Delta Liquid Energy (DLE) has been providing propane service to residential and commercial customers since 1936. As a fourth generation family-owned and operated propane supplier, they are committed to providing their customers in Central and Southern California and Nevada with reliable propane. The DLE fleet consists of about 55-60 bobtail delivery trucks that do the transportation and delivery of fuel.
15 Years with RCC
Delta Liquid Energy has eleven offices and employs 125-130 people. Jeff Phillips is the IT Manager at DLE and has worked there for about 9 years. The company has been working with Rural Computer Consultants for about 15 years. Jeff explained, “RCC acquired a company called PSI, the fuel software we were using at the time, which is how we got introduced to RCC. Today we use most of the RCC modules, except for the MOGO tablet. We use another 3rd party truck solution that integrates well with RCC’s FDS Software.”
Propane Bill Access
Delta Liquid Energy is most proud of the Web Services & RCC’s Customer App integrations that they have utilized with RCC. Propane customers have two ways to log on, check their account, request work, and pay their bill. Jeff points out, “Our customers are using the web application to get information. If they need a copy of an invoice, they don’t have to call. They can just go online and view it – it’s readily available.”
“Our customers are using the web application to get information. If they need a copy of an invoice, they don’t have to call. They can just go online and view it – it’s readily available.”
Degree Day Planning
People like to have independence to get information on their own and these tools from RCC make it easy. “Degree Day” customers can look up their location, what is the percentage of fuel remaining, when is the next delivery, how many gallons used so far to date, and more. For DLE’s customers, this also helps with budgeting. For instance, they can see that their last delivery was on December 30, and their next delivery is coming up on May 30, and they can plan accordingly.
Getting Paid Faster
Jeff remarked that over the years, the number of DLE’s customers that are using the RCC App for payments has significantly increased, “Our customers are paying with credit card versus checks…especially during the pandemic when we had some locations closed. Now people can make payments quickly and easily and the usage has tripled.” DLE Customers can easily request propane delivery from the RCC app or Web Services within seconds, making it convenient and fast. It’s not just the customer service and delivery staff that have been affected by the new technology though. Jeff admitted, “Our Controller has made the comment that even through the pandemic, our collection rate has increased and the time it takes to get paid has greatly decreased. We are getting paid faster.”
“Our Controller has made the comment that even through the pandemic, our collection rate has increased and the time it takes to get paid has greatly decreased. We are getting paid faster.”
Cost Benefit
Delta Liquid Energy is proud to be offering these services to their customers to help bring their business into the 21st century, and Jeff sees the cost benefit, “We are a larger company… smaller companies may look at cost, and get scared away from the price. In the day and age we live in, we have found that the RCC Web Services and App are actually relatively inexpensive when you look at the time it saves you in getting payment from customers without you having to hound them, or answering customer service calls when they can access the info themselves.” Jeff’s advice to other propane companies who are considering adding technology like this to their business is “Don’t let the price scare you away. Look at how you can utilize the technology to improve your fuel business. Anytime you can automate things and make life easier, you can get a quick return of investment.”
RCC is I.T. Approved
Since Delta Liquid Energy is a Pro User of RCC’s Web Services and the RCC App, they are also taking part in RCC’s test group for texting and emailing notification enhancements that are currently in beta. Jeff and the team at DLE have also provided feedback to help RCC advance their Web Services and Customer App, making it a valuable resource for fuel and propane customers and their customers. As the IT Manager, Jeff is always on the lookout for potential issues that may affect the customer experience, “I personally test the app and web access on my own including making payments, and it just always works. I personally like the app the best!”
“I personally test the app and web access on my own including making payments, and it just always works. I personally like the app the best!”
Customer Service Counts
The RCC Team goes over and above to make customer service a priority. Jeff has noticed, “I have been involved with computers and software for over 30 years and have worked with a lot of different systems from all over the world. The support that I have received from all the staff at RCC is top-notch. RCC provides the best support of all the software companies I have worked with, and I think most of my coworkers would agree!”
Rural Computer Consultants is proud of their long-standing relationship with Delta Liquid Energy and how they are embracing technology in their fuel business. Learn more about Delta Liquid Energy on their website or their Facebook page.