On a 5 week road trip I've stayed at many Best Western's knowing what to expect. I used their online booking service and excellent printed hotel guide with maps to make reservations a day or so in advance and was never disappointed.
The Fernley Inn was easy to find and in a fairly quiet location. Unless you want KFC you'll need to drive to get a meal. The gal (sorry I forgot her name but she had just arrived from Alaska. Fairbanks to Fernley? Gotta wonder) was terrific, helpful and friendly. The room was clean, the bed comfortable and they provided a pretty good (and standard BW) breakfast.
Fernley was a fairly typical interstate highway pit-stop. EXCEPT when I stopped at the Shell Service Station the next morning. Fernley stands out as having the one single person, on a road trip of over 4000 miles around the US and Canada, that wasn’t friendly, helpful or displayed even the smallest amount of intelligence.
I’ll set the scene. Those having seen the movie Five Easy Pieces will no doubt remember the difficulty Jack Nickelson’s character had with a waitress, while trying to order wheat bread toast. Well, the counter attendant at Jackson’s Shell Service Station is right up there with that waitress.
Knowing I had to pre-pay for fuel I entered the station and offered my credit card just as I had done at every service station up to this point. It was a fill-up but I didn’t know the exact amount needed. Patsy, declined to accept my card, asking me if I knew how many bogus cards she had seen. Not wanting to play the game, I offered my driver’s license as proof of my identity, and 3 other credit cards, stating that this was the first service station in the US and Canada that would not accept and hold my card while I filled up.
Calling me “sir” – I doubted the show of respect - she then insinuated that I’m a lier by saying “I don’t think that’s true.” Replying that it clearly states payment by credit card or cash on the pump I again asked why she chose to not accept my card. “Company policy”
Sensing the futility of trying to use logic on the illogical, I fortunately had just enough cash to pay for the fill up, so I asked if she would accept my cash as the security. “Yes”. Clearly expecting her to examine and decline the $50 note I offered, I proceeded to fill the car up.
Returning to the counter to get my change, I asked that she return the $50 note and process my purchase on my credit card. “I can’t do that as I’ve already accepted this as a cash payment”. Well, I want it to be processed as a credit payment, just as it says on the pump and just as you did for the last person you served, so please return my $50. “I can’t do that and I can’t accept your credit card” as she opened the register and gave me my change.
I sensed that the folks behind me were entertained but frustrated by the time this converssation was taking. She had my cash, and knowing there were any number of firearms in the place I departed angry and amazed by Patsy’s lack of common sense or courtesy.
So Patsy, at Jackson’s Shell Station in Fernley Nevada, I give you the “Five Easy Pieces Award” as the most stubborn, stupid, unfriendly and just plain ugly person I encountered on the entire trip. Perhaps the Shell Company and Jackson would consider providing Patsy with some basic customer service training, but I doubt it would do any good.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
