Lowflynjack
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Jack Fleetwood
Let's see what you guys think about this. I think it'll be an interesting discussion. Warning, it's long-winded.
I flew to an airport for the sole purpose of getting fuel. I invited a couple of pilot buddies to ride with me. We get there and the pump is down. There was no NOTAM and I have no idea how long it had been down. I decided to head to another airport 14 miles away. I pull up to the pumps and saw a piece of paper taped over the pump saying it was down! There was a number to have someone come out and turn on the pumps and it said they would charge the self service price.
I called the number and an hour later the attendant showed up. This seemed like a long time, but I was in no rush.
They say there's three sides to every story, mine, his, & the truth, so here's mine!
This guy shows up and he's in a bad mood. He barely greeted us when we said hello. He turned on the pump and I filled up the plane and headed to the terminal to pay him. Before he did anything, I asked him if I was getting the self service price, really just as a gentle reminder. He said yes, but there will be a callout fee. I asked why and he told me the airport was closed. I told him the airport was not closed and he waived his hand around and said we're closed (the FBO). I told him I didn't think I should pay one since there was no NOTAM about the fuel pumps being down, nothing on the sign says anything about a callout fee, and when I called the number, nobody said anything about one. I told him I wouldn't have landed there if I knew there wasn't fuel. He said, "well, you're going to pay it." Now at this point, I admit my blood pressure went up. I asked if there was an Airport Manager, or someone we could call. He said no. I asked, "There's no airport manager?" He again said no. I started looking through the business cards on the counter and he responded, saying, "there's no airport manager on call." Things escalated at this point. I said I was going to call the first phone number I called and see if I could get someone to talk to me about this. Now, I admit, I could have de-escalated and just paid the fee, but this guy's attitude did not sit well with me. He told me at least two more times that it didn't matter what I did, I was going to pay the fee.
At some point, I guess I raised my voice and he took offense to it. He told me he wasn't going to deal with me if I didn't lower my voice. I smiled and told him that yes, he was going to deal with me, I had a plane full of his fuel and he had none of my money. He again said he wasn't going to deal with me. I told him he had to... I already have the fuel and need to pay for it. He said, "oh yeah?" and picked up the phone. At this point, I figured he was calling the police and I mumbled something about this being a bunch of !@#$ and he lost it! He was started saying now you're yelling and cussing at me! I stepped outside and called the number on the pumps and told them what was going on and that I needed someone with more authority to step in and help resolve this situation. They said they would send someone to help. I walked back in and this guy was telling whoever was on the phone that I was yelling and cussing at him and he wouldn't deal with me. Then he got a weird look on his face and asked, "Really? Let him go without charging him? Not even for the fuel? OK." Then he hung up and told me I was free to leave! On the way out, I told him, "Hey, I know tensions got high and it may not be worth anything to you, but I do apologize that things went this far." He told me I was right, it wasn't worth anything and to have a good night!
Today I got a call from the Director of Operations. He wanted to know what happened and I told him the story. He tells me in the history of the airport, thirty years, they've always had a callout fee and nobody has ever complained. I asked, "wow, you've been there thirty years?" and he said no, he'd been there four years. Ok, so you have no idea if anyone has ever complained. He did say he understood my point about the NOTAM and that they were waiving the fee this one time only! So in the end, I win, but what a frustrating night.
Editing to add this part. The DOO did tell me the reason the attendant was told to let me go was because the person on the phone heard me yelling in the background and felt like I was being very aggressive. I laughed and told him I understand that perspective, but what he heard was actually someone else telling him to stop saying I was cussing and yelling when I was standing there not saying a word! I see how things could have become much worse based on an misinterpreting what they were hearing.
I know some will say I should have acted differently and I'll accept that. But... do you think you should you have to pay a callout fee if the airport knows the pump is down, but doesn't put out a NOTAM, doesn't say there's a callout fee on the sign, and doesn't say there's a callout fee when you call them?
I flew to an airport for the sole purpose of getting fuel. I invited a couple of pilot buddies to ride with me. We get there and the pump is down. There was no NOTAM and I have no idea how long it had been down. I decided to head to another airport 14 miles away. I pull up to the pumps and saw a piece of paper taped over the pump saying it was down! There was a number to have someone come out and turn on the pumps and it said they would charge the self service price.
I called the number and an hour later the attendant showed up. This seemed like a long time, but I was in no rush.
They say there's three sides to every story, mine, his, & the truth, so here's mine!
This guy shows up and he's in a bad mood. He barely greeted us when we said hello. He turned on the pump and I filled up the plane and headed to the terminal to pay him. Before he did anything, I asked him if I was getting the self service price, really just as a gentle reminder. He said yes, but there will be a callout fee. I asked why and he told me the airport was closed. I told him the airport was not closed and he waived his hand around and said we're closed (the FBO). I told him I didn't think I should pay one since there was no NOTAM about the fuel pumps being down, nothing on the sign says anything about a callout fee, and when I called the number, nobody said anything about one. I told him I wouldn't have landed there if I knew there wasn't fuel. He said, "well, you're going to pay it." Now at this point, I admit my blood pressure went up. I asked if there was an Airport Manager, or someone we could call. He said no. I asked, "There's no airport manager?" He again said no. I started looking through the business cards on the counter and he responded, saying, "there's no airport manager on call." Things escalated at this point. I said I was going to call the first phone number I called and see if I could get someone to talk to me about this. Now, I admit, I could have de-escalated and just paid the fee, but this guy's attitude did not sit well with me. He told me at least two more times that it didn't matter what I did, I was going to pay the fee.
At some point, I guess I raised my voice and he took offense to it. He told me he wasn't going to deal with me if I didn't lower my voice. I smiled and told him that yes, he was going to deal with me, I had a plane full of his fuel and he had none of my money. He again said he wasn't going to deal with me. I told him he had to... I already have the fuel and need to pay for it. He said, "oh yeah?" and picked up the phone. At this point, I figured he was calling the police and I mumbled something about this being a bunch of !@#$ and he lost it! He was started saying now you're yelling and cussing at me! I stepped outside and called the number on the pumps and told them what was going on and that I needed someone with more authority to step in and help resolve this situation. They said they would send someone to help. I walked back in and this guy was telling whoever was on the phone that I was yelling and cussing at him and he wouldn't deal with me. Then he got a weird look on his face and asked, "Really? Let him go without charging him? Not even for the fuel? OK." Then he hung up and told me I was free to leave! On the way out, I told him, "Hey, I know tensions got high and it may not be worth anything to you, but I do apologize that things went this far." He told me I was right, it wasn't worth anything and to have a good night!
Today I got a call from the Director of Operations. He wanted to know what happened and I told him the story. He tells me in the history of the airport, thirty years, they've always had a callout fee and nobody has ever complained. I asked, "wow, you've been there thirty years?" and he said no, he'd been there four years. Ok, so you have no idea if anyone has ever complained. He did say he understood my point about the NOTAM and that they were waiving the fee this one time only! So in the end, I win, but what a frustrating night.
Editing to add this part. The DOO did tell me the reason the attendant was told to let me go was because the person on the phone heard me yelling in the background and felt like I was being very aggressive. I laughed and told him I understand that perspective, but what he heard was actually someone else telling him to stop saying I was cussing and yelling when I was standing there not saying a word! I see how things could have become much worse based on an misinterpreting what they were hearing.
I know some will say I should have acted differently and I'll accept that. But... do you think you should you have to pay a callout fee if the airport knows the pump is down, but doesn't put out a NOTAM, doesn't say there's a callout fee on the sign, and doesn't say there's a callout fee when you call them?
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