Outback dealer protection? [RE-wrenches]

Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar ozsolar at ipa.net
Mon Jul 10 05:33:48 PDT 2006


I'd say another part of this issue is working on a system that you didn't
install.  I'm not trying to pick on Roy and I applaud him for helping this
guy out.  But the way I read it the owner didn't pay Roy for his time.
What's up with that?  I spell it out very clearly that they are paying me
for a full day's labor regardless of what I find or what I can or can't fix.
I frequently get a shocked reaction which usually ends the conversation.
I'd like to know how many of these systems are still dead because the owners
can't find anyone to fix them for free.

When I get a call from someone whose solar expert disappeared or internet
dealer won't return calls I know I'm likely in for aggravating experience.
All bets are off when it comes to these folks who can't find you until their
system is giving them fits.  I've learned that when working for these folks
it's hard to actually cover the cost of doing business.

Immediately setting the ground rules with these types of folks is important.

Best,
Travis Creswell




-----Original Message-----
From: Darryl Thayer [mailto:daryl_solar at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 12:31 AM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Outback dealer protection? [RE-wrenches]


Hi all

It sounds to me like a failure to communicate, I agree
the dealer should have have a chance to get coverage
for his risk, however the dealer needs to make his
position clear to the vendor.  

I have had very good results from Outback, but I have
had very few failures.  In this case I am sure Outback
was trying to give good customer service, but the
system did not work.
Darryl

--- "David Palumbo, Independent Power & Light"
<ipl at sover.net> wrote:

> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Ellison [mailto:ellison at gisco.net]
> Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 6:49 PM
> To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> Subject: Outback dealer protection? [RE-wrenches]
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had an experience the other day that the longer I
> think about it the more
> it irritates me, here goes.
> I got a call from a customer that had a pair of
> VFX3648 inverters and took a
> 2 1/2 hour drive to the site,
> 
> He had no lightning cans and took a bad lightning
> hit, the inverters were
> already off the rack and opened up.. Both inverters
> were down and he had an
> insurance inspection the following day. Real bad
> timing. I did not supply or
> install the gear and low buck wholesale never
> suggested lightning
> protection.
> My regular supplier is at a show so I called Outback
> to get the boards and
> was informed that we had to send the inverters back.
> Also the board prices
> were up from $700.00 to $1200.00. and we needed all
> of them, 2 sets. There
> was no doubt that all the boards were bad, the burns
> were obvious.
> 
> I was not having any luck getting the boards sent
> and asked the tech to
> explain to the customer that they had to be sent
> back. I  found out after he
> got off the very short phone conversation that he
> had been sold all the
> boards at my cost, and on my dime for the phone
> call!
> 
> It just ticked me off, I guess the dealers don't
> have an advantage over the
> customer any more at Outback.
> I didn't expect the customer to get dealer pricing.
> I could have gotten a
> verbal PO easily or just put it on a card and
> actually made some money on
> the process instead of the way it worked out.
> 5 hours drive time and a couple on site add up fast
> towards wasting a day
> real fast.
> 
> Back to packing for Solarfest,
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> 
> 


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