1. The filling station with most commercial transporters as customers is the best.

Ntoi ! You've been deceiving yourself. The filling station with alot commercial drivers and motorcyclists as customers is not usually the best. Their customer base depends on location and sometimes, how attractive the filling station looks- nothing else. Besides, transporters tend to use a particular station because they'll be offered some free fuel if they purchase a particular amount.


2. If the meter isn't rubbed, it would continue from the figure shown on the screen.

This’s untrue for digital meters used in filling stations. Once the machine's off, the meter starts from zero irrespective of what was on it when you arrived. It's only when the machine isn't off that it continues from the figure on the meter. But to be on the safer side, I suggest you always make sure the attendant rubs the meter.


3. The faster the pump dispensing speed, the smaller the fuel sold.

Today, we have super fast jets, boats, cars, missiles and yes, fuel dispensing pumps. Filling stations are supposed to be places you go, purchase fuel and leave as fast as possible thus, pumps are made to be fast with new variants made to be faster. So stop saying; "this your pump is too fast" after purchasing fuel or do you want to spend the whole day there?


4. Fuel remains in the hose after sales.

Some meters start reading the moment fuel leaves the pump to the hose while some, when the fuel leaves the underground tank, it depends on where the engine (turbine) is. So after being attended to, fuel remains on the hose, right? Not really.
Let me explain it like this; when you sip a drink with a straw and stop afterwards, you notice that droplets might remain in the straw and these droplets, as you've probably noticed are usually negligible. That's the same way a filling station pump operates. Due to the very high pressure used when dispensing the fuel, nothing remains in the hose and if something remains, it's usually negligible.


5. Filling stations always have change.

As you probably know, smaller denomination currencies are becoming an endangered species in Nigeria, with special thanks to Mr Sanusi Lamido of CBN who wants them scrapped and Nigerian banks who deploy only 1000 naira notes and in rare cases, 500 naira notes to their ATM's. Besides most customers who go to filling stations don't bring change and when they do, it's usually bad or faded money. People are also known to rob filling station attendants in the guise of seeking for change or like in my case, attempt to change "fake" money.


6. Filling stations run on generators 24/7.

Filling stations are like other regular businesses vying for survival. They also use PHCN but have usually have 2 or more generators on stand-by. So should there be power outage when you're being attended to, don't panic. Where your sales stopped would be displayed the moment power is restored. But note that after power's been restored, some pumps can't continue selling from there but start all over from zero so ensure you know how much fuel has been sold to you and how much more remains. Clear?


7. The attendant is a poor, hungry wrecked illiterate.

Just like me, some of these attendants are students of higher institutions on holiday or strike, , B.Sc, OND.HND, college of education graduates or even youth corpers awaiting posting. They're just doing the job to keep body and soul together. That's why if you frequent a filling station regularly, you'll notice that the attendants tend to be replaced frequently.


8. All filling station owners are rich.

Wrong! As explained earlier, filling stations are just like other businesses trying to survive. The owners are not usually "swimming" in money as most people believe. Infact, due to the unpredictable nature of the Nigerian oil sector, alot of these filling stations depend on bank loans to survive. Doubt me? Ask your banker friend.


9. The attendant must hold the nozzle during sales.

Back there at the filling station where I worked, I met customers who wanted me to hold the nozzle all through the sales. Fact is, nozzles have a knob which can be used to hold down the part the attendant presses down so when the attendant hangs the nozzle, stop shouting and making unnecessary noise, if no fuel is being sold, the meter won't read- chikena!


10. Filling stations sell air.

If you needed air, you should have visited a vulcanizer or simply left your tank open.
Liquid (not air) has to pass through the pump itself if the meter's to read. If the meter's reading, then it means fuel's being sold. Forget about putting your ear or hand near your fuel tank to know whether it's warm. AIR CAN'T BE SOLD, so stop deceiving yourself.

.

SOURCE: ME. I once worked at a filling station during my 100-200 level holidays and I got to know all these. I also wrote two articles about filling stations for aabnigeria.com but won’t be able to post them here due to their policies against copying full articles.

To read 6 shocking facts about Nigerian filling stations, CLICK HERE

To read 4 filling station tips to avoid getting ripped off CLICK HERE

very informative. thanks.just read your other write ups and found out they have been cheating me for the past 3 years.

Leopantro: very informative. thanks.just read your other write ups and found out they have been cheating me for the past 3 years.

Thanks for reading.

hehehe...chei! thanks anyways mate...when I buy my car I'd come back to this thread

Anyi.:
hehehe...chei! thanks anyways mate...when I buy my car I'd come back to this thread

Ok, I'll wait for you

Quite educative,whistle blower. . . .

aieromon: Quite educative,whistle blower. . . .

