A good solar water heater should be accompanied by good service delivery

According to Selected Energy managing director Jim Hickey customer service sites should form part of consumers' investigation into solar water heating.

Over the past year, solar water heating has received a lot media attention. The articles are normally only from the writer's point of view and rarely focus on customer satisfaction. Online customer service sites like Hello Peter provide a platform for homeowners the voice their concerns about product deficiencies and service delivery.

“Hello Peter enforces the idea that a good system should be accompanied by good service delivery. The amount of customer complaints on Hello Peter gives a clear indication that South Africans aren't happy with many of the products," Hickey explained.

"Some of the complaints are unbelievable. It's amazing to think that companies give that level of service, and then don't respond to complaints voiced on the site," Hickey said.

“With so many products flooding the South African market, consumers are bombarded with information and options. Consumers get confused with the amount of benefits and features. When consumers weigh up their options, all the products start to sound the same.

“Many companies have jumped onto the profit wagon. These companies import less expensive solar solutions that don’t always meet criteria of a good solar water heater. Instead, they ride on the coattails of companies that have invested a lot of time and money to ensure they import quality products and give the highest level of service,” said he.  

Hickey advised consumers to thoroughly investigate all options before investing in a solar water heater. Consumer complaint websites like Hello Peter should form part of the investigation.

"A solar water heater is often an expensive investment. It's worth investigating what other consumers think about their investment before deciding on a product," Hickey concluded.