Same here. After my dad opened a Hancock service station I started working for him when I was 14. I had a great time and I learned a lot about business, customer service and working with people. We had gas wars where the lowest price we had our gas was just 16¢! Sometimes if the price was 19¢ a customer would come in, get one gallon, then drive across town to get gas for 18¢. I told them they would burn more gas than they would save by driving across town but they did it anyway. How long did your family have a service station?
Took decades to figure out there was little profit in service. The big money was in snacks and drinks. At least Bill was on the right track with that nice rack of sun glasses.
It's a different business model today. Cars require much less in the way of regular maintenance. Electronic ignitions, synthetic lubricants, sealed batteries, permanently lubed drivetrain, radiators have overflow tanks, very rarely does it ever need attention. Tires seldom wear out before 60k miles.. When's the last time any of you had a flat tire or blowout while driving? .. Very few stations bother with full service except where required by state law, (NJ & OR).. And those mostly just pump the gas.. No lifting the hood and taking a look. I was born about the time this film was made, but my memory only goes back to the early 1960s.. I don't think I ever saw a gas station attendant wearing a bow tie and a hat like that. Typically, it was just a company shirt and ball cap style hat. The main improvements have been full canopies over the pumps and massive lighting.
Back in the 1950s and 60s my dad had the Mobilgas station in our small town. He was also the only mechanic in town. When I was 10 years old, I was pumping gas as we were a full service station. I was too small to reach all the windshield and back window, but if the customer was getting a fill up I had time to clean all the side windows. It's too bad we don't have service stations any more. Remember the promotions in the 1960s and 70s? For every fill up you got a glass? I remember when you got the whole set, normally 6, the dealer would toss in a new washrag or something like that. Those days are gone.
Atlas Champion Spark plugs on the shelf next to all the other Atlas products. That place looks like a palace for sure a really nice station even though they I’m sure made it spotless for the film still had to be clean and neat to start with
Ward: Wally, you and the Beaver take the Desoto down to the Esso station. Wally: Gosh dad does the beav have to go ? Ward: Yes of course wally. Beaver: Gee dad, I always liked going to the Esso station Wally: Boy you would! Ward: Wally, here's 50 cents. I want you to fill the Desoto with hi test Esso and bring back the change Beaver: Gee dad, can't we get a coke and stuff? Wally: Gee Beav, we gotta bring back the change like dad said. Ward: Now wally, the beaver has been extra good this week. He drank his milt with dinner, brushed his teeth and went to bed on time. I think we can let him have a soft drink now can't we. Wally: Aw gee dad, you always give into the beaver.
I own a Family own Outdoor Power Equipment and Generator Dealership in the New Orleans area. Our dealership goes back since the 1950’s . We still believe in Customer Service. But this yr has been the worst ever. The cost of running our business has gone up 30% .We not sure if we are going to make in the future. God Bless Us.
I learned a lot about customer service and people working at my dad’s Hancock service station. I started when I was in the 10th grade. My dad just made a few cents per gallon of gas sold plus a cut for oil, transmission fluid and tires. He was able to support our family of 5 and I earned enough to pay for the first few years of my college education. But in the 1980s states began losing subsidies so college began to skyrocket especially in the later 1980s when politicians began defunding education after taxes were slashed in half in 1982. I hope your business is doing ok.
I think the film dates to 1954, since the salesman quotes the auto sales forecast for model year 1955. It was an accurate forecast, too; the biggest sales year in U.S. auto history to that point.
What made you estimate the shooting of the film at 1957? The salesman says " *will* be sold in 1955". Would they have set the time of the film in the past? 5:33
Yes! This was filmed in 1954- as "Charlie", Bill's Esso supplier of oil, tires and other "Atlas" products, indeed mentions the fact that *"Auto manufacturers predict more than 5 1/2 million new cars will be sold in 1955".*
@@Geardrive427-ip8vj Well, now, aren't you special? You can google. Yes, that is also true. But if you understood English, you would know both are. Where do you think the ES part of that came from? Dips # * t.
"Why there's 6 new families right in our own block and we don't even know one of them" - Me just now realizing I have neighbors in the houses next to mine.
Oddly enough after all the harping on service in 10 to 20 years the push would be on to drop full service and all mechanical work and to start selling food & drink.
This story took a very sad turn. Shortly after it was filmed, the station was robbed by the town hood, Big Harvey Slocum. Ironically, Slocum's use of Esso Extra gasoline enabled him to outrace the police and make his escape.
I own a 1953 Hudson and I seldom need more than a quart of oil after driving around 4000 miles. So, motor oil sales weren't quite that common though probably more so than for today's cars.
We sold oil and transmission fluids. After putting oil in customer’s cars we put the oil can with the spout still on it upside down so the oil left in the cans would drain out into a larger can below. We sold that as ‘drip oil’ for a discount. It was the first ‘multi-weight’ motor oil.
