I'm not going to listen to another second of a gas station employee complaining about drive-offs at a store that allows people to get gas before they pay. It's such an easy fix to such a stupid problem. Either you pay at the pump or you prepay inside. Not a difficult concept. Yet stores still effectively allow people to steal gas, sometimes thousands of dollars worth a year, and act surprised when someone drives off.
where did you see this? I have not paid after I pumped in the Southeast or Midwest in at least a decade.
The only times I can even remember pumping gas without having to prepay were in England.
Quote from: thspfc on September 28, 2021, 10:47:38 PM
I'm not going to listen to another second of a gas station employee complaining about drive-offs at a store that allows people to get gas before they pay. It's such an easy fix to such a stupid problem. Either you pay at the pump or you prepay inside. Not a difficult concept. Yet stores still effectively allow people to steal gas, sometimes thousands of dollars worth a year, and act surprised when someone drives off.
Hm. Gas pumps have asked for payment cards prior to pump authorization for decades now. Can't remember the last time I could just pump gas...if at all in my lifetime.
I do remember when prepaying started though, when I was a kid.
Quote from: Georgia on September 28, 2021, 11:10:08 PM
where did you see this? I have not paid after I pumped in the Southeast or Midwest in at least a decade.
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 28, 2021, 11:12:58 PM
The only times I can even remember pumping gas without having to prepay were in England.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are two of the last places in the US where pay after pumping remains widely available. There are a few exceptions in high-crime areas or an oddball station here or there that has converted to prepay.
I can't say definitively why this is the case, but one thing to remember about gas stations is their profit margins on gas sales are thin and most of their income comes from concession sales inside. There are a fair number of gas station owners who feel pay after pumping encourages people to come inside and add food/beverages onto their total in one transaction. I can say from experience that when I travel, I am unlikely to both pay for gas at the pump and then go inside for a second transaction for concessions. Unless I'm parched, I'll drive for a while longer and then make a concession-only stop at a different gas station.
I dunno. I don't remember paying after pumping when I lived in Superior.
Quote from: Rothman on September 28, 2021, 11:49:55 PM
I dunno. I don't remember paying after pumping when I lived in Superior.
Is that because you don't remember it being an option, or because you chose to pay at the pump regardless?
Quote from: thspfc on September 28, 2021, 10:47:38 PM
I'm not going to listen to another second of a gas station employee complaining about drive-offs at a store that allows people to get gas before they pay. It's such an easy fix to such a stupid problem. Either you pay at the pump or you prepay inside. Not a difficult concept. Yet stores still effectively allow people to steal gas, sometimes thousands of dollars worth a year, and act surprised when someone drives off.
Do these gas stations even have pumps where the requirement is to activate by gas club card or credit card?
How low tech are these gas stations.
Quote from: bing101 on September 28, 2021, 11:56:42 PM
Quote from: thspfc on September 28, 2021, 10:47:38 PM
I'm not going to listen to another second of a gas station employee complaining about drive-offs at a store that allows people to get gas before they pay. It's such an easy fix to such a stupid problem. Either you pay at the pump or you prepay inside. Not a difficult concept. Yet stores still effectively allow people to steal gas, sometimes thousands of dollars worth a year, and act surprised when someone drives off.
Do these gas stations even have pumps where the requirement is to activate by gas club card or credit card?
You can still pay at the pump if you wish or prepay with the cashier. You're just not forced to do so.
Quote from: thspfc on September 28, 2021, 10:47:38 PM
I'm not going to listen to another second of a gas station employee complaining about drive-offs at a store that allows people to get gas before they pay. It's such an easy fix to such a stupid problem.
Yeah, it is. You pay at the pump so you don't have to listen to the employee complaining.
Walk into Kwik-Trip/Kwik-Star, where the company requires cashiers to verify with all customers if they have any fuel to purchase - every one. I can tell the cashiers are bored to death of it.
Cashier: "any gas out there?"
Me: "They're your tanks, I don't get paid to verify there's gas out there."
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:46:31 PM
Quote from: Georgia on September 28, 2021, 11:10:08 PM
where did you see this? I have not paid after I pumped in the Southeast or Midwest in at least a decade.
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 28, 2021, 11:12:58 PM
The only times I can even remember pumping gas without having to prepay were in England.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are two of the last places in the US where pay after pumping remains widely available. There are a few exceptions in high-crime areas or an oddball station here or there that has converted to prepay.
