Kevin Hillier says he’d pay for a little old-fashioned service.
Customer service is one of my pet subjects and whenever I come across anyone who goes above and beyond, I do my best to acknowledge and recommend them. In an age where ‘self-serve’ is taking over, much to my chagrin, service rendered by others is a dying commodity.
What a revelation then to find out about George Vlasakakis and his Circuit Service Station in Altona North where driveway service is alive and well. For readers who have never heard of the concept, please jump in my Delorean and go back in time. In my teens, when my parents owned service stations, they were ‘service’, not petrol, stations. When customers pulled in, they not only had their petrol pumped for them, they were also offered (at no charge) a check of every important part of the car – oil, water and tyres and cleaning of the windscreen. This was an expected part of the transaction.
In those years in the family business, I checked thousands of radiators, tyres and dipsticks; enough to last a lifetime. So when I saw the idea floated that motorists would be asked to pay a fee, say $2, to have this service done, I thought ‘bring it on’. I think it’s a great idea but one that will probably find its way into the too-hard basket.
Petrol outlets these days are not set up for full driveway service. Paper towels for dipsticks, windscreen cleaner fluid, the location of the tyre pumps, all make this a bridge too far. Pity, because I think it would be a great help to many.
What do you think and would you be willing to pay a few dollars for the privilege? I would. See you soon, George.
Speaking of the past, what has become of bumper stickers? We now see lots of cars with stick figures and little else. I can remember when radio station bumper stickers were all the rage. At 3XY, we had suburb stickers, footy stickers and Peter Brock stickers. Now you see very few and the ones that are about are no longer clever, witty or relevant.
What were your favourites (keep it clean), and why?
If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia. com.au