@@sd31263That’s true. I had customers who needed 2-3 quarts at a time. There was a Fred Fincher Auto Sales a block away and they didn’t often drove their used cars to get gas. They never wanted more than a gallon of gas. When I checked the oil in those cars a lot of them had sawdust in the oil to slow down burning oil and reduce leaking (some). I told people to never buy from them.
I worked at my dad’s service station. Our restrooms were behind the office. I remember several couples over the years who would get out of their cars and walk to the back to use the restrooms. But they stayed in the back for 15 minutes. When I went to check to see if they were ok I heard them both in one small restroom making very ‘distinct’ sounds. I just waited and they’d pay me when they came out.
Man, that Bill Jackson sure was lucky to have such ambitious employees. Something I haven't seen in a while.
Back when you got paid enough to support a family working in a gas station XD
@@judechauhan6715 They had to get paid because they all died early from lead poisoning.
Back in the 60's my family owned a Standard Oil (Chevron logo) gas station in So. California. This brought back a lot of memories.
Glad you enjoyed it! Subscribe and consider becoming a channel member ruclips.net/video/ODBW3pVahUE/видео.html
You should see the other film on this channel specifically about training at chevron logo stand oil stations
Same here. After my dad opened a Hancock service station I started working for him when I was 14. I had a great time and I learned a lot about business, customer service and working with people. We had gas wars where the lowest price we had our gas was just 16¢! Sometimes if the price was 19¢ a customer would come in, get one gallon, then drive across town to get gas for 18¢. I told them they would burn more gas than they would save by driving across town but they did it anyway. How long did your family have a service station?
Took decades to figure out there was little profit in service. The big money was in snacks and drinks. At least Bill was on the right track with that nice rack of sun glasses.
It's a different business model today. Cars require much less in the way of regular maintenance. Electronic ignitions, synthetic lubricants, sealed batteries, permanently lubed drivetrain, radiators have overflow tanks, very rarely does it ever need attention. Tires seldom wear out before 60k miles.. When's the last time any of you had a flat tire or blowout while driving? ..
Very few stations bother with full service except where required by state law, (NJ & OR).. And those mostly just pump the gas.. No lifting the hood and taking a look. I was born about the time this film was made, but my memory only goes back to the early 1960s.. I don't think I ever saw a gas station attendant wearing a bow tie and a hat like that. Typically, it was just a company shirt and ball cap style hat. The main improvements have been full canopies over the pumps and massive lighting.
I remember when the guys at the service station wore peaked caps and bow ties. Seems like a long time ago.
It was...
Back in the 1950s and 60s my dad had the Mobilgas station in our small town. He was also the only
mechanic in town. When I was 10 years old, I was pumping gas as we were a full service station. I
was too small to reach all the windshield and back window, but if the customer was getting a fill up I
had time to clean all the side windows. It's too bad we don't have service stations any more. Remember
the promotions in the 1960s and 70s? For every fill up you got a glass? I remember when you got the whole
set, normally 6, the dealer would toss in a new washrag or something like that. Those days are gone.
No one cares😺
Atlas Champion Spark plugs on the shelf next to all the other Atlas products. That place looks like a palace for sure a really nice station even though they I’m sure made it spotless for the film still had to be clean and neat to start with
10:55- At the time, various local radio and TV stations featured newscasts sponsored by Esso as "YOUR ESSO REPORTER".
Ward: Wally, you and the Beaver take the Desoto down to the Esso station.
Wally: Gosh dad does the beav have to go ?
Ward: Yes of course wally.
Beaver: Gee dad, I always liked going to the Esso station
Wally: Boy you would!
Ward: Wally, here's 50 cents. I want you to fill the Desoto with hi test Esso and bring back the change
Beaver: Gee dad, can't we get a coke and stuff?
Wally: Gee Beav, we gotta bring back the change like dad said.
Ward: Now wally, the beaver has been extra good this week. He drank his milt with dinner, brushed his teeth and went to bed on time. I think we can let him have a soft drink now can't we.
Wally: Aw gee dad, you always give into the beaver.
ruclips.net/video/F9x8PBc1G8E/видео.html A ford commercial Wally and the Beaver did.
Beave...you went to the Shell station??...boy! Dad's gonna really flip!
@@djavidianmx1832 I've seen June...can you blame Ward, I mean...WOW!
That's a time when we were considered as "Customers" back then, as opposed to being classed as "Consumers" nowadays.
I own a Family own Outdoor Power Equipment and Generator Dealership in the New Orleans area. Our dealership goes back since the 1950’s . We still believe in Customer Service. But this yr has been the worst ever. The cost of running our business has gone up 30% .We not sure if we are going to make in the future. God Bless Us.
