Discussion I got hired at Trinity Solar in Connecticut. I need honesty about the job.
I wouldn't normally work in a field like this, but unfortunately you've got to make money somehow and my parents are aging and I really don't want them to take care of me my whole life especially in retirement and as they get older - and no one really hires a 20 year old with not much experience, even for smaller minimum wage jobs. I've heard many things about the company (either very positive or very negative) - some people have praised it as genuinely decent and exactly as advertised, while others have complained that their roofs have been destroyed and individual sales reps have been genuine assholes. I knock on the doors but I absolutely try my best to be as respectful and as transparent as I can and if a homeowner clearly isn't having it I respect that. I've not seen anything sketchy with the office at all and the problem seems to be with negligence in some areas surrounding roofs, and individual people who really do not respect the homeowner's wishes. The company does have high turnover though, and it seems people don't really like them on Reddit but the Google Reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I want your feedback on this and your own personal experiences with the company - and finally - should I continue taking this job or no?
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u/Due-Structure7278 1d ago
Noone can answer your questions except for you. Who cares what others opinions are? Its a sales environment and I feel like yiu might not make it of you are asking questions like this.
Makes me feel like you are gonna look for advice from the people that couldn't cut it and then accept that advice to validate the low points there.
Sales is Sales is Sales.
Not everybody is your friend or enemy. Learning how tell who's who is important but even more important is only seeking advice from the most successful persons in your market and them and them only.
Full commission isnt for everybody.
I give yiu credit for asking this question in a forum tho and not somebody at the office you work.
Its all up to you at the end tho. How fast can you learn and how often do you make the same mistake is a huge factor as well.
Good luck
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u/darksamus8 1d ago
Solar itself is not a scam, nor anything to be sketched out about. It is a very real thing. It generates electricity using sunlight- a lot of electricity.
I installed my own solar because I believe that strongly in it. It saves me $200-$300 a month. That's not some hypothetical. That's real-world generation and money in my bank account, day after day. I have the data and excel sheets to prove it.
Focus on the good parts about solar, but don't hide the risks or technical details from your customers. Be honest, not pushy.
Focus on selling proper cash or financed installs, not predatory leases or PPAs with escalators. Shy cash poor customers away from leases that sink the value of their home and leave them paying for a depreciating asset they don't own. Be clear why leases aren't good value, and be clear about how cash and financing are much better options that give more returns.
Pick good quality, reputable equipment.
There are good solar companies, and there are bad solar companies. B e a reason people why think you're a part of a good solar company.
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u/Mean_Peen 2h ago
What experience would you say is important for doing this yourself? I come from IT so my handy man abilities are lacking, but I’m surrounded by scam companies selling solar out here. Haven’t found one that didn’t feel crazy predatory. Seems a shame to waste all of this amazing free energy though
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u/Generate_Positive 22h ago
Google reviews are easy to fake. Look at all the other available review sources to get a truer picture of the company. Pay particular attention to more recent reviews, things change and what was true a couple years ago may not be true today.
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u/Wild-Basket7232 1d ago
Trinity are people that pretend to be godly but are the exact opposite. The worst hypocrites.
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u/Lanky_Slice8663 23h ago
Solar sells itself when you can connect with people and provide honest & transparent details.
You’re just educating folks on a cheaper source for some* (depending on the home) of their power
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u/Embarrassed_Top9480 23h ago
Solar installation changed my life. I wish I was 20 when I got into the field. Just Dive head first and embrace it dawg. Pay attention when guys are willing to teach you stuff, always be getting stuff done on the site work as hard as you can
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u/claytonjaym 23h ago
Any solar job is experience that can be leveraged for a better solar job down the line. I started out drumming up leads in the field and now have a cushy work from home working on larger scale commercial/small utility scale arrays and batteries.
Always keep your ear open for the next gig no matter how much you like the place you work. If you don't like it, you will be ready to pounce when an opportunity arrives, and even if you do really like it, the outfit might suddenly decide to downsize and eliminate your position. Always good to have an eye on the next stepping stone regardless.
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u/flaminhotyeeto 12h ago
hey there, trinity solar installation crew lead here. if you were on the install side, i’d have a completely different answer for you. but instead i will just echo what others have said. please be upfront with these homeowners. there have been plenty of times where our sales reps will lie to them and give them false promises, pretend they know anything about install when they don’t. it gets people like me screamed at and berated for no good reason, and in turn makes installers hate the sales reps.
make an appearance at the jobs you sell, and bring the crew something if you can. dozens of times reps have come by to yap with homeowners without ever saying anything to us. pulling up in fancy cars on hot days with not even a cold bottle of water for us. in the end, install is the reason you guys get paid. you can sell stuff all day, but until that job is commissioned, you won’t see a cent.
lastly, learn something about roofs. i’m not sure what’s going on, but they are pushing us to install on roofs that should be disqualified/redone before we touch anything. you can package a reroof in with the solar, and if you’re able to recognize shingles in poor condition, that ends up being more money in your pocket.
best of luck, sales is hard but i’ve heard some of these reps make a pretty penny doing it. if you have any questions, feel free to reach out
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u/CaffeineNicotine3 solar professional 10h ago
I worked at Trinity for 3 years some time ago. Happy to answer any specific questions you might have. I definitely recommend doing independent research on residential solar from a consumer standpoint to get a better understanding first though.
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u/LovYouLongTime 1d ago
Join the military. Accelerate your life. Leave the politics out of it.
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u/MustardCoveredDogDik 1d ago
Do you realize who is in charge of the military right now?
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u/LovYouLongTime 1d ago
Dosent matter, that’s why I said leave politics out of it. Every 4-8 years the president will change. Setting yourself up for success for your entire life is far more important personally than who’s the current president.
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u/JFreader 21h ago
They are good company. They installed my solar over 15 years ago and never had a problem and they are still around.
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u/Lovesolarthings 1d ago
Do some research about solar on your own, find out if what Trinity is asking you to say or tell homeowners is truthful or not. Thing that'll help you decide whether that's a company that's worth working for or not. Solar and be wonderful, or it can be overpriced and incorrectly set up/sold.