I can't say definitively why this is the case, but one thing to remember about gas stations is their profit margins on gas sales are thin and most of their income comes from concession sales inside. There are a fair number of gas station owners who feel pay after pumping encourages people to come inside and add food/beverages onto their total in one transaction. I can say from experience that when I travel, I am unlikely to both pay for gas at the pump and then go inside for a second transaction for concessions. Unless I'm parched, I'll drive for a while longer and then make a concession-only stop at a different gas station.
Where in Minnesota are these stations? I mean, I'm not going to stop paying for gas, but I'm curious :biggrin:
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:55:25 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 28, 2021, 11:49:55 PM
I dunno. I don't remember paying after pumping when I lived in Superior.
Is that because you don't remember it being an option, or because you chose to pay at the pump regardless?
Definitely don't remember it being an option.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:46:31 PM
Quote from: Georgia on September 28, 2021, 11:10:08 PM
where did you see this? I have not paid after I pumped in the Southeast or Midwest in at least a decade.
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 28, 2021, 11:12:58 PM
The only times I can even remember pumping gas without having to prepay were in England.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are two of the last places in the US where pay after pumping remains widely available. There are a few exceptions in high-crime areas or an oddball station here or there that has converted to prepay.
I can't say definitively why this is the case, but one thing to remember about gas stations is their profit margins on gas sales are thin and most of their income comes from concession sales inside. There are a fair number of gas station owners who feel pay after pumping encourages people to come inside and add food/beverages onto their total in one transaction. I can say from experience that when I travel, I am unlikely to both pay for gas at the pump and then go inside for a second transaction for concessions. Unless I'm parched, I'll drive for a while longer and then make a concession-only stop at a different gas station.
I almost always go inside after paying at the pump, if not to get food/drink, to use the restroom at least. Don't know why I would want to make two stops when it can all happen in one.
At least around me I can't think of any places that you can pump before paying. I knew of a few places the end of the 1990's or so that did and stopped. At this point the only pumps that don't need to be pre-approved are full-service, but someone is there to prevent them from being used anyways.
I also know of this from a police officer that told me, but some local police departments stopped investigating drive-offs without paying because it was an easy problem to solve. There was a bit of shock that gas stations would have cameras to monitor cars coming in and out, but not put in a simple measure to prevent the theft. This was probably what forced some stations hands to fix it.
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 29, 2021, 04:54:53 AM
Walk into Kwik-Trip/Kwik-Star, where the company requires cashiers to verify with all customers if they have any fuel to purchase - every one. I can tell the cashiers are bored to death of it.
Cashier: "any gas out there?"
Me: "They're your tanks, I don't get paid to verify there's gas out there."
i'm way too much of a smartass to let them off that easy.
my answer would have been 'a little.. last night was enchilada night..'
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:46:31 PM
I can't say definitively why this is the case, but one thing to remember about gas stations is their profit margins on gas sales are thin and most of their income comes from concession sales inside. There are a fair number of gas station owners who feel pay after pumping encourages people to come inside and add food/beverages onto their total in one transaction. I can say from experience that when I travel, I am unlikely to both pay for gas at the pump and then go inside for a second transaction for concessions. Unless I'm parched, I'll drive for a while longer and then make a concession-only stop at a different gas station.
The only flaw in the logic here, from my understanding, is the idea that someone would get tricked into buying more than fuel if they have to come inside to pay. You've already indicated that paying at the pump remains an option, as opposed to a requirement, so why would a driver who's not interested in buying snacks/drinks not simply pay the regular way and drive off once filled up?
Sometimes, if I want snacks, I will go into the store first, grab whatever I need, and then indicate how much fuel I want to the clerk. This way, I can make a single purchase (same as if I filled up first, to be fair), but then I can enjoy whatever I bought while I wait. This method does require me to guess how much fuel I want, but then I don't need a full tank, so I'm happy to low-ball the guess most of the time. This method is also quite handy if I want to pay with a single bill, say $20: subtract the purchased items from the bill amount, and "put the rest on pump 6" (or whatever).
Quote from: andarcondadont on September 29, 2021, 06:42:55 AM
Where in Minnesota are these stations? I mean, I'm not going to stop paying for gas, but I'm curious :biggrin:
They're almost universal in this state. I can count all of about 3 stations I've come across that are prepay only - Kwik Trip in West Duluth (which seemed to have been prompted by theft issues shortly after they opened), Shell in Rogers, and Speedway on Shady Oak Rd in Eden Prairie.
