I like Shell gas stations.  Whether it's the primary yellow color scheme, the logo of a seashell, or friends who have told me that Shell gas seems to get them more mileage, something about them makes me feel like buying their gas.  But I can't stand the Shell gas station around the corner from my house.  I avoid it like a dinner of coffee, poop & asparagus.  I routinely tell people not to go there.  It's all because of their offer of “free air to customers”. 

For the last couple years I seem to have been afflicted with slow-leaking front tires.  Even when I get new ones pretty quickly something seems to happen where I run over a nail or am punished for an unknown trespass against the lords of front tire protection.  Then it's either pay 75¢ or find a gas station that will fill up my tire for free.

Not too long ago I noticed that the Shell station around the corner from my house gives free air to their customers.  “Sweet!” I thought.  “Free air for my leaking tire and Shell gas.  What could be better?”  Noticing the labeled 75¢ air compressor price, I went inside to ask for my free air.

“Did you get any gas?  How much did you put in your tank?” the attendant asked, boring into my soul with his lie detector eyes.

“Umm, I put in over $20.  It says free air for customers.”

“Yes, but some people take advantage of that,” he muttered as he grudgingly agreed to turn it on for me as soon as I drove over.

Over the next couple months I returned every so often, asking for free air and receiving similar, untrusting questions, no matter which attendant worked there.  Once, I went back in to ask again if the guy could turn on the air compressor, since it never came on, and got flat-out rejected.  “I already turned it on for you.  If you want more air you have to pay for it!” he insisted.  I left, planning only to go there in dire need.  Not once did I get a smile of recognition or the sense that I was welcome in the store.  Maybe he discriminates against people with red hair.

A few months ago I visited the air pump with a flat tire, having no change to put in the machine.  “You can pay with a credit card now,” he informed me, seemingly happy of his moneymaking improvement.  I unhappily went to the machine and inserted my plastic card in exchange for air.   On my bank statement, the price had jumped from 75¢ to $1.25 for the convenience.  Evil thoughts for that store flooded my mind.

If you own your own business, make sure you provide what you promise and treat your customers with respect instead of distrust.  If you have a gas station, providing a free-to-use air compressor would go a long way towards increasing the customer loyalty and word-of-mouth about your store, especially since it's rare to find free air anymore.  I still have this affinity for Shell stations, but I'll never buy anything from the Shell station on South Lamar Blvd. and Kinney St in Austin, TX.

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