What Should You Look For In A Solar Retailer?

Does The Solar Retailer Have A Track Record Of Positive Reviews?

These days consumers are quite lucky in the fact that checking a company’s track record with past customers is a breeze. Social media and search engines all support client reviews with aggregate ratings so you can immediately get a feel for what kind of service the company provides both at the point of sale and after installation. You can also see how far back these reviews go to get a sense of how long they have been operating.

Is The Solar Retailer Approved By The Clean Energy Council?

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) is Australia’s peak body representing our clean energy sector. The CEC monitors almost every aspect of their members’ operations when it comes to their products, marketing and customer service. Their goal is to protect consumers from shady practises within the solar industry and making sure your chosen solar retailer is an approved member lets you know they are serious about carrying out business the right way.

Does The Solar Retailer Offer Quality Products?

Just like you can research a company’s history in terms of customer service, you can also research the brands a retailer is pushing. Overnight businesses can often strike a deal with a cheap manufacturer, trying to offload as much as possible before aggregate reviews stop the phone ringing. While the temptation of a cheap barrier of entry can be strong, more often than not low quality products will present issues down the road.

Not only can you research reviews on solar products online, you can also check the CEC website where they have a list of approved solar products. While a product not being on this list is not the end of the world it is a great resource for those wanting quality solar panels installed on their roof. If you are looking to take advantage of solar rebates in your state, more often than not they will require your solar components to be products from this list.

How Long Has The Solar Retailer Been Operational For?

Perhaps one of the best ways to make sure your solar retailer is here to stay is to check how long they have been in the industry for. We talked about checking how far back their reviews on social media go but this is not always a great indicator of how long they have been operating. A retailer can be operating for years before they decide to invest in an online presence.

So what other methods are there to find out how long the company has been in business for? Perhaps the best way is to ask for their ABN and search for it on the ASIC website. This is actually a great idea for any industry and a lot of people have no idea they can do this freely whenever they want. You can also view the history of a company’s ABN to get even more insight into their past.

How Does Their Pre-Sale Customer Service Stack Up?

More often than not your own instinct is a great guide for knowing when something doesn’t add up. When you are talking with a prospective retailer there are several things you can ask yourself to get an idea of what type of company you are dealing with. Do they have dedicated solar consultants on staff? Are they asking for power bills and details about your home to provide the best possible package? Are they pushing just the one product relentlessly?

A solar retailer that is here to stay wants to do the right job because this builds their reputation in the industry. Solar products come with warranties measured in decades which means your relationship with your installer is an ongoing one. A retailer pushing shoddy products with poor customer service will simply not last in this industry so getting a sense for how a company carries out their initial consultations will give you a great indication of longevity.