Quote from: Rothman on September 29, 2021, 06:43:51 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:55:25 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 28, 2021, 11:49:55 PM
I dunno. I don't remember paying after pumping when I lived in Superior.
Is that because you don't remember it being an option, or because you chose to pay at the pump regardless?
Definitely don't remember it being an option.
If that was the case, it must have changed after you left. I almost never pay at the pump in MN/WI, so I would remember if I couldn't pay after pump in Superior.
I've seen a number of stations that have prepay only at certain pumps. Depends on the visibility of the pump from the cash register.
Although with cameras everywhere, drive-offs shouldn't really be an issue.
Prepay was a very new concept around here in the early 80s. I wasn't a fan, because I liked to fill up my vehicle and never knew how much it was going to cost. If you give them too much, you have to go back in and get your change. If you don't give them enough, the pump shuts off and you don't get a full tank.
An acceptable compromise should be letting them hold your driver's license while you pump.
There are still some places in the world where they actually trust other people to behave responsibly. :-P
Pay after you pump was the norm for me until I moved to Milwaukee after college.
Fill it up, go in and take a leak, grab a beverage or two, maybe something to munch on, and pay for it all at once.
Pre-pay assumes I'm a criminal as the default and it feels rather insulting when one isn't used to pre-pay. To me, it would be like going into a store and someone tells me I have to pre-pay for whatever I'm there to buy. As if I'm assumed to be a thief without cause.
But the convenience of pay at the pump soon overrode this perception. It is just easier. If the gas station wants to pay twice the fees to the credit card companies to process additional transactions, that's on them.
Quote from: cabiness42 on September 29, 2021, 07:50:51 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 28, 2021, 11:46:31 PM
I can say from experience that when I travel, I am unlikely to both pay for gas at the pump and then go inside for a second transaction for concessions. Unless I'm parched, I'll drive for a while longer and then make a concession-only stop at a different gas station.
I almost always go inside after paying at the pump, if not to get food/drink, to use the restroom at least. Don't know why I would want to make two stops when it can all happen in one.
I'm in this second camp as well. I pay at the pump, and then go to the bathroom, and then, from time to time, I'll get a snack and a drink. Also, if I'm getting some fast food, I'll get that after getting gas and before returning to the highway. That way, I don't have to make a stop for just one thing later on.
Perhaps oddly, I won't usually get gas at the same time I stop for the night at a hotel. That's perhaps because, as often as not, I'm camping, and gas isn't as readily available.
Most people paying with cash, pay after their tank is filled in New Jersey! :bigass:
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:05:33 PM
Although with cameras everywhere, drive-offs shouldn't really be an issue.
While cameras certainly help identify the offenders, many stations won't pursue someone who only drives off once, since the cost to prosecute would be more than the cost of the fuel lost. Do it several times, be a habitual offender, and it becomes more worthy to pursue and convict...and that's where the cameras certainly become useful.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:05:33 PM
An acceptable compromise should be letting them hold your driver's license while you pump.
When I worked at 7-Eleven, some 15 years ago, that was an option. The only issue with that is that you still have to go inside first.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on September 29, 2021, 05:13:15 PM
There are still some places in the world where they actually trust other people to behave responsibly. :-P
Pay after you pump was the norm for me until I moved to Milwaukee after college.
Fill it up, go in and take a leak, grab a beverage or two, maybe something to munch on, and pay for it all at once.
Pre-pay assumes I'm a criminal as the default and it feels rather insulting when one isn't used to pre-pay. To me, it would be like going into a store and someone tells me I have to pre-pay for whatever I'm there to buy. As if I'm assumed to be a thief without cause.
There's a difference between being optimistic and denying reality; this falls into the latter category.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on September 29, 2021, 05:29:39 PM
Most people paying with cash, pay after their tank is filled in New Jersey! :bigass:
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:05:33 PM
Although with cameras everywhere, drive-offs shouldn't really be an issue.
While cameras certainly help identify the offenders, many stations won't pursue someone who only drives off once, since the cost to prosecute would be more than the cost of the fuel lost. Do it several times, be a habitual offender, and it becomes more worthy to pursue and convict...and that's where the cameras certainly become useful.
Can confirm. Kwik Trip has security cameras EVERYWHERE - wherever you are at on their property, you are being taped, probably by multiple cameras at once. Yet I still hear their employees talking about drive-offs all the time.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:05:33 PM
Prepay was a very new concept around here in the early 80s. I wasn't a fan, because I liked to fill up my vehicle and never knew how much it was going to cost. If you give them too much, you have to go back in and get your change. If you don't give them enough, the pump shuts off and you don't get a full tank.
