“At Conger LP Gas, it’s our people that make the difference.”
In a recent television commercial shoot, Conger LP Gas President and CEO Dan Richardson spoke those words with glimpses of the company’s staff doing what they do best, interwoven over his monologue. Your company’s employees are usually the first impression that your customers encounter. When it comes to service technicians, it is crucial that they are equipped with the proper training to handle any situation that may arise in the field.
Steve Hooks, operations, safety and compliance manager at Conger LP Gas, offered an overview of training, saying, “Conger LP Gas uses classroom and hands-on training for all technicians so they will be able to troubleshoot, repair and communicate with our customers. We utilize some of our vendors to come in and give technical and hands-on training for their products. We also send our newly hired technicians to propane training classes during their first year so they can learn the skills to install, repair and maintain propane equipment safely.”
This article will dive into each of these important topics.
Onboarding New Hires
It is always an exciting time for a new hire when they join a company. When a new service technician or service helper comes on board to your team, there is so much information they have to take in and learn about in a timely manner. Taking the time and energy to train service technicians properly is paramount. At Conger LP Gas, new service technician hires can expect to spend anywhere from six months up to one year working under and alongside a veteran service technician while they learn the ropes before being given the responsibility of solo service calls.
Dewayne Bruce, branch manager of Conger LP Gas Moultrie and experienced service technician, stressed the importance of fundamentals and conducting training in the field. He said, “We start with the basics, from learning all the codes and how to properly size gas lines, correctly fill out gas checks, conduct pressure tests and ensure appliances are properly installed.”
He also said gas checks and leak tests are the most critical aspects of the job, so management ensures that new hires can conduct those basic, yet essential, tasks. Bruce went on to say that once service technicians are out in the field, things start to “click” based on what they have learned in the training classes and during practice with their supervisors.
Attitude & Safety Are Everything
As previously stated, interactions with service technicians and delivery drivers are often the main impression the public has of your company. It is crucial that service technicians know that when they say yes to working for your company, they realize they are becoming brand ambassadors.
Eric Pritchard is the service manager for Conger LP Gas Tifton and said that everything starts with a “PMA” — a positive mental attitude. “It goes with everything in life,” said Pritchard. “You should go into every scenario with a positive mental attitude and treat every customer the same. I always like to pretend that it’s my family when I go to someone’s house and think about making sure I would be satisfied with the service I give them.” Pritchard said that he reminds his service team of that same philosophy often.
Learn to Listen
In his nearly 40 years of experience in the propane industry, Bruce said one of the biggest lessons he has learned and one he instills in his team of service technicians is to pay attention and learn to listen. He said, “A lot of times, you can just about diagnose a service call on the phone if you just ask a few questions and listen to what the customer is trying to tell you.”
Bruce added that you can pick up on key things the customer might say, such as changes to their homes, i.e., a recent remodel or a problem with a gas log remote that can potentially affect their propane service.
Use Your Vendors
If you are not relying on your vendor representatives to conduct training seminars with your service technicians and customer service staff, you are missing out on a valuable resource. Multiple times a year, we will gather our entire service team in our Tifton demonstration kitchen and let our tankless water heater and product suppliers visit us and show the internal workings of their products so our service staff can be informed should a problem arise on the jobsite or a customer has a question. This time together not only helps the service technicians stay up to date with the latest technology but also garners a sense of camaraderie by being all together.
Teamwork
One of the most important aspects of welcoming a new service technician to your company’s team is to have an atmosphere of inclusion and teamwork. It starts with the service manager.
It is important that the service manager is available 24/7 to answer questions and be there to support their team through any situation, regardless of what time or day of the week it is. Bruce said, “Any service tech can call any other service tech in our company and know that they will be there to help. That is what makes us a great team and allows us to give the best customer service possible to our customers.”
