Suppliers - Anyone else having a nightmare service?

[SolarCity]

For the third day in a row, we have had a catastrophic failure from our suppliers. They ****ed up the delivery yesterday and to try and make up for it, they were intending to deliver the equipment this morning. It didn't turn up. So I have a customer with 15 panels lying on his back lawn.

We are heading down to Devon on Monday and we will be missing parts for these installs. The suppliers, who keep telling us they are 'flat out' seemingly aren't too busy that they have to trouble themselves with silly things like working weekends or coming in before 9 every now and then, are repeatedly letting us down and it is dramatically affecting our business. We got through to one of the managers yesterday and his attitude was "Yes, that is six times now that you've told me that we messed your delivery up". His blaise and flippant attitude nearly drove me into Raoul Moatesque rage.

These distributors are riding a good wave at the moment. Whatever stock they have is bought up regardless of the service they provide. I wonder what their attitude will be like 6 months down the line when we're all fighting for business.

 

[Eco Deal]

Who do you buy From?

 

[SRE]

I have to say we've had great service under the circumstances but I've been careful not to order from suppliers who have let me down before and those that had let me down before I'd learned the hard way to order weeks in advance so it could be sorted when the wrong delivery was sent.

Most of our stock has been ordered from Segen who are doing 24/7 shifts and most of their staff were in today and have worked early and late every day this week and from Carbomat where my contact has been starting earlier and earlier each day 6.45 on Friday which I think is pretty impressive and she was in today sorting out orders too.

Biggs I know who you're ordering from and I've had similar service, it doesn't matter until you're doubling your capacity - you have my sympathy - fingers crossed it will get better. I'll PM my contact at the same place she seems to get things sorted for me.

 

[JD6400]

For the third day in a row, we have had a catastrophic failure from our suppliers. They ****ed up the delivery yesterday and to try and make up for it, they were intending to deliver the equipment this morning. It didn't turn up. So I have a customer with 15 panels lying on his back lawn.

We are heading down to Devon on Monday and we will be missing parts for these installs. The suppliers, who keep telling us they are 'flat out' seemingly aren't too busy that they have to trouble themselves with silly things like working weekends or coming in before 9 every now and then, are repeatedly letting us down and it is dramatically affecting our business. We got through to one of the managers yesterday and his attitude was "Yes, that is six times now that you've told me that we messed your delivery up". His blasé and flippant attitude nearly drove me into Raoul Moatesque rage.

These distributors are riding a good wave at the moment. Whatever stock they have is bought up regardless of the service they provide. I wonder what their attitude will be like 6 months down the line when we're all fighting for business.

I hear what you are saying only too well !
And i tell you what , if and when we do end up renewing our mcs tickets ( runs out 6/12/2011) in the new year now , i will be taking great pleasure with one or two suppliers generally waisting their time , promising to buy their kit then not answering the phone for days at a time , screwing them on price , bare face lying to them an blatantly not giving a f... about our soon to be terminated working relationship !!!!
We already have two 30kw jobs in the offing so they should be some good bait alone !

 

[Markc]

This might be a good thing to have in the Sun Lounge. A list of suppliers and may be contact details of those who are pulling out all the stops and all those who aren't.

I have to say my main supplier has been fantastic. I think I even got the last 16 Sanyo's!

 

[moggy1968]

nah, I did!!
got a load of kit in the pipeline and extremely nervous now. promised delivery monday and thursday but now, wihtout knowing who the bad boys are, I am getting nervous.

 

[solar-spark]

hope you aint ordered owt with krannich as there running four days behind!

 

[SolarCity]

I will only mention names in PMs. Despite all the disasters I want to give the suppliers a chance to put it right. It may be the case that I'm simply dealing with the incompetent employees and the rest of the staff are great. Although, lets be totally honest - how hard can it be to send out an order that someone else has made, to an address that someone else has given you, at a time that someone else has requested. It's not like I'm asking anyone to build me a sodding rocket, is it?

