Thorold gas station fires back at angry customer treating staff poorly
Published March 9, 2022 at 10:21 am
For Jessica Friesen, owner of a Gale’s Gas Bar in Thorold, enough was enough.
When an angry customer, furious that $20 worth of gas did not move the needle on his Ford F-150, lashed out at the station attendant and then Friesen herself by phone on Monday (March 7), she fought back hard on a Facebook post.
(For the record, according to Ford vehicle specifications, an F-150 has a gas tank anywhere from 87 to 136 litres. So a $20 purchase at $1.80/l is 11 litres of gas in a tank that’s likely over 10 times that size.)
That post already has well over 400 likes and over 1,400 shares, letting Friesen know definitively that her community is behind her, especially when it came to the treatment of retail workers.
“We know that gas prices are astronomical,” said Friesen in her post, “BUT! It is NOT okay for our employees to face abuse, harassment, hate talk, etc because of the price of gas. Before you yell at the attendant, or call and swear at our office staff, think to yourself – have I actually put enough fuel in the tank to move the needle?”
Much like blaming the kid who’s stocking the grocery store shelves over the price of soup, Friesen added, “We don’t refine the product, we just retail it – the same as a store that sells shirts. We are the little guy, and are trying to manage these prices just like you.”
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And she had a parting word for the angry customer, “So, to the ‘gentleman’ that just called our office swearing up a storm because $20 didn’t move the needle of his F150, we forgive you. But please, don’t come back. We don’t deserve that abuse – any of us.”
While a large number of responses to the post took the opportunity to grouse about the government, likely missing its pretty clear “be nice to retail workers” message, a much larger contingent showed their support for the small business.
Many were incredulous that the driver thought $20 would move the needle for a gas tank that size. “Does $20 ever move the gas needle of an F-150? Coming from a fellow F-150 owner.”
Another, who completely understood the message, added, “Everyone should have to work a year in customer service!”
One regular to the station added, “We always encourage out team to fill up at your station, it keeps the money local! Secondly, I drive large trucks and expect to pay more at the pumps. I didn’t buy a Prius! Besides with a big truck, full service is awesome! I have had some of the best conversations with your attendants. I assure you, it’s about everything but the price! You have some pretty kick ass staff!”
The matter of gas prices came up at Queen’s Park yesterday (March 8) when Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates rose in the Legislature to demand a provincial plan for relief at the gas pumps as prices topped $1.83 a litre in Niagara Falls.
Gates said, “Today I asked the Premier Ford to quickly work with us to make a plan to immediately provide relief at the gas pumps. In Niagara, you need a car to get around and gas prices are breaking people – we need a plan now to come into force to lower these costs now.”
One driver left this joke on the
Facebook post by Gales Gas Bar.