Segen

[PowerFlexEnergy]

Is it just me or does anyone struggle simply to do business with Segen?

Terribly slow in sorting out credits.

Confusing invoicing

Confusing accounting

Missed delivery

Staff that sound so busy they can't cope

 

[dansk]

No your not on your own, it took ages to get an account sorted, as you say the staff there sounds over run with work and dont seem able to handle it, allthough ive not had any problems to date - but i do try other suppliers first and use Segan as a last resort.

 

[grandfortune]

i must admit, as im on my first install i love there quotation site and the way you can edit items and see them before ordering also the techincal guy im working with is great, picking up all them little things im missing.

 

[GLES]

I can't even get through to their tech support team, it's constantly engaged.

 

[SRE]

Yea but I've been let down now 3 times by another wholesaler and countless times by another supplier. They all seem to be completely bogged down with work - I know the feeling! Segen are about one of our most reliable installers, they have issues, just fewer than toher wholesalers in my experience - maybe I've been lucky.

 

[hanky-pankysex]

They are great, the website is great and very helpful BUT when you phone noone knows anything about anything! if your system is an L shape for instance they cant help.
We had a delivery and some bits were missing and they said we should have checked before any order was made.
I will keep using them though because there getting better.

 

[redmile-energy]

my advice with segen technical team is dont bother, I've been in this industry less than six months and comfortably know most than some supposed "technical" people. Recently quoted a customer a 3.0 aurora power one inverter (which has twin tracking capabilities) when I ran it through the string tool a comment appeared that the startup voltage would need to be lowered- having never done this before and enquiring about how difficult it was to lower the voltage the guy litterally did not have a clue what I was talking about or even what I was trying to achieve, Segen's product list is really not that extravagant- a basic grasp of each area would be nice.

 

[hopkins85]

I personally would never deal with them again. They let me down on my first install. I use Waxman, they are really helpful or spitfire who are really good and local.

Sent from my HTC ChaCha A810e using Tapatalk

 

[LightGEN]

Agree they are slow in sorting out credits, I opted to email a humber of them a daily reminder until they sorted the last one out.

As for the 0844 numbers they've given all their staff - everyone take note that calling those from a cellphone costs in the order of 35p/minute.

 

[Ramjam]

When you sell as much kit that costs as much as PV kit does then you really should employ some inteligent people, train them and empower them to take orders, answer questions and phone you back.

They appear to be a greedy company who want to automate everything and run an Amazon warehouse. When they started charging you to phone them I stopped using them.

Wholesaling is not a new trade, if I'm going to spend £100k per month with someone I expect to be able to ring up and chat through an order or two while I move between site surveys.

They will wait around a while then get bought by a big wholesaler like CEF who can add a bit of relationship management and then they will be good, imagine that Segen as a division of CEF! All of those products available at your local branch with a rep and a branch manager who care about your business.

 

[SRE]

When you sell as much kit that costs as much as PV kit does then you really should employ some inteligent people, train them and empower them to take orders, answer questions and phone you back.

They appear to be a greedy company who want to automate everything and run an Amazon warehouse. When they started charging you to phone them I stopped using them.

Wholesaling is not a new trade, if I'm going to spend £100k per month with someone I expect to be able to ring up and chat through an order or two while I move between site surveys.

They will wait around a while then get bought by a big wholesaler like CEF who can add a bit of relationship management and then they will be good, imagine that Segen as a division of CEF! All of those products available at your local branch with a rep and a branch manager who care about your business.

You're right about CEF caring about our custom but at the minute they're buying from a European wholesaler at just above the discount level we're buying at and selling on for more than I buy in for. How do I know - the wholesaler sent me their invoice by mistake - doh!!!

 

[Ramjam]

Right now each branch buys individually and so gets rubbish volumes and rubbish prices and even when you give them volume they can't buy any better than us as they go to the same wholesalers. Eventually they will simply buy a PV wholesaler and the expertise and buying power will be there. Then they can sell through their network and blow the competition away. Imagine that, a network full of experienced wholesalers selling PV equipment professionally rather than the amateurs we all currently enjoy!

 

[SRE]

Right now each branch buys individually and so gets rubbish volumes and rubbish prices and even when you give them volume they can't buy any better than us as they go to the same wholesalers. Eventually they will simply buy a PV wholesaler and the expertise and buying power will be there. Then they can sell through their network and blow the competition away. Imagine that, a network full of experienced wholesalers selling PV equipment professionally rather than the amateurs we all currently enjoy!

I'll look forward to that - 3 failed deliveries this week all from different wholesalers!

 

[Worcester]

http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...ergy-forum/42017-kit-prices-2.html#post367779

Thoughts?

 

[GLES]

I'd go so far as to say that the information they give can not only be wrong, but downright dangerous. I won't go into specifics, but some 'advice' they gave to me the other day could probably have caused a fire.
When I queried this, the lad said "I don't know, I'm only guessing."

 

[JD6400]

I am not for or against segen but in their defence dependent on the type of technical question asked , i would hope that installers are not asking how to match or fit kit .
If you go into any other electrical wholesalers and asked how to wire a house for example , as far as i have ever seen they will tell you that they are NOT either willing or allowed to give any advice !
Having said that on one of our last big orders with segen they delivered three broken modules and only the bottom half of one of the ig plus 120 inverters , it took nearly two and a half months to that sort one out , all on their premium rate phone lines !

 

[BruceB]

Their 'real' numbers do show up on caller display if you can get them to call them back.......

 

[CarlyMC]

They've been okay with me up to now, although I agree you can wait forever for your account manager to call you back. They do phone quickly when their bill needs paying tho LOL. I would like to try another wholesaler, if anyone knows any good ones in the Hampshire area I would be interested to hear from them. Carly

 

[Worcester]

i would hope that installers are not asking how to match or fit kit .

In a specialist area like Solar PV, and they are a specialist supplier, when they supply a fitting kit, I believe it is more than reasonable to ask the supplier how it should be fitted, if they don't know they should supply installation instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Same applies not just to segen - in my books it applies to any solar distributor.

 

[JD6400]

In a specialist area like Solar PV, and they are a specialist supplier, when they supply a fitting kit, I believe it is more than reasonable to ask the supplier how it should be fitted, if they don't know they should supply installation instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Same applies not just to segen - in my books it applies to any solar distributor.

Granted , as i said it is dependant on the type of technical question asked . And all kit should have manufactures instructions with them !
My comment was aimed more at the " how do i design and install a pv solar system " questions , in my opinion that is not in a wholesalers job description .
I know we all have to start somewhere but i for one payed my money and did the courses , not that they were that much use though !
Worcester you made reference to give a man a fish the other day , and i see it in the same light to be honest .
A fella sitting in a office 200 miles away just can not give sound advice on a site he has never even set foot on , for a system he has probably never even fitted before .