GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. – The
old-fashioned, full-service gasoline station may be fading from memory, but
there are still places around that offer that kind of customer service, the
Green Valley News reports. At Rocky’s Shell and Automotive Center, customers
come to take advantage of owner Rocky Robling’s “extra” little services.
“I just like the
old-fashioned kind of gas station,” said Robling. “I take pride in that and
kept it that way.”
He’s been at the station
since 1976, when he started working there while a high schooler, and now owns
the place. “There’s a need for [full-service gasoline] in Green Valley,” said
Robling. “A lot of people definitely appreciate having someone be able to take
care of that for them.”
Elaine Rhodes is a
frequent customer and appreciates that Robling will check to see if basic
service is needed on her car since her husband, Ken, has become unable to do
so. “[My husband] can’t check the tire pressure and the oil and all that now,”
said Elaine Rhodes. “He’s always done those things, and I’m not used to doing
it. You can come here and they do all those things for you.”
For those wondering who to
blame for the downsizing of full-service gasoline, Jeff Lenard, NACS spokesman,
suggested stating with the fuel shortage of 1973. “After the first oil embargo,
many states reduced restrictions on self service,” he said. “Because the price
of gas went up, there was an incentive to save a few cents per gallon. By the
’70s and ’80s, stations customarily offered both.”
A 2005 GasBuddy.com survey
found that 93% of motorists pump their own gas. Only New Jersey and Oregon have
banned self-serve pumps. Lenard pointed out that many customers use
self-service because of the lower price, but that doesn’t mean the advantages
for full service are not appreciated by drivers.
“Some people need
assistance with fueling,” said Lenard. “Or maybe it’s a businessperson going to
a meeting who doesn’t want to get gas on their hands. It could just be someone
who wants to try something different.”