Complete your company forms correctly

Forms serve an important purpose in the propane industry and, for that matter, in most industries. Here’s how.

• Forms help our delivery drivers, service personnel and customer service representatives (CSRs) do their work correctly.
• Forms list valuable information such as tank, vaporizer and regulator brands and serial numbers, among other items that may be sold, installed or delivered to a customer.
• They allow for documentation of pressure tests, leak tests and lockup test results.
• They can have a list of items that need to be conveyed to the customer verbally or in writing, and often the customer signs the form acknowledging that certain information and documents have been provided to them.
• Most delivery and service forms also have warnings to advise the customer what to do in the event of a leak, that propane has an odor and that some folks may not be able to smell the odor due to a variety of factors. Often there is a recommendation for the customer to get a gas detector as an added layer of warning, if they wish, due to the limitations of the odorant in propane.

Stay accurate

An issue we see in our practice – infrequently but nonetheless concerning – is that forms are not filled out properly, completely or legibly. When propane retailers are faced with a claim after an incident at a customer site, such as an explosion or perhaps frozen pipes from a runout, the delivery and service records will be scrutinized by all parties.

Companies commonly have written training material to train their employees on how to complete company forms. These training materials are used in our cases to analyze all of the delivery and service records for the location of a loss. CSR records will likewise be examined against company guidelines for any errors or omissions.

Completing company forms accurately, completely and legibly is a common goal of all industry members. That level of excellence takes constant effort. It starts with training on how to fill out forms and stressing the importance of filling out forms correctly.

These forms should also be reviewed promptly by someone besides the person filling out the form. This reduces errors in forms as they will be corrected close to when the form was completed. This type of cross-checking allows plant managers, service managers, delivery managers or perhaps a designated CSR with knowledge to spot potential problems that need prompt attention.

Stay organized

Keeping track of delivery and service records is just as important as completing them in timely fashion and correctly. It is not uncommon for us to find that some records on a customer account have been misplaced. This does not reflect well on the company in a lawsuit.

Sometimes we get records that we can’t find from the customer. That can cause problems when we have represented that our company has produced all of its relevant records. It also can be problematic if we structure our understanding of the case based on an incomplete set of delivery and service records. Those records can potentially be shown to us in a surprise fashion in a lawsuit, say, in the middle of a corporate representative deposition. So having a good filing system is critical.

It is increasingly common for all customer records to be both digital and paper. This allows for backup records. If you do not keep all customer records digitally, then assess your record-keeping practices to ensure all customer records are promptly and accurately filed in the appropriate folders.

Some companies have a separate folder for out-of-gas calls or interruptions of service. I understand the thought process for this type of file. This allows prompt attention to what is likely the greatest liability risk for propane companies. However, a copy of that same form also should be in the customer file.

Document management is not the most exciting part of the job. It is, however, a critical part of the business to ensure things are done properly and safely.

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John V. McCoy is with McCoy, Leavitt, Laskey LLC. His firm represents industry members nationally. He can be reached at jmccoy@MLLlaw.com or at 262-522-7007.