, we both had some choice words for the owner!0 -
Mark_Hewitt wrote: »Without doing the simple check that there may be someone on the forecourt at the time?!
Worse than that, she knew I was there! This was confirmed after she came out with her marvellous “we weren’t going to serve you because we’re closing” excuse!0
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