“Fill her up? Check your oil sir? Would you like me to wash your window?”Depending on where you buy your gas, I’m sure that everyone has been asked these questions at one time or another. However is that all that a gas bar attendant does? Just stick the nozzle in and start pumping, perhaps washing the odd window? Maybe some do, but to be a great attendant requires much more. It requires a certain knack, that intangible quality that separates the men from the boys. To become a phenomenal gas bar attendant requires just the right combination of science and art. What is art? The dictionary gives one definition as the conscious production of sounds, colours, forms, words, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty. For example lets consider a painter. He brings together many different mediums and combines them using a technique of his choice in order to create a beautiful painting. Does a gas bar attendant not do the same thing? Just as a painter blends together the various techniques and mediums, so too must the gas bar attendant. They must combine their interpersonal skills, such as charm and charisma, with their skills of hard work and determination in order to get the job done. They must paint a beautiful picture, one that customers will continue to see in their minds long after they leave the dismal world of the gas station. The attendant is also an actor, using the gas bar island as the stage and the customer as the audience. The attendant must take on a different role for each customer that enters his theatre. If the customer is a whiner, or the typical life basher, then the attendant must observe this and play the role of the silent listener. They may give a silent nod every once and a while, perhaps coupled with a feigned look of agreement or sympathy for whatever it is that the customer is whimpering about. The next customer that comes in might be a quiet, little old lady. Their role must now shift to a much more aggressive one as they are no longer playing the role of the listener, but must become the conversationalist. They may comment on the glorious sunshine, or talk about the beautiful flowers, anything that will peak the lady’s interest and make her visit an enjoyable one. The idea is for the attendant to create an interesting and enjoyable visit, one which the customers will remember as they would last night’s episode of E.R., a wonderful event that they will more than enjoy watching tomorrow.
Watching and observing is an integral aspect of science. It is one of the steps involved in the scientific method. In fact, the dictionary provides the following definition for science: any branch of knowledge conducted according to the scientific method. The Petroleum Distribution Engineer ( PDE for short, is the scientific name for a gas bar attendant) must follow a certain method in order for the successful distribution of petroleum products. To best illustrate this method, let’s apply it to the following situation that commonly occurs at gas bars – four cars simultaneously pull into the gas bar. The first step in the scientific method is the formation of a hypothesis. The PDE must view the situation and hypothesize as to which order the customers should be served in. For example, who is going to get ten dollars versus a fill up. In order to do this they must weigh such factors as the quality of the car the customer is driving, and the customer’s previous gas bar history. The next step is to make observations. The PDE must observe the situation and glean from it a workable plan that will efficiently get the customers fuelled and sent on their way. He must watch the pumps while at the same time washing windows in a certain order. Timing is important, and the attendant must properly time everything so that it doesn’t all finish at once. The final step is the conclusion. In this step the PDE must collect the customer’s payment and then send them on their way. Each and every time a customer comes into the gas station, the PDE must employ this process if he is to succeed as a fast and efficient distributor. The petro pumper is a marvellous gas pumping machine that many people take for granted. His job is not easy to begin with, and to be an extraordinary gas bar attendant requires a lot of effort. It employs strategies which make it both an art and a science. So the next time you go into a gas station and find yourself overwhelmed by a charming and friendly attendant, remember just how much effort he is putting towards making your experience an enjoyable on; And as he smiles and wishes you a lovely evening, for god’s sake leave him a tip!!
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