There’s supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow, if you believe in Irish folklore. St Georgians head to 1 Penno’s Drive for the eastern end of the arc. There you’ll find a small business with a giant reputation: Rubis Dowling’s Marine Service Station.

A few years ago I found myself down East with my fuel tank needle on yellow and my engine temperature gauge on red. I was about to send out a distress call to get picked up when I remembered that there was a service station on the waterside.

As I pulled up I was greeted by attendant: “Welcome to Dowling’s Service Station. How may we assist you?”

I explained my predicament and within minutes my tank was being filled and my oil and coolant were being topped up.

As I walked inside to pay I was warmly greeted again, this time by a young lady: “Welcome to Dowling’s Service Station. Is there anything else we can assist you with sir?”

I had to pause for a minute and ask myself whether I’d stepped back in time; a time when patrons in Bermuda were treated with honour and respect. Other gas stations are friendly, but this place was on an almost Disneyland-level of customer friendliness.

Dowling’s Marine Service Station was founded by George Dowling Sr in 1957. It was originally located on Ordnance Island; a small fact that many don’t know. Mr Dowling moved it to its current location in 1960, from where it’s been operating ever since.

Mr Dowling’s daughter Maxine and his son George Jr are the current managers alongside George III, Garon and Gina Dowling. Each is doing their part to maintain not just the service station but, more importantly, the reputation for courtesy and friendliness.

Even if they don’t need air, gas or oil, anyone walking by the station receives the same greeting as someone who has pulled up in a motor boat and about to purchase $1,000 in fuel.

I asked Mr Dowling Jr about the friendly service.

His reply was: “Our customers are our everything and without them we would not exist. So our friendly service is our way of thanking them for their support in our business. Our customers are highly valued and they mean a great deal to the Dowling Marine family so we do everything and anything to assist them with their needs. This is how I was raised and what I have passed on to my children; the old-fashioned Bermudian hospitality which is to have a kind heart and a great smile.”

As a Bermudian and a business owner, I would highly recommend that every business owner take a trip down to Dowling’s Marine Service Station and observe what customer service is truly about.

On most days I would recommend people save their money but today I would recommend that you wait until your tank is near empty and take a drive down to St George’s. There, you will find a “pot of gold” in the service you receive.