In the propane industry, trust and relationships are everything. For generations, family-owned propane companies have built their reputations on reliable service, personal connections, and face-to-face interactions with customers. While these foundational values remain crucial, today’s digital tools offer opportunities to enhance, not replace the personal touch that has made your business special for two, three, maybe even four generations!
The Hidden Costs of “That’s How We’ve Always Done It”
Think about your typical day: How much time does your team spend processing paper checks, manually entering delivery data, or handling routine phone calls? These traditional methods worked well for decades, but they come with hidden costs, both in staff time and potential errors, not to mention dreaded collections. Every minute spent on manual paperwork is a minute not spent growing your business or serving customers.
Modern Solutions “Play Nice” with Your Traditional Values
The good news? You can maintain those cherished customer relationships while embracing tools that make your operation more efficient and appeal to younger generations of customers and staff. While their digital expectations may be different, these new customers represent an opportunity to grow your business while honoring your traditional values. Here’s how:
Online Bill Pay: Give customers the convenience they want while improving your cash flow. Many propane marketers report receiving payments faster and spending nearly 75% less time on payment “chasing” after implementing online payment systems. Your longtime customers who prefer writing checks? They can still do that. You’re adding options, not taking them away.
Digital Delivery Management: Replace paper tickets with digital solutions that track deliveries in real-time. This isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about safety, accuracy, saving money, and avoiding headaches. Drivers can access customer histories instantly, verify delivery locations with GPS, and document everything with photos—reducing liability and improving service quality. Our friends at Rural Computer Consultants (RCC) have streamlined processes for all these functions, and we work with them daily to help propane marketers integrate technology solutions with their websites with incredible results. As one of their customers puts it, RCC has “tons of experience in the fuel distribution industry and are very innovative when it comes to creating software that helps their customers improve efficiency and accuracy.” Glaser Energy Group via Google Reviews.
Customer Portals: Imagine your office staff spending less time on routine calls and tedious stacks of paper contracts and more time on meaningful customer interactions. A simple online portal lets customers check their accounts, schedule deliveries, and submit forms at their convenience while freeing up your team for more important tasks.
Small Steps, Big Returns
Change doesn’t have to happen overnight. Many successful propane marketers start small, perhaps with a new mobile-friendly modern website and online payments and gradually add more features as they and their customers become comfortable. The key is taking that first step.
One family-owned propane company we work with started by simply offering online bill pay and a robust employment page to help hire drivers. Within a few months, they reduced office workload considerably and began receiving quality job applications. Another client estimates that their new customer portal reduced phone calls by about 30%, allowing them to provide better service to customers who truly needed personal attention. After all, you want to be fully present (and not on the phone) when loyal customers stop by to say hello—those personal connections are what make family businesses special.
Don’t just take our word for it
“After our new website went live, we wanted to make sure our customers found out about and took advantage of our new online bill pay feature. Vivid Image helped us run successful Facebook ads that worked extremely well and resulted in the majority of our customers paying online. Thanks, Vivid Image.” Travis Kittle, Van Wert Propane
More Than Just Cost Savings
As RCC reiterates, “Electronic payments will save time and money for both fuel businesses and customers.” While reducing overhead is important, the benefits of updating your online tools and technology go far beyond cost savings:
- Enhanced safety through better record-keeping and real-time delivery tracking
- Improved customer satisfaction with 24/7 account access
- Reduced errors in billing and delivery
- Better Data for making business decisions
- More time for growing your business and training staff
Your Partner in Progress
Change can feel daunting, especially when you’re busy running a successful propane business. That’s why it’s crucial to work with partners who understand both technology and the unique needs of the propane industry, partners who will treasure your customers as much as you do.
Like the propane companies we serve, Vivid Image was built on a foundation of strong relationships. It’s more than just our approach – it’s our vision: “Focus on relationships to drive business forward.” We understand and share the values important to you that make family-owned businesses special because they’re our values too.
The right partner will help you implement changes at your pace, ensure your team is comfortable with new tools, and make sure the personal touch that built your business remains central to everything you do.
Ready to explore how technology can help your propane business reduce overhead while maintaining the quality service your customers expect? Let’s start a conversation about your specific needs and goals. Sometimes, the smallest changes can lead to the biggest improvements in your business.
Let’s Do This!
It’s not about replacing what works. It’s about enhancing it and fixing what doesn’t. Your propane company has earned its customers’ trust through years of reliable service. The right technology helps you identify and improve inefficient processes while strengthening the quality service your customers depend on. Your success story is built on relationships and reliability. Let’s make those foundations even stronger.
