RMG is looking to buy a new building here in town and Darren Cleveland, RMG CEO/President called me to go take a look at the place with him. I was short on gas, got into my regular gas station, and of course, my credit card got declined. Great!
So I go and try to use my credit card there, this time I have more time on my hands, and again it doesn’t work. No problems, thinking to myself I will look into it when I get home (I have, it was a random security check by the company), I have another credit card and this time it does work. So far so good, the new gas station is not doing anything special yet but they still have an option to prove to me that their pump is faster, service is better, etc etc. If they do a good job I will come again and again as they are almost next to each other (my regular one and this one).
So here goes, I start pumping gas and first thing, they took off that clip that holds the handle when you pump. How great is that? The other station has their clips on and it makes it easier to fill up gas and do something else. One strike, one more to go and that’s it.
Next, the speed of that pump is about 5 times slower then the regular gas station. At that point I just had enough. I put the minimum I needed until I get home and get to it again (5$) and will not go there again. No wonder the regular gas station is always busier now is it?
What’s the lesson here? We all have choices. You go with a registrar and they do a lousy job? There is usually another one right around the corner that will do a better job. Are you with a parking company who pays slowly? Start exploring opportunities.
The new gas station had a GREAT opportunity to get a new long term customer and they just didn’t care. If they don’t, should I? The answer of course is obvious.
As for the new building, I don’t think this one would be for us. There are a couple of other properties we’re looking at and likely one of them will do.
Source: Posted on The Conceptualist by Sahar Sahid — Reprinted with permission — March 14, 2008