Behind the Tank – What Customers Really Experience
Most propane business owners take pride in the service they provide. You work hard, you care about your customers, and you build your reputation on being dependable. But how often do you stop to ask what your customers really think about you? Not what you hope they think, but what they’re actually saying, feeling, and remembering after you’ve delivered fuel or handled a service call.
Knowing how your customers view your business isn’t just about ego or reassurance. It’s one of the most important steps in keeping their trust and growing your company. When you understand your reputation from their side of the fence, you gain powerful insight into what’s working, what needs fixing, and what could set you apart from the rest.
Why Feedback Is More Than Just a Review
Many propane companies look at online reviews as the only source of customer feedback. But reviews, while helpful, only tell part of the story. Most satisfied customers don’t leave a review at all. And frustrated customers often vent in a way that leaves out the full context. That’s why you need to dig deeper than just your star ratings.
Real feedback comes from open conversations. It comes from check-in calls, short surveys, or even casual comments during deliveries. These are the moments where you learn how your drivers are being treated, how your phone staff is handling questions, and how your systems are performing. Feedback like this can show patterns, not just isolated complaints.
Tools That Can Help You Listen
To know what your customers think, you need more than guesswork. One of the easiest tools is a follow-up call after a service visit or delivery. Keep it short and simple. Just ask if everything went well and if there’s anything you could have done better.
Another method is using a short printed survey or a one-question form sent by text. It doesn’t need to be fancy – just something that gives customers an easy way to speak up. Some companies also invite long-time customers to join a customer panel or offer a discount in exchange for a few minutes of honest feedback.
Listening to your team is another form of customer feedback. Your drivers and technicians hear customer concerns in the field that usually never get written down. Encourage them to report what they hear. These front-line insights are often the most valuable and the easiest to miss.
What to Do With What You Hear
Once you start hearing what customers say, the next step is knowing what to do with that information. The goal is not to take every comment personally. Instead, look for common threads. If several customers say they didn’t know when their delivery was coming, maybe your communication system needs work. If people keep asking the same billing questions, your invoice design may be unclear.
Use the feedback to build small action steps. These might include a training session for staff, updating your voicemail greeting, or creating a basic delivery notification system. Even small changes based on customer suggestions can make a big difference in how your business is viewed.
Most importantly, close the loop. If a customer offers feedback, let them know you heard it. You don’t have to promise a fix right away, but showing that you’re listening earns trust. It also increases the chances that they’ll speak up again, giving you a clearer view of your business over time.
Turning Feedback Into an Advantage
When you actively gather and act on customer feedback, you create a business that’s more responsive, more respected, and more likely to grow. You’re not waiting for problems to explode; you’re catching them early. You’re also hearing what makes customers happy, which can help you market better and train smarter.
In today’s market, people talk. They share experiences online, in their communities, and with neighbors. When you know what’s being said – and when you help to shape those conversations – you protect your reputation and create new opportunities to grow your customer base.
Customer Insight as a Growth Tool
Customer opinions aren’t just noise – they’re clues. They tell you what matters most to the people who pay your bills. For propane businesses that rely on long-term trust and word-of-mouth referrals, knowing how you’re seen in your community is more than helpful; it’s essential. When you make time and space to listen, learn, and improve, you keep your customers close and your business strong.
