Airport: Skybus Airlines Shutting Down

Sad that so many small operators go. I mean, they are the ones who would facilitate change in an industry that seems more geared towards the absolute bottom line then customer service. And yes, I am aware that all business is, in the end, about the bottom line. Its just that some companies are willing to sacrifice a few dollars off the profit in pursuit of providing better service, doing things properly, and so on. It seems to me, the larger a company, the more the distance between the bottom line and the other priorities.

Its also sad that flying is such a monopolistic environment. A long term perspective on pursuing a solid bottom line means more than this years profit. If you provide me, the customer, with the best possible experience, I am likely to use your service again. If you go above and beyond in keeping me comfortable and happy with my decision of you as a provider, I will eventually become willing to pay more just to use you as the provider.

Take the local Hess station. I drive two cars (one a lot more than the other) both of which are diesel powered cars. Experience in the past with idiot station attendants attempting (and the first time, succeeding) in putting gasoline into my diesel cars has made me completely unwilling to let anyone but me pump my fuel. Unfortunately, in the great state of New Jersey, it is technically illegal for someone to self-serve themselves at a gas station.

Our local Hess station is not always the cheapest seller of Diesel fuel, but they always have a high turnover (which is important with Diesel, perhaps more so than with gas) due to the layout of their station- its such that Semis can get in and out easily. And, while they are always jumping up to pump fuel when I come in, they have never once objected to me waving them away and doing it myself. At every other local station, I have at least once had a station attendant snot off at me about how I can't pump my own fuel- at which point, I'd leave.

In addition, with diesel fuel, you have to go into the station building to pay- they require this, primarily because many purchasers of diesel buy huge quantities of the fuel. I buy 20 to 23 gallons at a time, and I drive a sedan. Semis will buy hundreds of gallons at a time. One big rig who was sitting next to me the other day refueling bought 380 gallons of fuel- at $3.999 a gallon, that came out to $1520! I have a good relationship with the main guy who staffs it, who even let me leave when my creditcard for some reason wasn't going through, and pay him next time I came to fill up- AFTER I had filled up again. Unless I am so low on fuel I don't believe I can make it back, or I am far away from home, I will go out of my way to use this station.

This has been mutually beneficial to both me (less stress) and the station (more and loyal business) because they bother to do a good job catering to my needs as an individual customer.

Don't many filling stations have arrangements where you can pull up to a diesel pump that's far enough away from the nearest gasoline pump that no gasoline hose can reach your car?

Some do, some don't. A lot of them around here don't.