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In March,2010, AmeriGas sent a direct mail to hourly employees informing them that, due to economic conditions, payroll hours would be reduced from 40 to 36 hours per week through the summer months. (April through Sept.) This appears to be a business decision to reduce expenses. My concern is on the ramifications of such a plan. Safety, customer service and employee morale will suffer under this dictate.

Employees are exhibiting signs of anger, resentment, and fear at the prospect of reduced hours. These are emotions that are very hard for individuals to control and suppress, and present an obvious distraction to employees handling hazardous materials and hazardous material vehicles. In our industry, one moment of distraction can cause serious injury, widespread disaster and death. As of this writing, AmeriGas has failed to recognize this potentiality or address it with employees. Upper management must now accept much of the responsibility for any accidents caused by inattention during this period.

Summer has historically been the time for the L.P. gas industry to step up customer service and concentrate on projects that make our environment safer. It was the summer that provided us with time to perform safety checks on customer propane systems, and make upgrades to prevent future problems. We took extra time to clean, repair and make our plants safer.

Painting and preparing leak free tanks to help grow the business was another of the important summertime projects. Perhaps the most important summer project was growing the business with tank sets and sales. Linking work force hours to monthly gallons delivered is sophomoric and short sighted.

The letter employees received from Gene Bissell implied that hourly AmeriGas employees have been freeloading through the summer seasons. This accusation along with the monetary reduction has crushed employee morale. Like it or not, hourly employees are the backbone of any successful business enterprise. We, the hourly employees, are what most customers see as AmeriGas. I'm afraid that what customers will now see is a distracted,uncaring Amerigas with severe back problems.

In closing, I see no great benefit to AmeriGas in this action. Any accident due to employee anger or distraction could easily cost this company millions. Outside labor will have to be employed for such things as building and yard maintenance. Sales and customer relations may sag along with the employees deteriorated attitudes. Shifting expenses from one line item to another serves no useful purpose. Shame on AmeriGas management for not thinking this through logically. A better course of action would have been to suspend ALL bonuses and options for the fiscal year, and share the burden with all corporate employees.

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

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Guest

In April 2013 they laid off 10% of the workforce and it is only going to get worse!

Guest

It sounds as if the desirable jobs at Amerigas are in management, so that's where a peron should go. If those good jobs are not available, it would be best to look work somewhere else where one would be better appreciated.

Guest

It is important to remember that the AmeriGas employee in your yard or in your home, is the the lowest paid, least experianced wage ape they could find. AmeriGas pays slave wages, treats employees like idiots, most are due to the work conditions, and could not care less about you or your safety.

Everyday the employee has to agree that anything that could or will go wrong is solely the fault of the employee. Each week the employees have a meeting that explains that they are to be held responsible for any and all accidents, incidents and, problems.

Clearly the only people left to work under these conditions are skill-less *** that couldn't get a job at a respectable gas suppier. (local family owned or co-op is a good example of an excellant supplier)

Guest

We are sorry to hear about your situation and apologize for your recent experience with AmeriGas. AmeriGas prides itself on providing our customers with the highest levels of customer service and we would like to help.

At your convenience, please contact Fran directly via email at customerfirstfran@***.com so we can promptly assist you with this issue. To better assist you, please provide your AmeriGas customer number, phone number or the address and zip code where your propane tank is located.

Thank-You. AmeriGas Customer Service.

Guest

If the company was really interested in saving mony they should look in there own back yard. Its not the raise's that Uppermanagement gets, It starts with all the useless spending they pay out, Yes they jet every manager all over the place for upper crust meetings, wine and dine them,put them up in exclusive motel's for meeting's that dont amount to a *** thing except to preach how they need to make more money and pay out less, Save save save, Must reduce spending, They have a call center in the Upper midwest region where they actualy fly people to work, supply rental cars feed them and of course put them up in motels while they are there,(Talk about a pay raise) then fly them back home for the weekend, Then they get to do it all over again, What ever happend to the days of living where you worked?, Sure wish they would pay for my car,Lodgeing, and meals, The Upper midwest managers get paid for up to 3 Good so called meeting Trips a year anywhere from Casinos, to resorts tthen they still get a paid vacation on top of that, we all should be so lucky to have the money to blow on such uselessnes of company money, but then again I cant help but wonder why the price goes up, and the service goes down because they have to cut back and save, Must mean that more and better trips are on the way or the upper crust's need another raise, It's also how so many managers can miss there marks for the year, but yet the Upper's can still achive to manage a yearly bonus, But I guess thats why they get paid the big bucks

Guest

If the company was really interested in saving mony they should look in there own back yard. Its not the raise's that Uppermanagement gets, It starts with all the useless spending they pay out, Yes they jet every manager all over the place for upper crust meetings, wine and dine them,put them up in exclusive motel's for meeting's that dont amount to a *** thing except to preach how they need to make more money and pay out less, Save save save, Must reduce spending, They have a call center in the Upper midwest region where they actualy fly people to work, supply rental cars feed them and of course put them up in motels while they are there,(Talk about a pay raise) then fly them back home for the weekend, Then they get to do it all over again, What ever happend to the days of living where you worked?, Sure wish they would pay for my car,Lodgeing, and meals, The Upper midwest managers get paid for up to 3 Good so called meeting Trips a year anywhere from Casinos, to resorts tthen they still get a paid vacation on top of that, we all should be so lucky to have the money to blow on such uselessnes of company money, but then again I cant help but wonder why the price goes up, and the service goes down because they have to cut back and save, Must mean that more and better trips are on the way or the upper crust's need another raise, It's also how so many managers can miss there marks for the year, but yet the Upper's can still achive to manage a yearly bonus, But I guess thats why they get paid the big bucks This is why your pay needs to be cut

Guest

SORRY FOR THE MISSPELLING ,I NOTICED WHEN I SENT THE MESSAGE . BUT I'AM A GAS MAN NOT A GRAMMER TEACHER.