Am I a whistle blower? Just some truth you guys need to know, i came upon an article on nl recently where some1 was saying the best filling station was that with transporters as customers...HE WAS TOTALLY WRONG, although it does count sometimes but rarely.

I'm thinking. Is this article supposed to be here or in the autos section? :/

11. Filling station must put touts in front of their gates when fuel is scarce.

Yes, the touts paid returns to the filling station managers and sieve off the poor customers so that only the strongest (those who have money to pay touts, pump guys and buy the fuel at exorbitant price without worrying about rubbing the meter) can come in to buy fuel.

Add your own if you like.

imperiouxx: Filling station must put tout in front of their gates when fuel is scarce.

The touts are usually around when there's no scarcity but when scarcity begins, they're called in. Some even act as securitymen for these filling stations.

Thanks.

Mr Oga, sorry to correct ur number 10. Filling station dey sell air sometimes (pump air instead of fuel). Or which kind magic go make person go filling station to but 4k fuel, and when he turns on the engine, notices that he has been sold only about 10 liters ?...

You painted a picture of a perfect downstream oil sector. ..I guess you need to tell Nigerians how those filling stations rob them too !

Nice one, very informative. Thanks.

Nice one!

@op The issue I really want u to tell us based on ur experience is hw pple get short changed by under selling, inspite of what the meter reads!
Abi dat one too na wrong impression?

Mobsync:

Am I a whistle blower? Just some truth you guys need to know, i came upon an article on nl recently where some1 was saying the best filling station was that with transporters as customers...HE WAS TOTALLY WRONG, although it does count sometimes but rarely.

u never finish ur holiday ne? Why ar u so concern with filing station iish..?

I disagree wit the part where you said filling stations don't sell air, some dubious attendants do that

Filling stations usually v change.

I only know they have the most useless charges- for gen, for keg, for bike, for can. Thieves!

ouigy99: Mr Oga, sorry to correct ur number 10. Filling station dey sell air sometimes (pump air instead of fuel). Or which kind magic go make person go filling station to but 4k fuel, and when he turns on the engine, notices that he has been sold only about 10 liters ?...

They don't sell air. Fact is some cars don't respond to changes in the fuel tank immediately. For example; when the temp of the fuel in your car tank's is higher than that being sold.

Argh, 23rd
I'm coming up.
Watch out

Yomieluv: op,can you explain the meaning of Gan-ga? Anybody who works,or has worked in a filling station knows its a slang for 'cheating.despite the fact the attendant are paid miserable income,how come,they dont wanna leave the job,the nozzle at all,or competing among themselves for sales..abeg park well.

never heard of anything called ganga. Besides, most attendants leave when they find better jobs. They also compete for customers cos some filling stations pay based on commission (no of litres sold) especially majority of the major marketers like conoil, nnpc mega stations etc.

Lol @ no 5.
Passenger- wey my change.
Kamoru d conducter-Farabale maa se owo ni ile-epo to wa ni ibe yen.(calm down,I wil change d money at d fillin station ova there) Naija I hail o.

4. Fuel remains in the hose after sales.:

Some meters start reading the moment fuel leaves the pump to the hose while some, when the fuel leaves the underground tank, it depends on where the engine (turbine) is. So after being attended to, fuel remains on the hose, right? Not really.
Let me explain it like this; when you sip a drink with a straw and stop afterwards, you notice that droplets might remain in the straw and these droplets, as you've probably noticed are usually negligible. That's the same way a filling station pump operates. Due to the very high pressure used when dispensing the fuel, nothing remains in the hose and if something remains, it's usually negligible.

i kinda object to this. fuel still remains in the hose after it is dispensed. some dispensers have a transparent holder on the pump that shows fuel when its moving (pushing two white balls into a dance). when the fuel pump stops, the fuel doesnt drain back down into the underground tank

Leopantro: very informative. thanks.just read your other write ups and found out they have been cheating me for the past 3 years.

u must b a learner

I disagree with No.2, as I've personally been cheated with that trick.

Really informative.

caukerzee: I disagree with No.2, as I've personally been cheated with that trick.

That's exactly what I explained. If the machine's off, the meter would automatically start all over from zero but when the machine isn't off, it continues from the figure on the meter. But to be on the safe side, insist on having the meter rubbed.

Read this; 4 FILLING STATION TIPS TO AVOID GETTING RIPPED OFF
http://www.money.aabnigeria.com/mny/auto/4-filling-station-tips-to-avoid-getting-ripped-off