Simsbury Mobil

The only reason I continue to patronise this place is that they’re right around the corner from where I live and not any other gas station options too terribly nearby to go to as a contingency plan. I never have to actually go inside much, but the few times I did up to about a year ago were perfectly fine or at least neutral visits; no complaints. I believe they may have changed staff/​management/​owners and one particular gentleman in mind I have encountered a handful of times at the cash register always seems if I have a question or problem about something, to regard me with a look that hovers somewhere on the brink of nonchalant and reproachfulness. The first time I encountered this cashier was about a year or so ago when I went inside to buy something to drink and found out that they were going to charge an outrageous amount for just one particular bottle of what I was after. Made seemingly to feel as if I were the enemy for even daring to recheck what the price was which may or may not have been too obvious on the display to begin with. I left it on the counter and on my travels, used my CVS customer card combined with a coupon to get the same damned item for under a dollar.
The second time was just yesterday when I went over there to pump some gas before a road trip. I was going to pay for the gas with the limited funds I have in my checking/​debit account. To my amazement the pump wouldn’t activate and apparently, being the unobservant, idiotic customer that I am, I went and ignored the message that the same cashier whom I had the misfortune to encounter yet again, told me mentioned the system declined the card, «try it again, maybe it needs resetting,» etc. Well, I tried it one more time with that same damn card, considering I was skeptical about it, and I did indeed see message that mentioned it was «declined.» Limited though they were at that point, I damn well knew I had funds on that card, but this guy was so unhelpful and could have saved me some extra aggravation, especially after some bad news about a death in the family, if he’d taken the time and trouble to tell me (that is, if he knew or WOULD tell me), that even if there’s some money on said debit card, there needs to be at least a hundred dollars there for it to at least «take» at the pump. I paid cash (nice I actually HAD some on me, which was a total fluke as it was for something else originally I didn’t wind up needing it for, lol!), pumped the gas and got the hell out of there. Called the bank to find out what the cashier could and should have told me that yes indeed, there normally needs to be a certain minimum amount, especially if it were to be accepted at the pump. Bank CSR asked if I had gone inside to inquire about testing and using the card at their register and I hadn’t, simply because that stinker at the register didn’t even offer to test it in there. This is unacceptable and this guy either needs to get another job or take a lesson in customer service. Granted some customers are truly rotten apples, but we’re not all like that, and maybe, just maybe, a good deal of the time when we have a beef it’s a legitimate one. Case in point and boo on this place as a result. But of course the customer is always wrong and nothing but an enemy now. That’s what it’s come to. Then again, if I only hadn’t had to go in there, this would never have happened too. Whatever.

PROS
1) The staff is always friendly
2) In the morning there is always an entertaining cast of characters hanging out.
3) They always have the New York Post in stock
4) It’s one of the very first places I ever saw a K-​Cup Machine. THey have a large coffee section with all kinds of K-​Cups and brewed pots of Green Mountain
5) Always a good place for 5 – 10 minutes of sports chat in the morning
6) Free air for filling up bike and car tires
7) Plenty of gas pumps
8) Big parking lot –plenty of places to park when you have to scoot inside
CONS
1) Gas is a little expensive here– like all over Simsbury
2) None of those damn lottery tickets I buy there ever work

This Mobil gets five stars simply because the person on shift inside was very kind and actualy had some personality.
Too many times at too many gas station food marts, you have a rather stoic and blah interaction with the folks working the counter. As it was Fourth of July weekend, this gentleman made conversation, asked how my weekend was and my plans for the 4^th.
It was just refreshing to see good olé customer service and he also helped with some directions as i was visiting the area and not familiar.