An acceptable compromise should be letting them hold your driver's license while you pump.
But then you still have to go into the store and wait in line twice, which is most people's real objection to prepaying.
Our local 7-Eleven franchise used to let you sign up for a magnetic card that would let you turn on the pump before paying. Of course, it was linked to your personal information, so if you ended up not paying after you turned on the pump with the card, the identity of the culprit would be obvious. The franchisee ended up getting bought out by corporate 7-Eleven a few years ago, and I don't think they offer those cards anymore.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 29, 2021, 12:18:42 PM
You've already indicated that paying at the pump remains an option, as opposed to a requirement, so why would a driver who's not interested in buying snacks/drinks not simply pay the regular way and drive off once filled up?
A lot of people do pay at the pump and head on their way. I paid after pumping inside generally because it meant a zero chance of getting snagged by a card skimmer.
Inefficient? Sure. But it was how I grew up and I was never forced to do it any other way unless I was travelling.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 29, 2021, 11:11:14 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 29, 2021, 12:18:42 PM
You've already indicated that paying at the pump remains an option, as opposed to a requirement, so why would a driver who's not interested in buying snacks/drinks not simply pay the regular way and drive off once filled up?
A lot of people do pay at the pump and head on their way. I paid after pumping inside generally because it meant a zero chance of getting snagged by a card skimmer.
Inefficient? Sure. But it was how I grew up and I was never forced to do it any other way unless I was traveling.
Hmm. I always thought card skimming issues were substantially more prevalent inside of stores than at the pumps themselves. Ask the attendant for some smokes or whatever, and pop the cover on the machine while they're turned.
Then again, card skimming hasn't been a big concern of mine. I've been using tap to pay for years now, and lately at the pump too (Costco primarily, but other places too).
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2021, 10:58:11 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:05:33 PM
Prepay was a very new concept around here in the early 80s. I wasn't a fan, because I liked to fill up my vehicle and never knew how much it was going to cost. If you give them too much, you have to go back in and get your change. If you don't give them enough, the pump shuts off and you don't get a full tank.
An acceptable compromise should be letting them hold your driver's license while you pump.
But then you still have to go into the store and wait in line twice, which is most people's real objection to prepaying.
Our local 7-Eleven franchise used to let you sign up for a magnetic card that would let you turn on the pump before paying. Of course, it was linked to your personal information, so if you ended up not paying after you turned on the pump with the card, the identity of the culprit would be obvious. The franchisee ended up getting bought out by corporate 7-Eleven a few years ago, and I don't think they offer those cards anymore.
Agreed on the "going in twice" thing.
I guess I need to check what prompts I get the next time I'm at a Kroger, Speedway or Sheetz, which are places where I have loyalty cards. I always use the card to get my discount, but I guess I need to test if the pump has stickers "prepay before pumping" but gives the option of pumping anyway after the loyalty card is read and the system figures out who I am.
I started driving in 2015 (grew up in rural southern Minnesota) and the stations in our town all allow it still, except Casey's which recently implemented a corporate policy wherein all pumps at all locations are prepay/pay at pump only (even in tiny, tiny towns), which strikes me as semi-strange considering their rural/hometown focus.
Paying after pumping feels very "small town" to me, but it is quite common all over Minnesota, to my experience, even larger cities/suburbs. It's more common in Minnesota/Wisconsin than in Iowa/Nebraska, in my experience. I don't often pay cash for gas, but in the event that I do I like not having to collect change (since I don't like not filling the tank completely); it's also nice if I want to grab something from the c-store, which, in Kwik Trip's example, is really a grocery store that happens to sell fuel, so many people buy their cheap staples like bread/milk/butter/bananas. It's not a deal-breaker to have to pay first/pay at the pump, but it is nice to have as an option, IMHO, and I use it frequently when it's available.
(https://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/news/local/2008/06/11/3029261/dunn_driveoffs_gaspump_mjo-800x600.jpg)
https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3028809/ (https://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3028809/)
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying! :ded: :rolleyes:
Paid once after pumping in New Brunswick. Prior to that it had been probably ten years or so at some random super rural station.
Chris
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 09:58:37 AM
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying!
A 13 year old story?
Quote from: GaryV on November 10, 2021, 10:17:14 AM
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 09:58:37 AM
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying!
A 13 year old story?
@OldTakesExposed.
