Working with advisor

Red3D

My advisor hasn't returned my email or voicemail for well over a week. What is the typical response time? Is there any other person I can contact?

RatherBeBoarding

I am speaking from my own experience only and others may have different/better/worse experience. Generally the advisors do not return email or voicemail unless it is something so critical that it will impact your install. They also have many teams and a lot of things are out of their control since each team has their own work queue. So in your mind the permitting delay or inaction may be critical to your project but as far as the advisor is concerned, it has landed on the permitting team and it is for them to manage. But in situation where it needs attention right away - like issues with design change, roof preparation or damage - then you would get very fast response. I left email and voicemail for serious issues and I usually get a phone call within hours, if it is truly critical, not just complain or general concern. If you really really want to talk to your advisor, this may make things worse but I stopped leaving voicemail long ago and just call every 30 minutes and usually they will eventually pick up if they are in between calls. But if you turn out to be just a whiner then things may go from bad to worse.

Red3D

I'm trying to get in touch with him to modify the original design to increase the number of pv tiles on the roof. You'd think they would jump at the chance to make more money. Instead, I get a text every day from the Tesla bot reminding me to sign off on the original design.

RatherBeBoarding

If you know exactly what new size you want and do not need consultation or discussion, you can actually call the general solar roof number and they should be able to submit a new design/sizing request for you, but you would not be able to specify where to place new solar tiles, it would be a straight kW increase in system size. I have done that once and I got a revised design the next day, but keep in mind that your advisor may get mad at you and you may not be treated as nice afterwards.

TeslaTap.com

I don't think the advisor will be upset if you call the general number to expand your needs. The engineering is done by a different group, not the advisors. Less work for advisors would be positive for them.

Lakersfreak

Unfortunately, most advisors are unresponsive. Only one out of the five I had actually replied to my calls and emails. The issue is the way their system is set up with advisors, and the fact that you can't directly speak to engineers.

gregbrew_98470014

Yup. If Tesla is like most other tech companies that field customer's calls, they'd rather pay someone $20/Hr (front-line phone support), than an engineer making two or three times that.