WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – A busy customer service line and delayed service work have sparked a backlash among some SunCommon customers.
The solar company says the issue lies outside of their bandwidth.
Greg Dennis’s solar panels went on the fritz this spring in Cornwall, so he called SunCommon for support. He says he was met with static.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge to get the help I would like,” said Dennis.
Dennis sent emails and made calls, getting occasional replies that he says weren’t getting to the root of the issue.
“The system wasn’t working as efficiently as it should be. So I have been working with SunCommon’s customer service people to get something scheduled to get it fixed. So far, they haven’t been able to get it fixed,” said Dennis.
Over in Waterbury, SunCommon says it’s battling its own roadblock.
CEO James Moore says the trouble began when solar energy manufacturer SunPower filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August, following a year of unreliable communication with customers.
Since then, SunCommon – who installed Sunpower solar panels – says it’s struggled to get in touch with the company for maintenance concerns.
“We are bird-dogging SunPower literally daily to make sure that our customers are getting the best service that they can, even if that’s not as good as we want to deliver and as good as our customers deserve,” said Moore.
Moore explains that SunCommon is often at Sunpower’s mercy to replace equipment or service customers.
Without a quick reply, Moore says SunCommon’s hands are tied, leaving some customers waiting.
“Unfortunately, SunCommon sometimes is stuck in the middle between a manufacturer who offers a warranty on the product and our technicians who want to do nothing more than go out and help our customers,” he said.
WCAX reached out to SunPower for comment.
In an email, the company said:
“SunPower recently filed for Chapter 11 and intends to provide relevant updates to customers as it becomes available through the process. More information can be found in the press release, on the docket, and on SunPower’s website, where FAQs are being updated as information becomes available.”
While working around the SunPower snafu, Moore says SunCommon is addressing its own staffing shortage – recently promoting a staffer to support its customer support team.
“We can’t determine how fast they move, but we can determine how fast we move, and we want to be as responsive as we can to our customers,” said Moore.
As for Dennis, he says a SunCommon crew is scheduled to visit his property soon.
“I want to see a solar system that’s running as absolutely smoothly and efficiently as possible,” said Dennis.
Moore encourages any customers still waiting on a reply to stay in touch as they work to help as quickly as possible.