Circle K Convenience Store

At first I was really getting to like this place. Right down the street from my house, and the more I went in, the less they ID’d me for cigarettes. Saved a bit of time. However, service over the last few weeks has gotten increasingly slower (it’s a gas station, I shouldn’t worry about service at a gas station). Today, I went in to buy cigarettes and a soda. Got so used to not being ID’d that I didn’t bring my wallet, just cash. Grabbed my Diet Coke, rolled up to the counter, and waited 5 MINUTES before either of the ladies (who were both within 5 feet of the register) even bothered to acknowledge me. They were both on their phones (granted, one seemed to be a business call). After clearing my throat 5 or 6 times, one finally came over to ring me up. They wouldn’t let me buy my cigarettes without my ID, and I can’t blame them for that. However, when I’m the only person in the store and there are two employees behind the register, I shouldn’t have to wait 5 minutes to be denied service. At a gas station. Your boyfriend/​best friend/​parents can wait 1 minute while you slide three items under a bar code scanner. Trust me. I manage somewhere where that happens. My employees get sent home for for being on the phone at work, let alone making someone wait 2 minutes because you have to finish your phone call. There are plenty of places within two minutes that will take my money when I walk up to the register. Unless I need gas, I’m probably going to 7 – 11 or the little food mart down the street from now on. Circle K rewards are not worth waiting in line (keep in mind, I’m the only one in line) more than a minute. Hire someone who cares about their job and/​or customer service, and I’ll consider coming back. But if you want to pay your employees to take care of personal business while I’m waiting to GIVE YOU MY MONEY, I’ll go elsewhere. I could’ve run home to grab my ID, returned, and spent my money in the time it took me to be told I needed my ID.
Moral of the story: if you’re not getting gas, and just need something quick from a gas station/​convenience store, walk any direction away from here and you’ll find one in less than a minute. Which is less time than it will take to get the attention of the ladies behind the register this morning.

Truly the worst gas station I know. The cab drivers use this as their hang out and will just sit in the cramped parking lot taking up space for those who need it. The worst part is the night staff (I’ve never been during the day so I can’t say). They are beyond rude and beyond lazy. I have seen them turn away business from people who just wanted to give them their money. THIS place should be on undercover boss. Who ever is the CEO would fire everyone immediately if they saw the customer service this place is offering.

I visited the store located at 801 W Addison St Chicago, IL 60 613 tonight. I visit this location several times weekly and have never had an issue. Tonight I go in grab a 2 liter of pop proceed to the counter. I was getting $ 50 worth of gas also. I hand the cashier my Shell Rewards Card and she looks at the card and tells me she cant take it at this register and I’d have to go to the other cashier. I waited in line again because I didn’t want to cut in front of the other customers even though she was insisting I do so. I get up to the register put my pop down and attempt to hand my rewards card to the cashier. She asks me what is that? (with a attitude and without taking it). Before I could answer her she tells me that’s for gas only. I said I know that, I’m buying gas also. I said can I have $ 50 on #1. She said $ 30 — three zero? I said no $ 50 — five zero. She said #2. I said no #1. At this point I assumed she was being sarcastic because I was very clear when I said $ 50 on #1. So she scanned my rewards card and asked me debit or credit after explaining to me again with an attitude «you need an ID with credit». I said that’s fine I will be using debit. I then swiped my debit card and she got mad, threw my reward card onto the counter and loudly tells me with her attitude «Why did you swipe your card»? «I don’t know why you people do that». I told her first off don’t raise your voice to me and I don’t want to hear your attitude. And I told her don’t throw my card on the counter like that. She grabbed the 2 liter of pop from the counter and told me I had to leave and she couldn’t serve me. I told her I would be making a complaint she told me go for it. I’m a Shell person %100 percent. I have never used any other gas station period. After today I will definitely not visit this location or any other location again. I will not put up with attitude or rude customer service, PERIOD! You Shell have lost a great customer. And I will make sure to share my experience with everyone I can!!!

Granted, it’s been a long time since I had to gas in a car, but I do know how to pay at the pay. The machine was not working so I had to prepay for the gas. The attendant was very condescending… really???
While, pumping the gas, a man kept lurking around. You really need to keep an eye on the car and yourself.
I’m glad I don’t have to frequent this place often.

I hate this gas stations. It is cab driver social here and they just park and talk. Ummmm… hello!!! Move your a** if you aren’t going to get gas! Rude!!! The owners need to do something about that. It happens EVERY time!

This is more a truck stop for cabs than a gas station. There are constantly at least a dozen (literally) cabs taking up space in a cramped gas station. They park at pumps, block entrances/​exits– for long periods of time, and are generally rude.
Employees receive several complaints from customers about this daily, and indicate that they tell the manager — but he just doesn’t care. Spare yourself the headache and drive the extra 4 blocks to a better Shell station.

