Devil May Care Service

I am raising this complaint on behalf of all the community members affected by this appalling service but might not have the fortitude to raise the issue on other platforms. I feel justified, as the management of the Filling station has been given many opportunities to remedy the situation. I essentially have a few complaints to which one could no longer turn a blind eye and goes against the grain of good customer service.

(1) They have now, for more than a year only had One (1) Tire-Pressure-Pump. They always claim that it is either “the patrons who have damaged it” and that it does not warrant them fixing it as punishment or the other excuse is that, “it is the Compressor problem”. The hose then has to be carried from one outlet to another, which results in very long queues. Not because of any shortage of air, but simply because the management does not care. (2) There is also always a problem with the pumps, which are very seldom working all at once. You invariably have to play “Musical Chairs” with the other patrons. This is at the most inconvenient time, such as the morning on the way to work or when you arrive back in the afternoon, or on any given day on the weekends, which is even worse. The management simply does not care. (3) The Rest Rooms at the facility are very appalling in every sense of the word. Either it is never in proper working order, but the worst is that it is not dedicated to customers and you have to share it with the staff members. Again, the management simply does not care.

They put a low premium on customer service, as I surmise that they are confident that their conduct would not invite scrutiny because they predominantly cater to a certain segment of the population who “Ordinarily Does Not complain”. I have not experienced such bad customer service at other Service Stations, not even from your less sophisticated service stations and it simply does not improve. I find this conduct of the management ridiculous and very unacceptable.

I, therefore, beg the following questions; • Does BP- South Africa condone that customers at any of their service stations are being subjected to a similar manner?” • “Is it beneficial for me or any other person for that matter to continue being patrons of BP Eersterust Filling Station when you are subjected to this level of service, and alternatively would Senior Management of BP South-Africa, personally tolerate this kind of service were they in our position? • “Am I perhaps being facetious in assuming that good customer service is reserved only for a select few or a certain sector of the community for that matter because the owner would have definitely upped his game should this business have been in a more affluent area?” • How does BP Eersterust Filling Station -Management operate a business when they do not offer the proper customer service experience, compared to the other Filling stations across the country? • What message does BP Eersterust Filling Station -Management communicate to the middle to lower-income patrons who frequent their business? • Whether BP Eersterust Filling Station -Management is profit-driven or service driven? • Will we be justified by imploring BP South-Africa management to come, have a look for themselves, and ascertain whether this particular filing station does the image of BP proud?

It is unfortunate that we had to proverbially; “Rock the Boat” in order to air our grievance, but we feel that we had given BP Eersterust Filling Station Management ample opportunity to remedy this situation in the interest of fair and equitable customer service, however, there has only been total indifference. If this is the service to which customers are subjected, then I am afraid, it leaves much to be desired. This issue smacks of prejudice and invariably leaves a bad taste and I am sure that anyone would agree that not a single BP Eersterust customer has to endure this atrocious level of customer service. I believe that BP South-Africa can ill afford such conduct by its franchisees, not when it strives to position itself as the preferred Fuel Retailer in South Africa. Furthermore, after conferring with my fellow community members, some are also in the Fuel Retail Service field, and they all concur that it goes totally against the grain of what “Great Customer Service” and “Good Governance” are all about. I, therefore, feel that we have no other alternative but to bring this unsatisfactory conduct to the BP South-Africa senior management’s attention and then take appropriate action to remedy the situation.