 

[moggy1968]

hope you aint ordered owt with krannich as there running four days behind!

yep, they're the ones, was ordered a week ago though

 

[solar-spark]

well i wouldnt normally mention a company by name but after a meeting on monday with one of there sales reps
i was assured that if i placed my order for a shed load of roof rail kit i would defo would receive it for friday.to cut a long story short no roof rail system and 5 jobs to start monday!!

 

[moggy1968]

it gets worse, I'm waiting on rails as well:13:

 

[solar-spark]

hope you get sorted soon mate

 

[moggy1968]

likewise

 

[SRE]

well i wouldnt normally mention a company by name but after a meeting on monday with one of there sales reps
i was assured that if i placed my order for a shed load of roof rail kit i would defo would receive it for friday.to cut a long story short no roof rail system and 5 jobs to start monday!!

Hate to tell you this but I was told nothing til 9th November - that was 2 weeks ago. I've been ordering my roof kit a month in advance because the service was bad but the price was good, getting short now, re-ordered on Monday haven't even had an acknowledgement.

 

[flamefix]

I do know K have a lot of stock coming in, yes their order acknowledgement is disgustingly shocking they were doing Mondays orders On Wednesday I got a promise of Tuesdays order on Friday expecting delivery but not sure yet what will turn up but fingers crossed.

 

[jupestar]

SRE - I have to carbomat have been spot on so far. She has been very patient. Hope they keep it going.

 

[SRE]

Not helped by poor delivery from DHL either.

 

[SRE]

SRE - I have to carbomat have been spot on so far. She has been very patient. Hope they keep it going.

Yep, superb - great after sales service too. I had a problem with some panels a while ago and they sorted it out right away.

 

[jupestar]

If they deliver all my project next two weeks I'll be very pleased. I buy mounting kit and sometimes inverters from them. I guess cause they are Belgium company they can ship stocks through pretty quickly. I also am led to believe they are only suppling to existing. Although I might be wrong.

 

[moggy1968]

as long as I get my delivery tomorrow I can live with the 9th for the rest. I've ordered enough kit to last me all the way through now

 

[SRE]

Quick update - my supplier is working on Sunday, just had an email trying to get kit out.

Well done Carbomat and thanks for a fab service.

 

[solarsavings]

I tried them after you bigged them up on here and they said I had to open an account. I sent the info they wanted by return, followed that up with numerous phone calls and emails still nothing. Given up now.

 

[SRE]

Sorry m8 maybe they aren't taking on new customers :-(

 

[jupestar]

Yeah I believe they are not. Fair play give their existing clients a fair crack..

 

[access_renew]

Guys, I'm not trying to protect the distributors here as some of your accounts of whats been happening I've been hearing all week.

We like to think we are one of the better guys out there (hence me posting here on a weekend and I'll be in the office from 7am in the morning! - wont we all!) but we have a strict policy in that if it's not en route to us it's not being released for sale. We don't want to promise what we can't deliver - and we hope that on the other side of 12th December we can do business with you all as a result.

Good luck in getting everything done - and don't hesitate to call if you need anything.
Sean - Access Renewables

 

[powervan]

i hope there not my 16 sanyo panels ive been told are MINE for job next week?

 

[powervan]

must say pv kits direct been great! im not sure about my previous supplier which cost me (£1500) and still no phone call after 2 letters!!!! ps im not paying till some one CALLS ME to APPOLOGISE !! M----P E------l i hate to think in this panic time what they would be like!!!

 

[Surboy]

I am also frustrated about the current situation with supplies but guys give distis a break, they only found out at the same time we did about the 12 December deadline and to be honest now have the horrendous job of managing their side of the supply chain. No one can just suddenly bring enough material to match demand and multiply the number of staff to deal with the huge demand...in a word let's try and all be fair and play nicely :wings:

 

[moggy1968]

is it too much to ask though to be told correct and accurate information rather than empty promises and someone telling you what they think you want to hear?
If they don't have the kit, tell me and I can make alternative arrangements, but don't tell me it's going to be here and then it isn't.

 

[powervan]

todays job 20 znshine panels in portrait! open box landscape brackets 28 mid turn clamps not there nearest place got them norfolk can u get them (no i live in basingstoke) oh ok well will will TRY and get them to u tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 blokes sat on scaffold!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN LIFE OF SOON NOT TO BE PV INSTALLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SolarCity]

Our supplier has let us down again. Absolutely useless. They sent us the wrong panels and no mounting equipment.

