Interruption of Service 101: Protocol & Documentation
Cold weather is here, and it’s only going to get colder. In our industry, low temperatures mean a greater likelihood of interruption of service situations. Interruption of service, or out-of-gas calls, are commonplace during the winter months. It is crucial that every propane marketer has proper protocol in place to ensure that interruption of service situations are being handled correctly.
Is your propane company prepared to handle interruption of service calls this season? Use this checklist to evaluate if your team has everything it needs to maintain compliance, keep customers safe, and reduce company risk.
Interruption of Service Checklist for Propane Companies
- Policies and Procedures
Do you have a written policy regarding interruption of service calls? Do you have written procedures for each member of your team to reference during the response process? Written policies and procedures should include a script for customer service representatives answering these calls and specific procedures for the response team to follow. - Employee Training
When a customer contacts your company with an interruption of service situation, your customer service team is the first line of communication. It is crucial that CSRs are adequately trained to handle interruption of service. Additionally, training is crucial for the delivery drivers and service technicians that respond to and remedy these out-of-gas scenarios. - Documentation
You know the phrase: if it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. Properly documenting interruption of service calls and your team’s response is crucial to protect your company and the service person performing the work in the event of litigation.
Handling Interruption of Service Safely & Efficiently
Does your company’s interruption of service protocol have all three of these important elements? Incorporating these components into your interruption of service safety program will help your team operate more efficiently while protecting your company.
Have questions about policies and procedures, training, safety documentation, or anything else propane-safety related? Ask our experts! Submit your safety question to a propane safety expert today.