You’re not hearing me, Petro-Canada

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a problem I was having at Petro-Canada where my debit card wouldn’t swipe at their pump and I wasn’t finding any easy way to resolve the problem.

I shared the blog post with Petro-Canada on Twitter and to their credit someone replied to me within an hour, writing “We hear you!” They asked me to send them the location where this problem was occurring, so I did. They thanked me and said they would let the station manager know about the problem.

I waited for something more, but nothing ever came. Were they going to let me know when the station manager had been contacted? Was any resolution coming? Did anyone plan to contact me to let me know things had changed? What was I to do if the problem continued?

Nothing.

They were going to let the station manager know and I suppose from their perspective that settled it? I thought my blog post made it clear that if the station was taking customer problems seriously, they would already know about the problem because I had told their employee twice that I was having it!

Earlier this week, I returned to the station for the first time since complaining and once again, my debit card would not swipe at the pump, but had no problem swiping inside. I told the employee (for the third time) that I was having this problem, she seemed surprised, but offered little more than a shrugging of her shoulders before wishing me a good day.

I decided to write back to Petro-Canada through the original Twitter conversation because it seemed they really hadn’t heard me. They wrote back and asked if they could have someone phone me about the problem and a couple of hours later, I was on the phone with the regional manager for this particular station.

“Let me give you some background on what we’ve been doing,” he started. “We’ve upgraded the software at the pumps to the latest version...we actually had a guy here for nine hours...the company we use is (missed it)...we’ve had them here a few times making sure the software is up to date...we can’t ask our suppliers to keep coming back...so, I really don’t know what more we can do.”

What more you can do? What exactly have you done for me so far? I’ve had to put in a lot of effort just to get you to talk to me! Notice I didn’t say listen to me, because I’m not sure anyone has actually done that yet!

Very politely, I told him that it was very nice that they’ve upgraded to the latest software, but that I was still having the problem.

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind, you could go to your bank and get a new debit card.”

“Actually, I do mind, since my debit card works absolutely everywhere other than your pumps and it even works inside your location!”

“Yeah, well I don’t know what to tell you...you have to see it from our side, we get thousands of cards that go through without a problem, so we don’t know what we can do for you if you don’t want to get a new card.”

I have to see it from your side? I’m not unreasonable, but as a customer, do I really?

“We’ve upgraded the software...” he repeated for about the fourth time.

“Look, if the only solution here is for me to go to my bank and get a new card, so it might work at the only place where my current card does not, it would be easier for me to drive the extra 30 seconds to a different gas station,” I told him.

“Well, if you’re going to take that attitude, then I guess there’s nothing we can do to help you.”

Take that attitude? Did you really just say that?

Dumbfounded, I listened to him go on.

“We don’t want to lose your business obviously...”

This is obvious?

“And we’re sorry for the inconvenience...”

Funny that this is the first time I’m hearing these words!

“If you’re able to get a new card and if that doesn’t work we could tell our supplier that this is a new card…”

Yes, this game does sound like fun.

Knowing that this conversation was going nowhere, I made sure I had this person’s name and ended the conversation.

I’ve honestly not wanted to take my business to another gas station, but this problem has become so frustrating, especially what I see as a total lack of interest in listening to me or to come up with a solution that actually changes anything!

Am I asking too much? Do you really hear me?