Being busy is not an excuse for poor service. Our customers are getting a job that is up to the same standard as usual. We are working longer hours to make sure we fit everyone in and we're getting through it.

If it wasn't for the supplier letting us down then we'd have had no issues at all.

They ignore my emails and phone calls and I'm sick of it.

 

[MorganPVI]

Scaffers have my bloody ire right now. had to blow out a job because the tower scaff was not up to the task, tomorrows scaff isn't up because of an overhead cable. Got some pre wires done - one customers Ze was 4.75 - DNO out this evening, which pleased them - till they were told to turn everthing off.

 

[mstep77]

Imagine a wharehouse with 7million pounds worth of stock in it and 5 guys to pick orders for a month. Then imagine those 5 guys picking a months worth of orders in 2 days and imagine how many pallets that is to get out of the back door.

Unfortunately suppliers are not psychic and haven't bought 4 months worth of stock.

There will be a correlation between the suplliers who are the cheapest and the suppliers who give the poorest service. I guess it depends what you want to spend your money on.

 

[powervan]

ITS ALL THE GOVERMENTS FAULT!!!FACT!!!!BUT SOME WHOLESALERS WERNT GEARED UP FOR DELIVERY OF A !!!!COMPLETE!!!KIT BEFORE THIS (m_P_e______L)LET ALONE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT PRAISE WHERE PRAISE DUE BIG UP FOR PV KITS DIRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shame i have to use others for certain panels just a NOTE! all my jobs were priced months ago so no real big profit on them So when blokes haveto stand around for 2 days waiting for bits then im nearly £---------- in this madness!!!if u could get kits u could MAKE some MONEY ready for jan feb march doing all the paperwork for this mad rush!! but then again i mite just abandon SHIP!!!!

 

[Noddy67]

I'd endorse the comment that Segen are doing pretty well. Their systems are complicated but they seem to work and they keep you up to date - with a call - if delivery dates have to change. I bet they get a lot of grief from stressed installers but they all seem very cool and calm.

fair enough not wanting to name failing companies (though that is a way to drive them to be better) but I'm very happy to give credit where it's due.

on a different issue, their tech support isn't great - i think Spitfire are the best on that front.

 

[moggy1968]

nothing left at segen now though, not even meters!!
just the sound of tumbleweed in the warehouse!!

 

[powervan]

U will like this! day 2 after all monday on phone the expected brackets arrive!!! WRONG!!!!!plain tile not PANTILE!!!!! ok ring up oh sorry my fault check stock NON IN COMPANY? ok what can u do ? well could u use the PANTILE we sent u that were for landscape? no its got to be portrait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well cant help then!!!!!!!!!!!! ok dont worry i will go to engineering company get them to heat up and take twist out sorted! but while im on phone where is my MID clamps? oh forgot umm nearest branch HORSHAM! ok can u get them NO because this order takes u over your credit limit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but u supplied the kit WITHOUT THE CORRECT BITS???????? well if we could have a cheque? F----------G cheque for a kit u supplied wrong!!!!!!!!! ive lost 2 days!!!!!!!!!tank full of petrol and u want cheque!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! then just to wrap it up NICEIC visit for part p on friday! i asked last week can i put off as bit BUSY at MO? yes £290 charge WOT THE F_______C have i done in a previous life??????????? its only gonna get worse!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SRE]

Segen answering phones tonight - just got my last queries sorted out with them, got through straight away but have been trying for 2 days to get through on phone and by email with no luck - if you want anything try it now ......

 

[MorganPVI]

Segen have 586 x L&G E100 instock. Doesn't have to be an Elster.

 

[earwig]

I want to give a 'big up' and thanks to 'access renewables' if I may. I'm a sole trader so don't give them large orders but they have managed to provide me with all the kit I needed to complete my installs before the December cut off. What a stressful time this is ! It was a huge relief to find they supported me and didn't go for max profit with the bigger companies.