Review for Better Earth

Office location: 4040 N Combee Rd Ste 12, Lakeland FL, 33805

10/30/2023
Dr Dana P Tampa, FL

FLAWLESS EXPERIENCE!!

I’m up and running in less than 3 months!! I went from being a skeptic to a hugely grateful customer. The guys who sold and then managed my solar installation, Jacob and Brian, were off the charts FABULOUS! This company came through for me at every single juncture. When Brian came to my door to talk about installing solar, I cautiously opened the door a few inches (literally!) with a prepared, but courteous, remark to decline. He wasn’t pushy at all. I don’t know what made me hang in a few seconds more over and over, but eventually I went out and sat with him on my porch. My interest was piqued, but I remained cautious and cynical about the anticipated “sell.” My electricity bill was over $300, and I knew more increases were planned. Angry and frustrated with TECO, I was eager to stop being at the mercy of their price hikes! Brian was a good listener and explainer, he had an informative, no-pressure approach. He evaluated my electricity bill for usage and said the condition and orientation of my roof made me a great candidate for solar. Frankly, it sounded kind of like a sales pitch to me (ignorant at the time), but it turned out to be a fully accurate statement. I almost canceled my subsequent meeting scheduled with Brian and his supervisor, Jacob (I didn’t want to waste their time). Selfishly, I decided that getting an estimate and additional education would be to my benefit, so I kept the appointment. Before that meeting, I had looked at the company’s reviews and educated myself on solar to make sure I could now be an informed consumer. I’m definitely someone who does the research on EVERYTHING I buy — from little to significant like solar, so I can make well-informed decisions. These guys answered every cynical and technical question I threw at them including questions relating to some negative reviews I had read that left me reluctant to use them. They acknowledged the reviews directly and clarified why and how things had gone wrong in each case. The problems were primarily out of area (CA) and the company had also made it their priority to correct failures with each respective customer and by implementing new companywide protocols to avoid future recurrence. Their answers reflected comprehensive knowledge on the subject, candid dialogue, a quality-based passion for their product and company, and a clear dedication to customer satisfaction. Bottom line — these guys and the company, itself, care A LOT about the customers’ experience. I was thoroughly convinced that solar was going to be a smart idea for me and was impressed with everything I learned and experienced about the company, BUT I was STILL going to pass until I had a chance to compare the price we had negotiated with their competitors. I told Jacob and Brian directly I was going to wait until I had a basis of comparison on price. Jacob asked a great question: “What if we just google the average price of solar installation and see what it says? You could compare our price to that.” Brilliant! Google showed an average range for solar installation, and the price Jacob had offered me was at the very lowest end of that continuum. Also, it included EVERYTHING I wanted — the top tier solar panels available, 25 yr warranty, guaranteed minimum energy productivity (based on established household use), free servicing, and the number of panels calculated was based on an 120% of my established usage. I went for it!!! I’m SUPER happy I chose Better Earth. Besides Jacob’s patience and generosity in negotiating a price and financial plan that was good for me, these guys made sure the whole process was handled impeccably!! Communication was excellent and the company proved to be a fine-tuned instrument from start to finish. Jacob got things submitted to my HOA quickly and even covered the application fee without my asking. My HOA process hit a glitch, and Jacob was able to point out to them a discrepancy in their online application due date. Because of that, they provided immediate response rather than require a further delay for 30 days. The best word to describe Jacob is “formidable.” He’s a young guy who keeps his eye on the ball at every step, speaks directly and honestly, and clearly relates to his work with personal pride and integrity. Jacob was in communication with me as things unfolded and whenever I called with questions. He works constantly to ensure that things are right for the customer. He even called me back well after business hours on his birthday and once on holiday at the beach. WOW!!! Jacob lived up to his word on EVERYTHING! During the installation, the roofing guys (also fantastic and NOT subs) resolved an installation problem by getting approval from the main office for a design change. Jacob was on-site to make sure installation went properly, and he noticed that the change wouldn’t be aligned with what I had wanted. He interrupted their solution and brought the problem directly to me for discussion. I didn’t like the new plan visually and, along with the roofers, we brainstormed a different solution in keeping with my preferences. It required extra work and time for the roofers, but everyone was wholly agreeable to making the changes I would be happy with. These guys were awesome!!! Installation was completed in 7+ hours. Some of my house stucco had chipped off where the box was installed and the installers did a perfect repair before leaving. They also reviewed my electrical box with me to point out which breaker was new and where they had moved an existing breaker. Jacob called that same evening to ensure everything wrapped up properly as he had left about an hour before the roofers finished the extra work. Jacob told me to expect a call from Better Earth for a county inspection of the job, he reviewed the HOA approval letter with me and told me who to contact to report completion (in accordance with their request), and said that after the county signed off, Better Earth will contact TECO who turn on the connection 1 to 2 weeks after a request is made. Those things went exactly as predicted. Better Earth even sent a guy out the morning the county was coming to inspect to double check that all the work was straight, tight, and perfect. We passed with no problem and TECO even got me activated sooner than expected. I hope anyone reading this who is considering solar will interview this company for consideration. I’ve tried to speak to many of the above-standard nuances to illustrate how exceptional I thought they were. I’m fully confident that Better Earth’s overall competence, their top-quality products, and their priority of customer satisfaction will make them a stress-free choice for any householder ready to wave goodbye to TECO.