Petrol stations must offer optimum customer service

The sight of badly maintained petrol stations in the UAE does not serve as a proper sanction for the overall level of cleanliness and hygiene that can otherwise be seen in public places. Maintenance of petrol stations is a 24-hour operation, seven days a week. It has to be supervised professionally and according to a preset check list. At least one in every four petrol stations in Dubai and Sharjah has faulty air and water filling machines. Facilities like malfunctioning air conditioners in waiting rooms and sub-standard toilets, which do not offer basic sanitary measures, seem to have become the norm as a random study has illustrated.

Travellers stop at petrol stations for emergencies and sometimes to rest in the waiting rooms, especially in hot summer months. In such situations, easy access to air pumps for tyres or water to cool down heated engines are necessary. The facilities offered must constantly be updated and monitored to ensure that customers get what they are paying for and in keeping with their high expectations. Some petrol stations offer better quality service than others — right down to basic courtesy extended by the staff members. It is time all of them stepped up to the same high levels of customer satisfaction.