A Signed Quote and Deposit Should Mean Something…read more
I rarely leave one-star reviews, but my experience with Premier Energy Solutions warrants one.
I requested a quote for a mini-split system for my home in Dennis, MA. After receiving the quote, I reviewed it verbally with the salesperson to confirm its accuracy and signed it within a week. I was then called and asked to provide a deposit by phone, which I did immediately.
Approximately two hours after providing the deposit, I received a text notifying me that a "revised" quote was ready. The new price was more than 10% higher than the quote I had just signed. I then checked my email and found a message from the salesperson explaining that there had been a software glitch and that the original quote had been generated in error. Attached was yet another quote--this one more than 20% higher than the price I had signed and provided a deposit against.
I contacted the General Manager the following day. To his credit, he acknowledged that the errors were theirs and told me they would honor the original price. He explained that an internal specialist would review the project, properly document everything, and send me a corrected quote reflecting the original agreed-upon price within two days.
That did not happen.
On the third day, the salesperson called and told me the errors were larger than they had anticipated and that they would need to increase the price after all. I contacted the GM again, and he retracted his commitment to honor the original price.
I raised the issue that we had a signed agreement, they had accepted my deposit, and questioned whether we had a binding contract. His response was essentially, "Why would you want us working on your home if you had to take legal action to get the deal?" I am paraphrasing because I do not recall his exact words, but that accurately reflects the substance of the response.
At that point, I requested my deposit back, and Premier Energy Solutions did refund it.
Mistakes happen. A salesperson can make an estimating error, software can create problems, and companies sometimes discover unexpected costs. My one-star review is not because an error occurred. It is because of how the company handled the error after I had signed the quote and paid the requested deposit.
What was particularly disappointing was that the GM initially took responsibility, explicitly committed to honoring the original price, and then reversed that commitment after another internal review. From a customer's perspective, I went from an accepted quote, to a 10%+ increase, to a 20%+ increase, to a management commitment to honor the original price, and finally back to being told the price would have to increase.
I subsequently came across several older five-star reviews that specifically mentioned the company's founder, Paul Foley, and the level of service he provided. Based on the customer service described in those reviews, I suspect he would be disappointed by how this situation was handled today.
Premier Energy Solutions did return my deposit, and I want to be fair in acknowledging that. But when I select a contractor for a significant investment in my home, I need confidence that a signed quote, an accepted deposit, and a commitment made directly by senior management can be relied upon. Unfortunately, my experience with Premier Energy Solutions did not provide that confidence.
