Generally reliable, if quirky, service (Johnston Oils Ltd)

Member Name: Flup

Product:	Johnston Oils Ltd
Date:	10/05/02 (310 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Deliveries are quick and you don't have to be there

Disadvantages: Administration is outdated and confusing

Johnston Oils' service is to provide an LPG tank on-site for households that are not on mains gas, monitor the gas level, and refill the tank when required.

We live in a rented property, so I have no experience of their tank installation service. I do, however, have a couple of years' experience of their gas delivery service, which is usually good but has a few quirks.

Generally, the tanker will just turn up, deliver the gas and leave you some paperwork to let you know how much has been delivered. However, their monitoring service seems to consist of the driver reporting the tank level back to head office, and if you suddenly use too much gas, it can suddenly run out, with delivery lead times of up to a week. Although the company provides compensation if this happens, they do seem to cut it quite fine in terms of when they make deliveries. To their credit, though, this has only happened to us once.

Johnston's paperwork leaves a lot to be desired. The delivery notes are arcane to say the least, and the statements and invoices are confusing in their layout and content.

I have no experience of Johnston's competitors (mostly large companies like BP and Shell Direct), so I don't know if this is par for the course, but I do feel that Johnston's systems and procedures could do with being brought into the 21st century.

Summary: