Well they lost a customer!

[SeaCat]

My wife and I contacted a Propane Dealership last week to set us up with a tank for our stove. They were supposed to come out today and pressure test my lines, set up the tank and fill it. They were scheduled to come sometime between 0800 and 1200 today.

We got up early, we watched and we waited for them. By 1100 I started getting irritable. We had played the waiting and waiting some more game with their competitors for the past month. By 1200 I was truly getting irritated. By 1300 I wanted some answers. I called them and asked about the status of my order. I was informed by the young lady on the other end of the phone line that they had determined last night they would not be able to come by my place. She then asked me if I wished to reschedule, for sometime in the next two weeks.

Okay, I was a bit annoyed. They had determined they wouldn't be able to provide me the services I had contracted for last night and hadn't bothered to inform me of this. When I asked the young lady why this was she informed me that this was not company policy. She then asked me again if I wished to reschedule. I very politely informed her not to bother, I would take care of the supply problem myself.

After I hung up I fumed for about five mintues then did what I should have done a month or so ago. I looked in the Yellow Pages, (No they have nothing to do with training puppies or kids.) and found a local RV Supply store.

I picked up a dual regulator, hoses, connectors and two 20 pound tanks. Within ten minutes of my returning home I had a working stove. It cost me ten dollars less to buy everything than it would have to have the tank installed. (That includes having both tanks filled.)

Oh and to put your minds at ease about the safety of my system. Propane systems are designed for 10 PSI. I tested it for several hours at 20 PSI with no drop in pressure. I'm also one of those people who firmly believe in turning off the tanks when I'm not actually using the stove.

Cat

 

[Samandiriel]

Nice company policy.

Sorry to hear that but glad that you are ingenious enough to take matters into your own hands.

 

[Aurora Black]

That was very unprofessional of them, Cat. I'm glad you made it work on your own.

 

[SeaCat]

It actually wasn't very hard to do. (Thanks for the compliments though.)

I had already pressure tested the lines so I knew they were good.

Equipment needed:

1 Dual Regulator. (This is a regulator that will automaticly switch over when the pressure from one tank falls below a set limit.)

2 Tank to Regulator Hoses.

1 Regulator to line hose.

1 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch pressure fitting adaptor.

2 20 pound propane tanks. (The same as most people use on their grills.)

2 tank fills.

Total cost was $174.00 (All of the above parts were available in the local RV Supply Store.)

One hint. I am only running a stove off this system. If I was planning on using the Propane to run a Hot Water Heater or other heaters I would invest in the slightly more expensive 30 or 50 pound tanks.

Cat

 

[Carnevil9]

You did the right thing. Vote with your wallet!.....Carney

 

[cantdog]

It actually wasn't very hard to do. (Thanks for the compliments though.)

I had already pressure tested the lines so I knew they were good.

Equipment needed:

1 Dual Regulator. (This is a regulator that will automaticly switch over when the pressure from one tank falls below a set limit.)

2 Tank to Regulator Hoses.

1 Regulator to line hose.

1 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch pressure fitting adaptor.

2 20 pound propane tanks. (The same as most people use on their grills.)

2 tank fills.

Total cost was $174.00 (All of the above parts were available in the local RV Supply Store.)

One hint. I am only running a stove off this system. If I was planning on using the Propane to run a Hot Water Heater or other heaters I would invest in the slightly more expensive 30 or 50 pound tanks.

Cat

Twenties are very lightweight and easy to wrestle. We swapped out all our 100-lb. cylinders and went to the twenty pounders a few years back. The things are available everywhere, and my daughter can deal with them easily, even with carpal tunnel. They go right in a canoe without being a trim problem, so we can move them in and out of camp, any of us. The stove does suck down the gas, though, so a double-regulator system is a good idea. Ours supplies a fridge and a system of gas lights, too, since the camp is far from any electricity.