I learned a lot about customer service and people working at my dad’s Hancock service station. I started when I was in the 10th grade. My dad just made a few cents per gallon of gas sold plus a cut for oil, transmission fluid and tires. He was able to support our family of 5 and I earned enough to pay for the first few years of my college education. But in the 1980s states began losing subsidies so college began to skyrocket especially in the later 1980s when politicians began defunding education after taxes were slashed in half in 1982.
I hope your business is doing ok.
What does all this have to with de price of ethyl in the 60’s…
@@mickeybitsko1676 , Nothing, I was just making a comment , Just like you was are doing.
@@borod5571 your honor, I object. The comment is irrelevant, incompetent and lacking foundation. 😺
@@Geardrive427-ip8vj here here😺
I think the film dates to 1954, since the salesman quotes the auto sales forecast for model year 1955. It was an accurate forecast, too; the biggest sales year in U.S. auto history to that point.
How I miss the good old days of when Esso full service stations were still in existence. ⛽
What made you estimate the shooting of the film at 1957? The salesman says " *will* be sold in 1955". Would they have set the time of the film in the past? 5:33
Yes! This was filmed in 1954- as "Charlie", Bill's Esso supplier of oil, tires and other "Atlas" products, indeed mentions the fact that *"Auto manufacturers predict more than 5 1/2 million new cars will be sold in 1955".*
Who cares😺
Guy has early version of the urban sombrero 😺
And now the oil companies are decidedly out of the retail business and don't really care what the dealers do
Esso = SO = Standard Oil of New Jersey .
The play was on the word "essence" which was the definition of "petrol" (essense of petroleum).
@@Geardrive427-ip8vj Well, now, aren't you special? You can google. Yes, that is also true. But if you understood English, you would know both are. Where do you think the ES part of that came from? Dips # * t.
"Why there's 6 new families right in our own block and we don't even know one of them" - Me just now realizing I have neighbors in the houses next to mine.
After watching this I’m going to have the wife and boy call me boss.
I’m a divorce attorney if you need one. 🤣
Would the workers earn commission on add on sales?
They were paid a flat hourly wage. And maybe an 'attaboy'..
Some did. That would have been up to the owner. It's a pretty good way to increase income on both sides.
That Esso salesman is slicker than a mayonnaise sandwich. 😂
Oddly enough after all the harping on service in 10 to 20 years the push would be on to drop full service and all mechanical work and to start selling food & drink.
Mainly Beer Nowdays
@9:50 They vacationed on the windward side of the island.
Windwardside is actually the name of a town on the tiny island of Saba in the Dutch Caribbean. They speak English and use the US $.
ESSO dealers, agents and distributors. Can foster Hewitt be far behind? The end blues
This story took a very sad turn. Shortly after it was filmed, the station was robbed by the town hood, Big Harvey Slocum. Ironically, Slocum's use of Esso Extra gasoline enabled him to outrace the police and make his escape.
Wasn’t the gas guy in west side story
It was typical to use paid professional actors in these films. McLean Stevenson (from MASH) was in one for Gulf in the early 60s.
Nobody else has said it, but the last 10 minutes or so the sound and picture were way out of sync.
I’ll say it…it’s like the music group…*NSYNC 😺
How on earth are they getting so many letters back and forth from afar so quickly? My suspension of disbelief regarding this film is ruined by this.
It must have been a long holiday.
& Bill never went on another holiday again
Back on those days they probably sold a quart of oil with every fill up at a minimum
Yes, because cars of that era burned a lot more oil than cars of today.
I own a 1953 Hudson and I seldom need more than a quart of oil after driving around 4000 miles. So, motor oil sales weren't quite that common though probably more so than for today's cars.
@@WAL_DC-6B my modern car burns less than a qt in 5000 mi. Can't imagine how older cars were!
We sold oil and transmission fluids. After putting oil in customer’s cars we put the oil can with the spout still on it upside down so the oil left in the cans would drain out into a larger can below. We sold that as ‘drip oil’ for a discount. It was the first ‘multi-weight’ motor oil.
@@sd31263That’s true. I had customers who needed 2-3 quarts at a time. There was a Fred Fincher Auto Sales a block away and they didn’t often drove their used cars to get gas. They never wanted more than a gallon of gas. When I checked the oil in those cars a lot of them had sawdust in the oil to slow down burning oil and reduce leaking (some). I told people to never buy from them.
Bill is far too comfortable...
That man needs his vacation
Shell less expensive than Standard and clean gas station restrooms?
HA! HA!
I worked at my dad’s service station. Our restrooms were behind the office. I remember several couples over the years who would get out of their cars and walk to the back to use the restrooms. But they stayed in the back for 15 minutes. When I went to check to see if they were ok I heard them both in one small restroom making very ‘distinct’ sounds. I just waited and they’d pay me when they came out.
He's probably not worried about it cause he ain't getting no bonus or commissions
Knoe how I know this is fake...there's not one bottle of booze and his wife talks back...haha jokes
ronaldo or Messi I pick SUI