Wow! Great service men, I was served by a really really amazingly cordial and genuinely friendly man with darkish skin and dark hair and he was friendly and probably the nicest, most well-socialised person I've met to date. He had never been to Singapore but he did talk about my hometown and asked me many questions , the most friendly and engaging exchange! He seemed like he genuinely wanted to get to know me (people) better : ) Best service, and very tidy station. I went there to pick up some pads ($6.35) and happened to get a sandwich ($5) and some Red Rock Deli chips in Honey Soy Chicken ($3.80) (a favourite, guilty pleasure of mine) at 9:30PM. What a time to get chips.
This was on a windy night in Adelaide when all seemed to be coated in an obvious sheet of darkness. The area between Brougham Place and O'Connel street seemed vaster than the sum of its parts, and the wind howled through the parkland. Below the crescent moon, alight in the sky against the backdrop of azure blue violet clouds, against this backdrop stood Caltex shop, at first, ambiguous, but later, heart-warming. The building was seen just below this serendipitous view.
And after about 10 minutes of pumping my bike tires at their free air pump outside, in the pitch black of the night, the only light coming from a car not 10 meters in front of me and the Caltex shop, the warm service man's gesture and conversation was a welcome rest for me. Free from the pain of the period that started that day, the wondrous and loving encounter with this stranger warmed me to my soul, as he said, with genuine emphasis: "Please, come back here!" On a cold day, this still resonates to the very bottomless pit of my dark heart, the very bottom of my bottomless heart.
I felt, in that moment the exchange of human gesture and kindness, and yes, although there was no one else in the shop, the conversation reached all corners of that large space, and never leaves me, even as I ride back on my bike, with the goods, and the memory of a loving moment with a "strange" person who decided not to be 'strange' to a 'strange' girl (uni-student) in a green T-shirt.
And THAT'S why I'm giving Caltex 5-stars for the most amazing user-experience I have ever had to date. (Also, unlike other service stations, the aisles are not crowded with so much stuff that you can't see 2 feet in front of you, and there is a broad and very neat array of things in the aisle, products are good, I couldn't be happier). Also, when I needed them, THEY WERE OPEN! (For something as urgent as pads, I mean, that was a good thing for sure! :))
Uni-Student,
Anonymous
Also, just in case you need to know, they also have bags of ice here for really cheap. In case you needed some urgently at night, you can get some here ;) read more