I had the unfortunate experience to stop here Saturday night 9÷21÷13 at around 9 PM to buy my lottery tickets I was in line but didn’t mind that and when it was my turn the young woman said you want lottery tickets? I said yes, she said I gotta take the customer behind you first. I didn’t mind that either, But I did mind her brisque and rude attitude when I gave her my 3 slips and she returned with 4 tickets 1 more than I had given her slips for, she said 12 dollars, Of course I questioned this very calmly and She said in a very quick and nasty voice I printed out what was on the slips and there are no refunds, I said don’t get so excited let me see what happened here, I examined my slips and my tickets well fortunately I didn’t let her nasty impatient attitude rush me, I had not handed her the money yet and still questioned her and she said I don’t have time for this I had the tickets in my hand and counted out the eight dollars that my tickets were supposed to cost I left the extra duplicate lucky day lotto with her co worker and he was more calm and polite than she was. And I explained to him what was going on. Neither one of them considered that they had made the mistake in running the lucky day slip through 2 times This woman needs to be told by her manager that she must have accidentally in her rush put the lucky day slip in twice. Instead of owning up to her mistake she gave me the bad attitude and rude treatment. I will never set foot in this gas station again. Not even if I run out of gas right in front of the place. My advice to the young woman, If you are going to work with the public, you need to have a better attitude.

5 stars because they have 69-​cent* fountain pops.
Any size.
32oz? 20oz? Whatever your level of thirst, they’ve got you covered. Cheap.
Tons of varieties.
Diet Dr. Pepper? Yep. Sprite Zero? Sure thing. CAFFEINE-​FREE Diet Coke?! Hubba hubba! There are at least 8 more soda selections here than most other convenience stores.
You’ll save, on average, $ 1 compared to the fountain pop costs at 7 – 11 two blocks down. Based on my fountain pop consumption, that’s about $ 200 a year.
And the cashiers are nice, too. Last time I was in there I was fumbling around for change in my wallet and knocked my fountain pop all over the counter. The cashier laughed at me, saw how flustered I was, and, even though I offered to clean up my mess, she did it. Yay!
Skip the other places and restaurants on those hot Summer days, hop on into Circle K, and HYDRATE YOURSELF.
*Ok, the sticker price is 69-​cents, but with tax it’s actual 76-​cents. No worries, though. They usually have pennies available so you don’t get stuck with two dimes and four pennies one the way out.

Can I give a 5-​star shout-​out?
To the nice lady who was working yesterday morning — you’re a lifesaver!
I’m basically retarded when it comes to anything related to my car. So, when faced with trying to do something simple (i.e., put air in my tires), I felt like I needed an in-​depth tutorial. Seriously. This nice woman gave me that tire gauge thingie and reminded me of what I was supposed to do. Thankfully.
I thought I was going to get laughed at by the cops who were hangin’ out inside. But, nope. I managed. Somehow. My tires were nice and driveable once again.
Also of note: The bathrooms here are CLEAN. And inside. Who would’ve thought? (Considering its proximity to Wrigley…)
Thanks again!

If this place was a bar and they hid all the alcohol and turned down the music when I entered because they think I’m undercover, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. This place is kinda crazy. I know the employees are entertained. I stay out of here on Sundays after 6pm, because guys accidentally hit on me if I’m by myself, but this is the most interesting gas station in the entire City of Chicago, trust me.
I had zero intentions of ever rating a gas station, but I gotta give this one its due. I don’t even walk to the ugly shade of blue Suntimes Boxes anymore, I go straight here. This place consistently has papers when everyone else runs out. Even when the Obama papers were gone by 11AM post election day, they lasted here until 3pm here. They are stacked to the ceiling. Impressive folks, impressive (I love that there’s a loyal Trib reader glancing over this review saying «that’s because your paper is garbage»).
The Coffee here is underrated too, even though I’ve only purchased it a handful of times. It’s the only gas station I’ve even dared to try in my entire life. I own good coffee, and there is a Caribou down the street. But this is even better for the money (dirt cheap) if anyone is cost conscious.
The staff consists of friendly/​people. Thank goodness. They aren’t nearly as disturbed by all the taxi drivers walking around this place talking to themselves as I am ((envision a half dozen annoying bluetooth device that you need to body scan to visibly locate)), and I’m never in here more than 60 seconds a pop.
They have my Suntimes, the most essential part of my breakfast. That alone gets them the nod as best gas station in the city, hands down.
Note, stay away on Pride weekend and Cubs games. It’s a madhouse in here, waaaaay too many people.
Also, if you can’t get a cab on your direct street, come over here. This is the truck stop of all Chicago taxis. This place is more than a gas station. You gotta see it to believe it. The locals know what I’m talking about. I can see it in your faces ;-)

Contrary to what the category says for this business, they do not actually perform any auto repairs here as there is no mechanic on duty. There is no garage even if there was!
But this Shell has fairly competitive prices AND the cleanest gas station bathroom I have ever seen, so four stars. That’s right — FOUR STARS baby!