Mistakes Customer Service Reps Make That Lose Propane/Oil Sales

Your Customer Service Representatives are your company’s front line and play a critical role in your brand’s overall success. They are the gatekeepers to great propane sales.

But propane/gas companies have a problem.

Customer Service Reps aren’t salespeople.

They don’t have the acute skills of a salesperson to hear new opportunities for sales on calls. And while they might be excellent at keeping your customers happy, they might also be costing you propane sales because they don’t know the signs of a hot prospect.

Your front desk staff is your first line of opportunity to win new sales. But there are 2 key areas where they might be making mistakes that are costing you sales.

Giving Away Price Without Proving Value

Price is an important question in the sales process. It’s often the first question prospects ask. But it doesn’t have to be the first question your service team answers! 

The problem with giving away price at the jump is that it makes it easy for people to give you a quick “no”. Priced-based shoppers want what’s the cheapest. To win more propane sales, service reps should open the conversation with product value.

To prove this point, let's examine a quick story about how a propane gas client we work with got around the price question and won a customer based on value. 

The higher the perceived benefit, the higher the customer value, and the greater likelihood that customers will choose that product.

It started with price but ended with value 

“Propane Company X” is honest that they aren't the cheapest propane player in their service area. But, they do provide excellent service that helps customers see past the price. 

They suffered from the problem of sales calls starting and stopping with the “price per gallon” question.

An opportunity to help train the service reps came when a man walked into the office and said, “I drive past you all the time. What’s your price per gallon.”

Fortunately, the VP was at the front desk and chimed in. He immediately asked questions about this person’s usage, his tank size, and his current provider. 

By shifting the conversation from price to the person’s problem, Propane Company X was able to prove their expertise and value to the gentleman at the front desk. 

He signed up on the spot! 

Moral of the story: communicating value can beat price objections

Giving out product pricing without proving value opens the door to objections and ultimate rejection of your business. Instead, your service reps should have a strategy for follow up questions that introduce your business as a valuable partner in keeping their home or business running. 

Not Following Up with Interested Leads

The propane sales cycle is quick. People call when they’re low on propane and need propane fast, or when they’re fed up with their current provider and ready to make a change. 

But, that does not mean that every interested party will sign up in 1 phone call. 

Many will want to go back over their household budget and give your company a ring back when they’re ready to move forward. 

So, what happens when the prospect forgets to call you back?

What happens all too often is they move on to another propane company. Or, the lead and your sales pipeline are stuck in limbo. 

Quick follow up is key in closing leads in short sales cycles.

Unfortunately, many service reps don’t follow up with leads after the initial phone call. This mistake means that once interested prospects fall out of your sales pipeline. 

Close More Propane Sales By Giving Service Reps the Support They Need

These mistakes don’t mean your customer service team isn’t doing their job. It means they need more support from you - and perhaps some professionals. 

Improve sales close rates with scripts and training

Your service reps aren’t salespeople. They might be uncomfortable being “pushy” on the phone. Or, they might feel their other responsibilities mean turning a question into a conversation is time they don’t have.

This is okay as long as they’re willing to try some new tactics. 

• Scripts for Phone Calls can give your service reps language that makes it easy for them to guide the conversation. 
• Sales Training, even at the beginner level, can give them tools on how to make each phone call a better opportunity 

Make sure you have a strategy in place for the handoff of leads to ensure potential sales don’t fall through the cracks. 

Internal change can be difficult. Seek a coach’s help. 

Especially in the height of the busy season, asking your service reps to do things differently can be a challenge. 

Enlisting help from a sales coach can help smooth the process. A sales coach will help hold your customer service team accountable. An outside voice might help your team take the changes more seriously and make you more successful in its implementation.

Consider hiring a salesperson

Your expertise no doubt adds confidence to the sales process, but it also pulls your attention away from focusing on the strategy for growing your propane company or making it more efficient. 

Hiring a salesperson to work with your service reps on new leads can improve your sales close rate. Their dedicated position means that they can follow up faster with prospects to keep leads moving through the buyer’s journey until they become a customer. 

Increase Sales By Utilizing Your Customer Sales Reps to their Fullest Potential

Your sales reps provide excellent customer service. Help them make your sales cycle just as excellent by winning more sales. 

Changing your sales rate starts with the first phone call a customer makes. 

Listen in on a few calls with your sales reps and see if they too struggle with communicating value and following up with leads. If they do, consider taking some of the steps above to improve your process.