Corporate Giant Eastern Propane Buys Family Owned Business Lessig Oil & Propane

It is always a shame when you hear about a family-owned business being sold to a corporate giant. This is exactly what happened when local, family-owned business, Lessig Oil & Propane, was sold to corporate giant Eastern Propane. Lessig Oil & Propane, like most local companies, originally started as a small, family-run business. A move like this affects the customers who use Lessig Oil & Propane’s services. In this article, we will explore how they are affected and what options these customers have.

The Priorities Of A Small Business Vs. A Corporation

The priority of a local, family-owned business is to service the people. A small business earns income while their main focus is something far more rewarding. The customer comes first. Corporate infrastructures are optimized to generate revenue instead of prioritizing their customer’s needs. While there is nothing wrong with generating income, it shouldn’t be at the expense of the customer. Consequently, the very definition of “quality of service” gets blurry for the sake of profit gains.

Quality Of Service

Customers who use corporations, as opposed to family businesses, are limited by the quality of services that they receive. One example of this is when an issue occurs. Everyone, at some point or another, has had to deal with the corporate red tape. The process is long and extremely frustrating. You can spend a long time and effort trying to resolve the issue, eventually to be told that “it goes against company policy”. However, it is apparent to both sides that fixing your issue is what is ethically correct. Before you even get to that point, you have to deal with an automated phone tree with the hopes of finding a real human being. Even when you do happen to find a real person, you get transferred from one person to another, over and over again.

The heart and soul of a family business are its customers. A family business builds its customer base through reputation, via word of mouth and online reviews. Small businesses will do whatever it takes to protect their name. Additionally, since a small business thrives on reputation, they make it a point to provide their customers with superior customer service. They build their reputation by treating their customers as an extension of their family. R.F. Ohl is a small, family-run business that has a proven track record of satisfied customers.

So, in our earlier example, when a small company is faced with an issue from a customer, it is addressed both quickly and efficiently. There is no automated phone tree and there is no red tape to contend with. Therefore, it can be said that the service from a small company is personal and attentive. Furthermore, their associates are passion-driven with strong industry expertise. With these characteristics, a customer can be assured that they are receiving the best service possible.

Community Building

Another aspect of using the services of a small company is that they help the local economy and the community that you live in. It has been proven that large corporations do not spend a significant amount of money on building the community around them. Small businesses like R.F. Ohl, on the other hand, are very involved in community events and charities. In the following article by Grasshopper Resources, they discuss this in further detail:

• Small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses to non-profits and community causes (Source: Seattle Good Business Network).
• If you spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays in your local economy. If you spend the same at a large business, only $43 stays in the local economy (Source: Civic Economics Study in Grand Rapids, Michigan).

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It truly pays off to use the services of a small business. As we see in the above article, when using a small business, you know that your money is helping to build your community and your money is going back into the local economy.

What Can Lessig Oil & Propane Customers Do?

It is unfortunate that Lessig Oil & Propane was sold to corporate giant Eastern Propane. Fortunately, their customers do have options. For customers of Lessig Oil & Propane who do not want to deal with a corporate giant, they can choose a reputable local company, like R.F. Ohl. There, they will receive all of the benefits of dealing with a small company. R.F. Ohl has been in business since 1984. Since then, their customers have appreciated the personal and skilled services that they have to offer. R.F. Ohl offers fast service that include(s) fuel delivery as well as heating and cooling system installation, maintenance, and repair. Be sure to contact R.F. Ohl for all of your home heating and cooling needs in Wind Gap and throughout Northeastern PA.

Contact us today or give us a call at (610) 377-1098 if you have any questions.