June 2023 by Renewal BeginningAgain
Holiday gas is our/my?FAV gas station, except for this one.?Inept customer service is a spirit-/deal-breaker here! So we regularly patronize the Casey's Convenience Store across the street (when in town) where the paid staff don't get hostile or have a meltdown or go off on "you" or act suspicious of you and begin hovering when you take too long to fix your coffee (which we always do); evidently it makes inexperienced or small minded or immature persons get mentally imbalanced or dysregulated or something that we are slow, thorough and deliberate. Whatever you do, don't ask questions about prices. It's been a sad pattern of experiences here; from these weird ways, now we're somewhat disappointingly displaced to give business elsewhere. Someone else may come along and say "Well, that isn't our experience there!" So? And? It was our experience here! and NEVER at any other Holiday Station Store in the entire Midwest. Yes, we travel the entire Midwest a lot. Anyway, I heard they have new management again; we hope things get better and that they drop or release their biases and forsake their limited mindsets. These small towns can be tireless for that "staring" and such dynamics as these however the world is global and increasingly competitive. If you want better business or reviews then stop the above dynamics to become more consistently reliable for hospitality and kindness. It builds trust, which yields happy customers more than willing to otherwise patronize Holiday amidst the competition. Patrons vote with their dollars. We have many votes to give. However, we'll spend these on other locations. Two stars earned for customer service {and 4 for products and variety}. [The latter would be 5 stars if only prices for various fountain beverages and the like were clearly marked or posted at the Madelia location.] This poor review was earned after a series of visits and after realizing a pattern, and not isolated incidences. Perhaps it's a work culture or attitudinal thing and, if so, it did spill onto normally very loyal Holiday patrons. We do not know anyone locally (working at any of the stores) so there's no small town bias or cronyism built into this review; there are no turf wars or Hatfield Vs. McCoys going on, that we know off. This is a genuine review based on an experienced pattern. The tone is negative because that's the tone we encountered on several occasions; this is a cumulative review. We don't know for certain what explains any of the above events that we'll simply refer to as rudeness, probably. However it seems more like a fear based issue (i.e., small town paranoia), limited life experience, or Go Figure!??♂️?♀️Its not ok to target your customers or project your stressors onto them. Just be polite and answer customer questions with grace and be cordial and hospitable. It is not ok to be hostile with customers, ever. Do better, more consistently. So patrons can rely on it being a consistently safe place to frequent. Just saying.