NO BREACH, WAITED TWO YEARS . STILL GOT THE BUSINESS BECAUSE I TOOK CARE OF THE CUSTOMERS NOT THE SPELLING . I'AM GLAD YOU STILL HAVE A JOB. YOU SOUND LIKE SOME EMPLOYEES I HAVE WORKED WITH AT AMERIGAS AND SOME OF MY CUSTOMERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT .

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ! :grin

Guest

I started working in the propane bussiness (business) in 1980 with Petrolane Gas . It was a great company, that cared about it's (its)employees and customers .

Since then i've seen buy-out after buy-out untill (until) Amerigas bought them. I've been a Service -Tec (tech) , Driver, and Manager in the past 30 years . Ileft (I left) Amerigas and went to work for a small mom and pop company 10 years ago for the exact reason stated buy most employees. Geane Bissel (Gene) and upper managment could care less about employess (employees) or customers .

It's the bottom line and thats all.For years a fought to keep my customers for Amerigas but had to fight my own company to do so. So i went to mom and pop and brought my customers with me .(Breach of non compete) Making moore (more) money now than i ever could have at Amerigas .

The above pointed out errors are probably the reason why you shouldn't be with AmeriGas anymore. If you are making so much more money, get some education, spelling classes are not expensive.

Guest

Don't worry Gas Man you'll get to come back to a good company when mom and pop have to mortgage their house to finance the propane to serve the customers you stole. A-gas will probably buy them if they are that good of a (money making) company. :grin

Guest

I started working in the propane bussiness in 1980 with Petrolane Gas . It was a great company, that cared about it's employees and customers .

Since then i've seen buy-out after buy-out untill Amerigas bought them. I've been a Service -Tec , Driver, and Manager in the past 30 years . Ileft Amerigas and went to work for a small mom and pop company 10 years ago for the exact reason stated buy most employees. Geane Bissel and upper managment could care less about employess or customers .

It's the bottom line and thats all.For years a fought to keep my customers for Amerigas but had to fight my own company to do so.

So i went to mom and pop and brought my customers with me . Making moore money now than i ever could have at Amerigas .

Guest

Just wondering? What was the last grade FRED completed?

Guest

I wish they would do away with service all together. Work one person setting their equpmenet and take a truck and fill it up.

Working on appliances makes very little money and is just a convenience so the customer won't have to call a higher priced heating and air company. Cutting service, leave the drivers on 40 hours they'll save money on trucks and employees the two biggest expenses they have.

Guest

I AGREE WITH SLIM JIM AS A SERVICE TECH WITH THE COMPANY IT SEEMS WE ARE A CORPORATE SERVICE COMPANY NOT A CUSTOMER SERVICE COMPANY. THE WORK PILES UP WITH INCREASING DEMAND AND WE CANT KEEP UP THIS PUTS THE EMPLOYEE IN DANGER AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IT PUTS OUR CUSTOMERS IN DANGER.

HOWEVER THIS IS NOT EXCUSE FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING OR CARELESS SERVICE WORK IF WE ARE BECOMING THAT DISTRACTED WE NEED TO FIND OTHER EMPLOYMENT WE ARE DOING NO ONE ANY GOOD BY STAYING HERE AND PUTTING OURSELVES OR OUR CUSTOMERS IN DANGER. I HATE THE CUTS WE THE HOURLY EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH BUT ITS BETTER THAN UNEMPLOYMENT AFTER ALMOST A YEAR ON UNEMPLOYMENT DUE TO ANOTHER GAS COMPANY'S LAYOFF AS BAD AS THIS IS IT COULD BE MUCH WORSE.

Guest

All of you are righ, my husband, works fro amerigas and was a service tech and now has moved into mangement and his hours are being cut to. So it's not just service tech's and delivery its everyone,so if you gonna complain move on there is someone else out there that needs a job that want complain..... :p

Guest

Don't worry about the higher ups. Take responsibility for yourself and quit.

You are holding up a good paying job even though the hours are cut back I agree with glad I still have a job. Money isn't everything I'm thanful for the benefits.

Guest

where is the higher ups pay cut.no mention of that.

Guest

Do your co-workers a favor and quit. You are holding up a position that someone that is looking for a job would apprecieate getting 35 hours in the summer and much overtime in the winter.

Guest

Hey Still "There I hope you are not complaining because you have been looked over for a management position. If you are you might want to check your spelling in your complaint. That tends to hold someone back if you can't operate on a management level.

Guest

I guess that would be the best thing. Lay someone off in each store. At least they are keeping you on during the slow months.

Guest

Tey wont hire any new managers. They hire lower paid inexperinced managers to run 3 or more branches.

That is thier biggest screw up. I watch the lack of a on sight manager cost them money and coustomers on a daily basis.

Iv had 5 managers in 3 yrs and havent seen my presnt one for over 30 days.

If you complaine they will find a reason to fire you. Thats just the facts

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