LP Gas, May 2015

EMPLOYEES they can make twice as much money McKay says We can only pay so much Weingart agrees The oil and gas industries have taken a lot of the available drivers away and a lot of it has to do with the wage They can pay anywhere from 5 to 10 more an hour Weingart says Thats hard to compete with Another barrier to employment is the product itself Some people are not familiar with propane Give employees the type of work that will help them develop their careers says Propane Resources Tamera Kovacs A lot of guys just arent comfortable driving a propane truck Weingart says Youve got to train them properly make sure they understand it After that they dont have a problem with it Training helps prospective employees overcome those fears For many companies employees must undergo handson and classroom or online training In addition they must pass tests once their required training is complete Propane itself is a hazardous material Anielski says Today our industry has a strong focus on training our employees and our fire departments The National Propane Gas Association offers the Certified Employee Training Program CETP to ensure those who work in the propane industry possess the knowledge and skills needed to work safely and effectively The companies that put their workers through this training report good results and have nothing but praise for the national and state organizations that facilitate the training process Over the past few years Ive found it easier to maintain my certifications Martin says So the CETP training has really helped However its all for naught if an employee chooses to leave the company By the time you invest two three weeks of training on them and then you get them to learn the territory youve got a couple months training into them Martin says If they dont want to stick around for the next season then you basically start from ground zero again Says Anielski It is an expense to train an individual and then if he doesnt continue or if he doesnt work out thats an expense weve lost Thats why Anielski believes the dependability of a new employee is critical His willingness to learn is so important he says No matter how much training you put new employees through sometimes they dont understand how to work with customers Its difficult to find a decent driver who is personable to your customers Martin says Hire a driver who is grouchy and drives into the yard too fast or comes by at the wrong time of day and before long your customers will be looking for another propane company he adds Employees must be able to talk to customers The last thing you want a driver to tell a customer with a question is I dont know anything about propane I just deliver it Martin says if his driver doesnt know the answer to a customers question he needs to say so but will make a phone call or take a note and have the office call back Theyve got to be able to follow up he says Its hard to find people who are articulate Says Anielski Theyve got to have a good attitude and be patient with our customers Tamera Kovacs financial consultant and business valuations and sales expert for Propane Resources in Mission Kan says Hire attitude train skills is what Propane Resources founder Dwain Willingham would always say Other desirable qualities include honesty reliability and dependability Propane retailers also seek workers who are cooperative and perform quality work Of course job knowledge is helpful Anielski says But one of the biggest things is his willingness to learn and a positive attitude Placing ads in newspapers or on Craigslist will allow those companies seeking workers to select prospects Continued from page 47 More on employees Propane Resources Tamera Kovacs explores the role of women in retail propane businesses on page 22 48 LPGas May 2015 www LPGasmagazine com