Are You Tracking Technician Productivity the Smart Way?

Running a propane business means keeping a close eye on everything, from safety and supply to customer service and costs. But one area that often gets less attention is technician productivity. Your service techs are out in the field every day, doing the hands-on work that keeps your customers safe and your equipment running. So, how do you really know if they’re doing a good job, staying efficient, and helping the business grow?

Measuring productivity means finding clear, fair ways to determine if your techs’ work is getting done properly and on time. When you track that well, you can reward great performance, catch problems early, and give your techs the support they need to do their best. Let’s take a closer look at how to measure productivity in propane service techs and why it matters for your business.

Start With Clear Job Expectations
Before you can measure anything, you need to make it clear to your team about what’s expected of them. Do your techs know how many stops they should make in a day? Are they expected to do installs, repairs, safety checks, or all of the above? Are there specific standards or goals for each type of job? Be sure all expectations are put in writing and shared with your team in that format. Having them documented that way helps keep employees both knowledgeable and accountable regarding their duties.

Take the time to set simple and realistic benchmarks as well. These might include jobs completed per day, time spent per job, customer satisfaction metrics, or even equipment condition after service. When expectations are clearly communicated and goals are established, both you and your team can better track how things are going.

Track Time Without Micromanaging
Time tracking helps you understand exactly how your techs are spending their day. The purpose here is not to breathe down their necks, but rather to identify any delays or wasted time that might be happening. Are routes efficient? Are jobs taking too long? Are any particular tools or supplies (or lack thereof) slowing things down?

If you aren’t doing this already, be sure to invest in technological resources such as mobile apps, route optimization software, and dispatch logs to get a clear overall picture of how your techs are performing in each of their tasks. This helps you to accurately adjust schedules, reduce drive time, and make sure your techs aren’t overwhelmed or underutilized.

Look at Job Completion Rates and Callbacks
A high number of completed jobs shows productivity, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. If a tech rushes through their work and the customer has to call again because something got overlooked, that’s not a win; it’s a loss. Therefore, guard against emphasizing job completion numbers as the most important aspect of your team’s performance.

Pay careful attention to callback rates, as this is another key statistic you need to evaluate among your team members. If certain types of jobs often need follow-up visits, it might be time for more training, better tools, or slower scheduling. If one tech has fewer callbacks than others, that could point to strong performance worth recognizing.

Ask for Customer Feedback
Customers are often your best source of honest feedback. Was the tech on time? Did they explain the service clearly? Did they leave the area clean and safe? Simple follow-up surveys or text messages can give you helpful insight into how your techs are performing while in the field. Over time, distinct patterns will tend to appear that show which techs are building trust and which ones might need more coaching.

Use the Data to Help Your Team
Once you have a reliable system in place, don’t just file the numbers away. Use what you learn to guide employee training, improve current tools, or correct scheduling problems. Meet with your techs regularly to share what’s working well and where they can improve. Keep the focus on growth, not criticism. When techs see that you’re using the numbers to help them perform well and to make their jobs better, they’ll be more eager to improve and more motivated to do quality work. Be sure to solicit their feedback as well by asking them what has been successful in their experiences and where they feel things could be going better.

An Operational Win-Win
Tracking technician productivity doesn’t just make daily operations smoother; it helps you grow a stronger business overall. When you understand exactly how your techs are performing, you can better plan for hiring, training, and scheduling. You can catch small problems before they become big ones. And, you can reward the techs who are doing a great job of helping you build a reliable, trusted company.

Customers notice when techs show up on time, get the job done right, and treat them well. These are essential aspects of your tech team’s duties that you need to notice as well. Therefore, when you measure and support your techs’ productivity the smart way, everyone wins. And, that will surely translate to a win for your bottom line as well.