In a remarkable display of industry alignment, two RCC clients – Johnson Oil and Farmers Energy Propane Plus – have recently shared similar experiences that highlight the value of customer appreciation and continuous learning in the propane industry. Both companies attended the RCC Customer Seminar this year and recently hosted customer appreciation events, demonstrating their commitment to growth and customer service.
Customer Appreciation = Strong connections
Both companies recognize the importance of building strong relationships with their customers. Johnson Oil recently held a customer appreciation event that allowed them to connect face-to-face with many customers they usually only interact with over the phone. Not only did this event act as a thank you to their customers, it also held an owner succession event for new owner, Carl Brumm.
“We met a lot of people,” shares Carl. “It was really cool to get to meet our customers. That was pretty neat because a lot of them, you know, with us being in the office, we’ve talked to them on the phone and stuff, but we never get to hardly see any of them.”
Both events featured local food trucks and a chance for customers to meet and chat with the staff. Farmers Propane Plus took their event a step further by incorporating social media engagement. “We implemented a new branded banner for photos,” they explained. “We had some photo props, and then we had them hold them, and then asked them to tag Farmers Energy Propane Plus when they shared it on social media. We also asked them to use the #makingpropanesexy. Our customers loved that!”
A shared learning experience at Seminar
The RCC Customer Seminar proved to be a pivotal experience for both companies. Angie from Johnson Oil, attending for the second time,
came prepared to seminar this year with a list of questions. “I go in with like a whole list of questions already,” she explained. “By the time I’m done for the week, I got everything checked off of it.”
For Haley and Kayla from Farmers Energy Propane Plus, it was their first year attending. “It was just everything that it could have been plus more,” they enthused. “The biggest thing was getting to meet other people from other states and other propane companies and getting to know what they do and how they use the RCC software.”
Both companies highlighted the value of networking, learning about new features, and the opportunity to interact directly with RCC staff. The seminar has already been sparking and implementing new ideas and improving their operations.
COntinuous Learning and improvement
Beyond the Customer Seminar, both companies continue to strive for more efficient operations through continuous learning.
Johnson Oil has found great value in RCC’s Degree Day & Forecasting feature, while Farmers Energy Propane Plus actively participates in RCC’s Feature Focus webinars. “We watch every single one of them as long as we are able,” they shared.
Partnering with RCC has not only provided software solutions, but a pathway to growth, efficiency, and improved customer relationships. These parallel experiences in attending the RCC Customer Seminar and hosting customer appreciation events emphasize the importance of continuous learning and customer engagement for marketers in the propane industry.
Leveraging RCC Tech for Growth
Johnson Oil and Farmers Energy Propane Plus have both embraced RCC’s technology to enhance their operations. Johnson Oil transitioned from manual processes to a fully integrated system, implementing MOGO, Dispatch Manager, and other RCC products. “The biggest thing that’s changed in the last 10 years is when we first realized that we needed to implement a technology to maintain a database of each customer’s data,” Johnson Oil’s representative stated. “Having a database to do that makes it easy for us.”
Similarly, Farmers Propane Plus upgraded from RCC Classic to Version 10, noting the significant improvements. “It’s so much easier. It’s point and click,” they shared. They’ve also adopted MOGO, online bill pay, and the customer app, enhancing their operational efficiency and customer service.
RCC continues to be amazed at the willingness of propane companies to thrive by embracing technology, prioritizing customer relationships, and committing to ongoing education and improvement. Interested in working with a software company created by fuel people, for fuel people? Contact [email protected] for more information!
Check out Johnson Oil’s Customer Appreciation Event!