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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>To a large extent what you say is true.
The catch is it that was when the old timers (and I would
add Windy Dankoff to those) ran their own companies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>In the past several years though we have
seen service overall among most distributors, go down as they get taken
over by (often foreign) outside companies. The only company we have seen
actually improve over the past year or three is Kyocera and Hitney
Solar. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>It is not just the online dealer services that
have suffered, although everyone of them has. Of those that had or have a dealer
online service, it has gotten worse, or in some cases become unusable or
simply never got fixed. For example, AEE used to have the best online system in
the industry - but now all that is there is a button that for the past year++
has said "coming soon".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>As you note about revolving sales reps, there is
at least one rep that we have dealt with at 4 different companies
now.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>And while I sympathize with the distributors
when it comes to inventory, pricing, and vaporware (those are RE dealer
problems also). some of their problems are self-made. And, yes, I realize
that the current price wars in the "race to the bottom" for solar panel prices
has affected everyone in the industry. But that does not excuse things like
telling us that items are in stock, and then telling us two weeks later it is
still on back order.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>So, the bottom line is that while there are
not many really bad distributors (I won't name names on list), I can't think of
any that really stand out. Or perhaps we just have bad luck with the sales reps
that are assigned to us....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>..................................................................................................<BR>Northern
Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun Since 1979<BR>Solar Discussion
Forum: <A
href="http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/">http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/</A><BR>..................................................................................................</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net
href="mailto:joel.davidson@sbcglobal.net">Joel Davidson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 26, 2009 5:22
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Great service
at the wholesale level?</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>No one has yet to match the quality service David
Katz and his crew gave customers when David owned AEE Solar, or Mark
Weidhaas gave when he owned Alternative Solar Products. Automation
and order processing are important, but what really counts
is knowledge, experience, responsiveness, and a
sincere interest in helping wrenches provide the right
products to our customers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I sympathize with the wholesale distributors.
When Wm. Lamb Company was the only wholesale distributor, there were fewer
products to inventory. Today, there are thousands of products that
are constantly changing. Prices change as if products are
perishable. Profit margins are shrinking. Job-hopping sales reps seem to
have replaced career sales engineers. Manufacturers are finding it
difficult to serve two masters, the multi-megawatt integrators and the
smaller stocking distributors. Dealers want to offer their customers the
newest gadgets and then complain about availability, vaporware, products not
ready for prime time, etc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Joel Davidson</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dkatz@aeesolar.com href="mailto:dkatz@aeesolar.com">David Katz</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] Great
service at the wholesale level?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I am certainly interested in which wholesale distributors
offer good service, if any.<BR>David<BR><BR>
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<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">David
Katz</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Chief
Technical Officer</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">AEE
Solar</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">1155
<SPAN class=SpellE>Redway</SPAN> Drive</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">P.O.
Box 339</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=SpellE><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Redway</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, CA 95560</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Tel
(707) 825-1200</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Fax
(707) 825-1202</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A
href="mailto:dkatz@aeesolar.com">dkatz@aeesolar.com</A></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><A
href="http://www.aeesolar.com">www.aeesolar.com</A></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 8pt">DISCLAIMER: <BR>This
communication, along with any documents, files or attachments, is intended
for the use of only the addressee and contains privileged and confidential
information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of any information
contained in or attached to this communication is strictly prohibited.
If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender
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style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><O:P></O:P></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV><BR><BR>Wind-sun.com
wrote:
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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>And where exactly would that
be?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>..................................................................................................<BR>Northern
Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun Since 1979<BR>Solar
Discussion Forum: <A href="http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/</A><BR>...................................................................................................</DIV><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
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