L H Dickens and Son (Dickens Gas) has been a family-run business since 1898, and has been in the propane business since 1964. They provide propane heating and appliances, 24 hours maintenance service, and fuel delivery (Propane, Fuel Oil and Kerosene). Herman Dickens and his brother Mark Dickens are the fourth-generation owners of the Louisburg, North Carolina – based, propane, and fuel delivery company. He remembers, “I started working there as a child and stayed in the field until the late 70’s when I moved into the office. We started looking for a computer system around 1985 and went to the Southeastern Propane Convention in Atlanta to interview vendors.” Herman recalls talking with Brian Sheehan, President of Rural Computer Consultants (RCC), “Brian, his family, and employees sold me on RCC. Their system was different from everyone else’s and seemed a lot more complicated since it ran on Unix at the time. But I was still sold on them.”
Fuel Support When you Need it Most
It wasn’t until several years later and learning more about Rural Computer Consultants’ software that L H Dickens and Son decided that RCC was a great fit. After a lot of discussions, L H Dickens and Son purchased the propane software system from RCC in 1988 and they went online in 1989, but not everything was smooth sailing right away. Herman recalled, “We had an IBM PS/2 and there was a bug in the hardware. For some reason, it failed on us several years in a row over the Thanksgiving holiday. Brian Sheehan was there for support and got me going every time.” As the years passed, Brian moved out of the support role at RCC but as Herman noted, “The RCC staff that took Brian’s place are just as dedicated. For over 30 years they’ve delivered a level of service that goes above and beyond what I’ve come to expect from vendors. Their family values have kept them in business and kept us a satisfied customer.”
“The RCC staff that took Brian’s place are just as dedicated. For over 30 years they’ve delivered a level of service that goes above and beyond what I’ve come to expect from vendors. Their family values have kept them in business and kept us a satisfied customer.”
– Herman Dickens, L H Dickens & Son
V10 Exceeding Expectations
LH Dickens and Son use RCC’s Fuel Distribution System (FDS) daily. They also use the payroll, inventory, and accounts payable modules. LH Dickens & Sons, Inc recently upgraded to FDS Version 10 and Herman pointed out that “RCC’s V10 is, so far, exceeding our expectations!”
“RCC’s V10 is, so far, exceeding our expectations!”
Supporting Each Other Like Family
RCC knows how important reliability is to their customers, which is why they have assembled a fuel support team like no other. RCC’s software is built rock-solid with ongoing feedback from our customers being the foundation of our software. But when the time comes that customers need RCC’s support, the team is ready to help. Herman knows he can count on the RCC team with their changing needs, “I have never had a situation where we had the system down and couldn’t reach anyone. Our business and theirs have changed over 30 years but they are still the best fit for our company. They are family to us.”
“I have never had a situation where we had the system down and couldn’t reach anyone. Our business and theirs have changed over 30 years but they are still the best fit for our company. They are family to us.”
More than Business, It’s Friendship
For over 120 years, L H Dickens and Son have been making sure their customers have the propane they need. RCC is honored to be part of that history with them for over a quarter-century! As Herman shared, “Over the last 30+ years we’ve developed more than a business relationship with RCC. We’ve developed friendships.” From one family-run business to another, we could not agree more.
We are very grateful to Herman and the L H Dickens and Son team for their friendship, loyalty, and support over the past three decades! Their dedication to their customers and family-business values mirrors that of RCC. To learn more about LH Dickens and Son, visit their website at www.DickensGas.com or like L H Dickens and Son on Facebook. If you are interested in reading more success stories about RCC’s fuel and propane customers, check out how Tex Propane’s Drivers Work Remotely using MOGO, and how Chippewa Valley Energy found a Partner in Fuel & Propane Technology.
RCC is Here for You
Want to learn more about how Rural Computer Consultants’ Fuel Distribution System and our dedicated fuel support team? Contact us here or call our Sales Department at 800-722-6659 to arrange for a demonstration.