Cashier, Cashier, my kingdom for a competent Cashier!!

Dateline: Mojave, CA 1/8/2007 6:48 AM

Last nights ride wasn’t very bad at all, until… Yep, it was bound to happen. I had made it all the way to Lake Havasu City, AZ and was fueling the truck when I ran into the most inept, incompetent, lazy, indignant…. well, here’s the story(as I sent to Pilot Travel Centers Customer Service)…

“I am not usually prone to writing complaints. I understand that everyone has a bad day now and then but I believe this issue needs to be addressed. The company I drive for fuels with Pilot exclusively and I have never had any problems with any other Pilot. In fact, when my wife and I travel, we always look for a Pilot because we know they're usually clean and have great coffee. However, I pulled into the diesel fuel lanes a little after 11pm (local) all lanes were full and I had to wait behind another truck to fuel. No problem. At the pump, I "added" oil to the transaction and after fueling proceeded inside. There were only 2 people working behind the counter so I had to stand in line there also. Again, no problem. When it was my turn, the manager called next and I stepped up. I can only assume this was the manager because she wasn't wearing the usual blue smock of a cashier. I put the gallon of oil up and told her that I needed to add this to the transaction and told her my truck number, and who I drove for, and offered the EFS card I used outside. Her reply was, "What lane?". Now, quite often I remember which lane I was on or at least how many pumps over I am, but this was the exception. I couldn't remember but when this has happened before at other Pilot TCs, there has been no problem on the part of the cashier to pull up the held transaction and complete it with the use of my card or truck number or any other information. But the 'manager' said she couldn't do that, there were 4 other documents held and she couldn't go through all of them. I told her that she was the only one I had ever had a problem doing it (admittedly, my patience was wearing thin). I had to leave the line, go back out to the lane I was in and get the number, then back to the store to stand in line yet again. When it was my turn again, her gracious patronizing of the situation was not only uncalled for it was insulting. I don't know how this person ever became a manager, but I hope it is not the practice to promote such incompetence or laziness, which ever the case may be, in cashiers much less managers. I am very disappointed in the service here and were it up to me, the company would drop this site as a fuel stop. I hope that this is looked into and feel free to contact me for any further information. I drive at night so email is probably the most expedient way to reach me. Thank you in advance.”


Maybe, I was a little harsh, but come on, if a cashier in Laramie, WY can look up a transaction without “what lane” why can’t a ‘manager’ in Arizona?!?

I’m feeling much better now. I guess it’s just the cruise, but lately I’m not as uptight about the everyday deal. Traffic doesn’t bother me quite as much. Waiting around doesn’t bother me. Even the whole 55mph thing hasn’t bothered me. My intolerance for ignorance? Now that still bothers me…

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow, or should I say there’s always this afternoon.