The Other Side Of The Coin

People who know me well know that I'm not at all reticent about screaming bloody murder when someone's done me wrong. But I'm nothing if not fair, no doubt a product having been treated unfairly many times over the years. And so it is that I at least try to speak up when I see things done well.

And so it was that I stopped by the local Shell station this morning to pick up some Pepsi (one of life's necessities; besides, they had it on sale) and took the occasion to ask to speak to The Manager (not the "assistant manager on duty" -- The Manager). With a reassuring "It's nothing bad" from me, the clerk scampered off to fetch The Manager, who appeared a moment later with a quizzical look on her face.

Accustomed as she is to hearing complaints, what came next must have been a bit of a shock to her system. I explained that her station had become my new default station for buying gas, due to reasons:

- when gas hit $4, they stopped buying until the price came down, since they were among those in town who didn't feel right about the consumer getting gouged;

- their price wasn't the absolute lowest in town, but it was within a few cents -- close enough for my purposes; and

- since getting my gas there, I've noticed a marked improvement in engine performance.

The poor woman's probably sitting around talking to herself now.