Why are our motorway service stations so awful?

From overpriced food to strict limits on parking occasions, there are numerous motives motorway solutions get on our nerves.

Are Britain’s service stations a supply of national shame?

That seems to be the conclusion drawn by a new survey of motorists.

A study carried out by the RAC has discovered that virtually 9 in 10 motorway customers consider our service stations provide poor value for money even though a majority describe going to solutions as “not a pleasurable experience”.

‘As tiny time and cash as possible’;

This follows the RAC’s recent findings that drivers are calling for curbs on the costs charged by motorway solutions for petrol and diesel.

The organisation’s new investigation discovered that the typical expenditure at services was between £5 and £10 per person, with 71% of respondents saying they tried to invest as tiny time and income there as feasible.

RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams says: “Millions of motorists rely on motorway service locations for a properly-earned rest.

“It is important for their security and that of other road customers that they take typical breaks so they are not tired when behind the wheel.

Strict parking limits

“But motorists really feel they are being seriously let down by what they see as overpriced merchandise and a lack of great service to match these premium rates.”

Williams adds: “For a family of 4 to consume a rapid, relatively fundamental meal together, the bill can simply pass the £40 mark, and even then, motorists inform us that the meals on supply in some cases just does not meet the mark.”

The RAC found that respondents were especially unhappy with the truth that a lot of service stations imposed strict time limits on parking.

Much more than 8 in 10 stated solutions ought to allow free of charge lengthy-stay or overnight parking so that drivers could rest adequately.

Unhappy clients

A quantity of Confused.com readers were also critical of Britain’s service stations following our recent report on higher motorway fuel rates.

One particular commenter, Michael, says: “Personally I think the entire standard of service stations in the UK is appalling.

“I travel every day from Manchester to the West Midlands and they are all dirty, overpriced and past their sell-by date.”

An additional commenter, Mark, adds: “Everything about motorway solutions is created for the extraction of the maximum quantity of cash from the customers, not for their convenience and safety.

A greater way

“If they have been concerned about the safety of the driver, they would not have a parking time limit of 2 hours.

“On the Continent, they anticipate you to cease and sleep if you start off to feel tired. Right here, they expect you to quit, devote your income and then bugger off.”

Williams at the RAC says that a excellent example has been set by the independent firm Westmorland Household, which has run the Tebay solutions on the M6 in Cumbria for a number of decades.

He adds: “They have taken a extremely different method, sourcing excellent top quality ingredients from the nearby region, producing home-cooked food which numerous take into account to provide much better value for cash, as well as becoming a far better good quality and possibly healthier option.”

‘Food is the key’;

Sarah Dunning, Westmorland Family’s CEO, says “correct food” is the company’s USP.

Westmorland has this year opened a second service station on the M5 close to Gloucester

“We have a great deal of repeat custom — and visitors to each Gloucester and Tebay are effusive in their praise, and that really helps to galvanise and inspire our staff to deliver each high quality and service,” Dunning says.

But she adds that the process of taking over a service station can be fraught with red tape.

“It was a quite long journey to open Gloucester Solutions, resulting in a judicial overview.”

Maybe this obstacle to competitors is a cause why other operators can get away with failing to meet customers’ expectations.

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Why are our motorway service stations so awful?