I don't believe that propane systems are as hazardous as home electrical systems. A person can pick up the practical skills quickly, and the testing procedures are simple-minded. It's a good set of skills to have, and it leaves you that much less dependent, once you know them.

Good stuff.

 

[JamesSD]

Wow, they obviously are quite lazy and rely on the fact that people are too scared to do it themselves.

I'm amazed that they didn't have the courtesy to at least cancel your appointment and see if you wanted to reschedule. That's just bad buisiness.

 

[R. Richard]

Cat:
I would go to the trouble of actually writing a snail mail letter of complaint to the company, requesting a response. It is a long shot, but it might actually result in some changes and a better deal for others who have to deal with them.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Omg, it sounds like the cable company or some shit. I guess I'm lucky that we live in a rural area where everybody and their grandma is dying to sell you their propane. If I called our company for a refill of our big tank right now, there would be a truck in my yard by noon. Actually, when we switched companies, they delivered a new tank, filled it and geared my new kitchen stove for propane instead of natural gas, all the same day. Then again, in a town with a population of 5000, how busy can they be?

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Scene in a hospital:

Doctor: "You know, I've decided NOT to remove Mr Jonson's tumour tomorrow morning."
Nurse: "Should we tell him?"
Doctor: "Nah, that's not the hospital policy."

 

[Weird Harold]

Cat:
I would go to the trouble of actually writing a snail mail letter of complaint to the company, requesting a response. It is a long shot, but it might actually result in some changes and a better deal for others who have to deal with them.

Wrting a letter to the Better Business Bureau with an information copy to the offending company works better for me -- especially as a means of notifying a company that I have no intention of ever patronizing them again.

 

[glynndah]

A note on the bottom of the letter stating carbon copies to all of the other propane dealers in town might be a nice touch, too.

 

[SeaCat]

Oh My.

This evening my wife decided to make Bisquits.

She was careful, she preheated the oven with an Oven Thermometer inside. We were amazed when the temp. shown on the dial was the same as that shown on the Thermometer.

Oh the Bisquits were great, something we had missed over the past month and a half.

Cat

 

[Weird Harold]

A note on the bottom of the letter stating carbon copies to all of the other propane dealers in town might be a nice touch, too.

I don't see any point in informing competitors, but for a franchise or chain outlet, a second copy to higher management doesn't hurt the cause.

 

[BlackSnake]

My wife and I contacted a Propane Dealership last week to set us up with a tank for our stove. They were supposed to come out today and pressure test my lines, set up the tank and fill it. They were scheduled to come sometime between 0800 and 1200 today.

We got up early, we watched and we waited for them. By 1100 I started getting irritable. We had played the waiting and waiting some more game with their competitors for the past month. By 1200 I was truly getting irritated. By 1300 I wanted some answers. I called them and asked about the status of my order. I was informed by the young lady on the other end of the phone line that they had determined last night they would not be able to come by my place. She then asked me if I wished to reschedule, for sometime in the next two weeks.

Okay, I was a bit annoyed. They had determined they wouldn't be able to provide me the services I had contracted for last night and hadn't bothered to inform me of this. When I asked the young lady why this was she informed me that this was not company policy. She then asked me again if I wished to reschedule. I very politely informed her not to bother, I would take care of the supply problem myself.

After I hung up I fumed for about five mintues then did what I should have done a month or so ago. I looked in the Yellow Pages, (No they have nothing to do with training puppies or kids.) and found a local RV Supply store.

I picked up a dual regulator, hoses, connectors and two 20 pound tanks. Within ten minutes of my returning home I had a working stove. It cost me ten dollars less to buy everything than it would have to have the tank installed. (That includes having both tanks filled.)

Oh and to put your minds at ease about the safety of my system. Propane systems are designed for 10 PSI. I tested it for several hours at 20 PSI with no drop in pressure. I'm also one of those people who firmly believe in turning off the tanks when I'm not actually using the stove.

Cat

Sometimes, you just have to do things yourself. Good show.