coming in on a Wednesday, applying that knowledge and com-
ing back the next Wednesday. That's a cycle we've found very
beneficial to retention.
"We also use the e-learning programs as a standalone in some
cases," Rickards continued. An example is when a seasonal driver
is hired in December. "If he's [been hired as] a propane driver we
need to get him [trained] in the basics and also have him take the
bobtail delivery course," Rickards said. "So we put him through
that e-learning in the district [where he is employed] and that
works pretty well for those seasonal needs. That's the advantage
of in-house training. You can be flexible. It's really worked well
for us over the years."
Rickards added, "We include all of our company policies"
in the classroom instruction. "We have a lot of SOPs—stan-
dard operating procedures—that apply to different tasks that
our employees do. CTEP is the foundation for our training
program and we build on that, dramatically—we add a lot
more." Eastern also administers CTEP skills assessments for
its employees.
CONSUMER EDUCATION
What do your current and prospective customers know about
propane and propane appliances?
If you suspect they need to know more, the Propane
Education & Research Council has "a vast consumer education
campaign," said Gendron.
A safety campaign in 2014 targeted do-it-yourselfers. The
theme: "Leave it to a Pro."
The Council determined that propane customers break down
into three groups, especially when it comes to installing a pro-
pane appliance. The low-risk group "leaves it to a pro." Those
in the high-risk group are bound and determined to install an
appliance themselves, cannot be told anything, and are highly
unlikely to change their ways. In between are do-it-yourselfers
who are "probably going to go online to YouTube, watch a video
and maybe attempt to do it themselves," Gendron said. "It's
those people we were really trying to target."
The Council created a video that appeared on the YouTube
website whenever a user typed "install a propane appliance."
Gendron said, "When you clicked on that video it showed this
really horrific scene that shows this [severely damaged] house."
An insurance agent is shown telling the homeowner that he should
have left the job to a professional. To see the video go to www.
diysafety.org.
"That's just one of the ways we try and talk directly to consum-
ers," Gendron said.
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