Marketing Issue [RE-wrenches]

Thu May 15 08:59:27 PDT 2003

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Folks,
Nearly all of us have had this happen at one time or another. It's 
particularly hard on Wrenches that also have store fronts. I can 
understand the decision to not put deeply discounted prices in your 
customer's face, but it's a crying shame not to be able to give them 
the benefit of Home Power. It is up to the manufacturers and 
distributors to ensure that their dealers are not whoring the 
products, not HP. A manu who lets it go on is an idiot as it will 
come back to bite them in the ass by way of nuisance calls and 
returned goods. Legitimate Wrenches and business folks won't 
recommend or sell products they can't make a profit on. A distributor 
who lets it go on does a HUGE disservice their installing dealers. I 
would quit buying from that distributor immediately and tell them why.
In my biz, I will not "meet or beat" to make a sale. I don't need the 
headaches that come afterwards. I will not install anything purchased 
elsewhere. I tell my clients flatly that I offer a value-added 
service that they will not and cannot get from a Solar Slut. They get 
ME. I will design the system or give them a reality check if they DIY 
and stand behind the products if I install. If it fails during the 
first two years (or five years if required by some rebate programs) I 
will come out and fix it for free. If the client doesn't see the 
value in that, I say good luck and bye-bye. You'll be money and time 
ahead gardening or fishing than baby sitting folks like that.
Bob-O

>Kurt,
>I stopped selling HP years ago because of this. I recently had to (it was
>that, or a $10,000 system was going to walk out the door) give a customer a
>$400 discount on an OB FX inverter. I took the time to calmly educate the
>customer, but he still wanted me to nearly match the HP ad price.
>
>I contacted Christopher Freitas at OB and he assures me that they are on top
>of that particular situation and is taking the necessary steps to make sure
>that their products are not treated in this fashion.
>
>Legally there is nothing that we can do about it. HP makes their living off
>of these solar porno ads. They have made their decision based on a lot of
>factors, I know that. I disagree with their conclusions. They do promote
>local dealers in their magazines but are hypocrites by allowing these ads.
>
>I deal with some customers who either know of HP, or even subscribe to HP,
>but it is a very small percentage of my customer base. I view HP as a hybrid
>of a trade magazine for RE dealers / RE enthusiasts magazine. Most of my
>customers are not enthusiasts, or hobbyists, they just need good reliable
>off grid systems. If I had to lower my prices even 30% of the time to keep a
>HP reader happy I would no longer be able to stay in business. Therefore I
>do not tell them about HP.
>
>Dave Palumbo
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: sunwise [mailto:sunwise at cheqnet.net]
>Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 12:55 AM
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: Marketing Issue [RE-wrenches]
>
>
>Greetings all,
>
>We've had this discussion before, but I need to re-visit it or
>something.  I also want to mention that
>
>
>As a solar guy, I highly encourage people to purchase HP Magazine, and
>even bought a couple subscriptions for my area libraries (they're half
>price for libraries!).  I also used to have a policy of offering a free
>one year subscription to anyone who bought a system from me.  I also
>sell HP mags retail out of my shop during the summer (retail outlet
>closed for winter).
>
>This said, it is difficult for me to have an SP75 hanging on the wall
>with a $385 dollar price tag on it, and a stack of HP magazines directly
>below with a centerfold ad from Terra Stellar (or some such outfit) with
>the same PV listed for little more than my cost.
>
>Do I stop selling HP (please, no), post a list of the ten commandments
>(including "if you bought it from them, call them with your
>questions/problems), or consider it to be part of the whole solar
>process (of going broke?).
>
>I believe we need RE to move into more conventional markets if we expect
>it to become more widely accepted, but does this directly translate into
>a Walmart and Sam's Club mentality?
>
>I had planned to post this to marketing, but the address is missing from
>my newer computer (almost a year old) and apparent no one is using
>Marketing any longer.
>
>Kurt Nelson
>SOLutions

-- 
"The vast majority of our imports come from outside the country." 
George "Dubya" Bush

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