Chris
Quote from: GaryV on November 10, 2021, 10:17:14 AM
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 09:58:37 AM
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying!
A 13 year old story?
Its an article that I stumbled upon
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 12:22:11 PM
Quote from: GaryV on November 10, 2021, 10:17:14 AM
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 09:58:37 AM
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying!
A 13 year old story?
Its an article that I stumbled upon
You didn't
stumble upon it, you fell into a time warp and
landed on it.
The Murphy in my area (~50 miles away) requires motorists to pre-pay.
Quote from: jayhawkco on November 10, 2021, 10:22:24 AM
Quote from: GaryV on November 10, 2021, 10:17:14 AM
Quote from: snowc on November 10, 2021, 09:58:37 AM
Read this article, to see why we don't allow pumping, before paying!
A 13 year old story?
@OldTakesExposed.
Chris
A time before paywalls; what a time to be alive.
If you pay cash in full serve NJ, you technically don't prepay for fuel. Drive-offs aren't all that common.
When did paying at the pump with a card become a common concept?
Quote from: XamotCGC on November 11, 2021, 05:57:11 PM
When did paying at the pump with a card become a common concept?
Sometime during the mid- to late-1990s, as far as I can recall, though many more rural locations were slower to adopt it. In the early 1990s, most gas stations I patronized didn't have it. If they had "pay first," you had to give them a $20 and then go settle up after, or else you had to give them a credit card to hold. I refused to do the latter for the rather obvious reason of it allowing credit card fraud too easily, although as a practical matter it was irrelevant because most stations still charged extra for credit back then, so I didn't pay credit.
I remember one station in Fairfax, Virginia, that had
cash acceptors at the pumps for a while (Main Street Shell (https://goo.gl/maps/kJMbnvTqQ6YwFwz46) just west of Woodson HS). They didn't last long because you couldn't get change at the pump–if you put in, say, a $20 and then bought $16 of gas, the pump would print a receipt and you'd have to go over to the window to get your change, which essentially defeated the purpose of paying cash at the pump. It would have worked better with the style of pump Exxon used to have where you could set it to put in a specific dollar amount (ending in "5"), so if you wanted $15 worth you'd hit the "$15" button and it would shut off at that amount. Those didn't last all that long either–I assume most people just filled it up every time.
Quote from: 1995hoo on November 12, 2021, 08:21:05 AM
Quote from: XamotCGC on November 11, 2021, 05:57:11 PM
When did paying at the pump with a card become a common concept?
Sometime during the mid- to late-1990s, as far as I can recall, though many more rural locations were slower to adopt it. In the early 1990s, most gas stations I patronized didn't have it. If they had "pay first," you had to give them a $20 and then go settle up after, or else you had to give them a credit card to hold. I refused to do the latter for the rather obvious reason of it allowing credit card fraud too easily, although as a practical matter it was irrelevant because most stations still charged extra for credit back then, so I didn't pay credit.
I remember one station in Fairfax, Virginia, that had cash acceptors at the pumps for a while (Main Street Shell (https://goo.gl/maps/kJMbnvTqQ6YwFwz46) just west of Woodson HS). They didn't last long because you couldn't get change at the pump–if you put in, say, a $20 and then bought $16 of gas, the pump would print a receipt and you'd have to go over to the window to get your change, which essentially defeated the purpose of paying cash at the pump. It would have worked better with the style of pump Exxon used to have where you could set it to put in a specific dollar amount (ending in "5"), so if you wanted $15 worth you'd hit the "$15" button and it would shut off at that amount. Those didn't last all that long either–I assume most people just filled it up every time.
The BP at 30th and Ames in Omaha (which is in the process of being rebranded as a Casey's) has cash accepting capability at the pump. I've never tried to use that feature, but might have to give it a try. I assume that people typically don't put more cash in than they think their car will take (probably mostly $10 and $20 rather than full fills) so that they don't have to go inside for change.
Kwik Trip is going to institute that policy as the number of drive offs have increased.
Quote from: Big John on November 23, 2021, 05:29:30 PM
Kwik Trip is going to institute that policy as the number of drive offs have increased.
Where did you hear this? Gross. :(
^^ inside info (I work there.)
I don't even prepay inside anymore. Paying at the pump with a card is so much easier and less stressful.
How common are full service stations on road trips (not counting the states that requires it like Jersey)?
Quote from: Big John on November 23, 2021, 05:47:18 PM
^^ inside info (I work there.)
Yeah, I just saw on FB today too January 3rd is the supposed planned date. Guess it's back to Holiday if I can help it for now, unless/until more of those switch over too.
Most of the stations that I frequent here in northeastern Wisconsin are still pump then pay. A lot of people around here are still 'handshake deal' honest and upstanding.
Mike
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on November 23, 2021, 05:39:15 PM
Quote from: Big John on November 23, 2021, 05:29:30 PM
Kwik Trip is going to institute that policy as the number of drive offs have increased.
Where did you hear this? Gross. :(
I saw it in a little sign taped to the pump over the Thanksgiving week.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on November 29, 2021, 06:17:17 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on November 23, 2021, 05:39:15 PM
Quote from: Big John on November 23, 2021, 05:29:30 PM
Kwik Trip is going to institute that policy as the number of drive offs have increased.
Where did you hear this? Gross. :(
I saw it in a little sign taped to the pump over the Thanksgiving week.
A radio station in Green Bay, WI (WTAQ) had something on that within the past couple of days, too.
:ded:
Mike
I've experienced it twice in the last 15 years. In 2008, north of Atlanta at a small station off I-85 - very surprised but it was quite fun.
Then, last year in Junction City, KS, in the city proper. Less surprising there, because there are small town gas stations all over the Great Plains that still allow pay after pumping.
Lots of factors involved: The cost of adding CC readers (possibly involving complete changeout of the pump bodies/innards); the idea that in small town America, 99% of the cars coming in are known to the attendant inside, so if a drive-off does occur, your parents are likely to get a call before the police; and the aforementioned idea that if you can encourage people to come inside the store to pay, they'll also pick up a candy bar or cigs or something.
KT claimed a $3,000,000 loss with drive-offs last year.
Quote from: Big John on November 23, 2021, 05:29:30 PM
Kwik Trip is going to institute that policy as the number of drive offs have increased.
Heard about that as well, I know a lot of people who work there. It's about time.
Quote from: mgk920 on November 24, 2021, 11:40:00 PM
Most of the stations that I frequent here in northeastern Wisconsin are still pump then pay. A lot of people around here are still 'handshake deal' honest and upstanding.
Mike
It's a fair bet that a major reason KT took this long to end drive-offs was because pump then pay creates that sort of old-timey trust and respect between business and customer. Maybe it's just me, but to me, it does the opposite. It makes KT seem poorly run and unorganized. Call me a pessimist, but I simply don't have the level of trust in strangers that most Midwesterners do.
Quote from: thspfc on December 02, 2021, 10:29:14 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on November 24, 2021, 11:40:00 PM
Most of the stations that I frequent here in northeastern Wisconsin are still pump then pay. A lot of people around here are still 'handshake deal' honest and upstanding.
Mike
It's a fair bet that a major reason KT took this long to end drive-offs was because pump then pay creates that sort of old-timey trust and respect between business and customer. Maybe it's just me, but to me, it does the opposite. It makes KT seem poorly run and unorganized. Call me a pessimist, but I simply don't have the level of trust in strangers that most Midwesterners do.
I think it was more because pay after pump encouraged people to come inside and add to their total bill with concessions, which gas stations make a much higher profit margin on than the gasoline. And needless to say, Kwik Trip spends a lot of marketing on their food products.
The best heat lamp grill in the Midwest sells itself. :sombrero:
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on December 03, 2021, 12:48:18 AM
Quote from: thspfc on December 02, 2021, 10:29:14 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on November 24, 2021, 11:40:00 PM
Most of the stations that I frequent here in northeastern Wisconsin are still pump then pay. A lot of people around here are still 'handshake deal' honest and upstanding.
Mike
It's a fair bet that a major reason KT took this long to end drive-offs was because pump then pay creates that sort of old-timey trust and respect between business and customer. Maybe it's just me, but to me, it does the opposite. It makes KT seem poorly run and unorganized. Call me a pessimist, but I simply don't have the level of trust in strangers that most Midwesterners do.
I think it was more because pay after pump encouraged people to come inside and add to their total bill with concessions, which gas stations make a much higher profit margin on than the gasoline. And needless to say, Kwik Trip spends a lot of marketing on their food products.
True, but that argument should apply everywhere. Pay after pumping has not really been a thing in the US outside the upper Midwest for the last 20+ years. So clearly there is some sort of regional cultural element at play here.
Kwik Trip can quit the annoying "any gas out there" question by bored clerks who are obligated to verify every fuel purchase.