Anybody ever ...

[jfalberti]

Hello everybody,

Has anyone here ever sold or repaired vacuums for a living? I bet you've got some good stories to share. Let's hear them.

 

[normvac]

Yes, I had my own shop in the 80's

One time a older man, came in with 500 series Kirby, wanted
me to "go over it and get it working better" So I did a
real tune up and cleaning. Replaced the years old belt that was
as thin as a wide, black rubber band. Greased the bearing
replaced the light bulb. Empted and cleaned (not polished)
it up. He can in to pick it up. thew a hissy fit, and could
NOT understand why I would charge him 18.95 for labor and 3.95
for parts. He made me take the light bulb out. Said he'd never be back again. I did what he asked and it "cost way too
much". OH well ! I used to really like when I would get usually Hoover uprights that took style "C" paper bags. They would say this doesn't pick up anything ! First of all the belt
would be all chipped and chunks out it. They had put a regular grocery (brown paper bag), or a plastic grocery bag. Which of course would have no air flow. I even got one with an old white pillow case in the zipper bag. Which I did give
them 2 points for. As it would have been Skinners idea of a
"dust collector". I could go on about all the wrong sizes and brands of belts and bags used.
Norm

 

[arh1953]

Gee Norm

Your customer was dumb@$$ of the year! Hope he took it to Kirby next time! I'll bet whatever that creep did for a living, he wouldn't appreciate being made to feel like a crook if he expected payment for his services.

 

[jfalberti]

When I worked for Kirby ...

I had a lady bring in her D80 for repair. She was the original owner, and had the paperwork to prove it. After looking the machine over it was obvious that it would cost way more for me to repair it than it would cost to send the machine back to the factory for rebuild. She agreed, and I helped her fill out the form, boxed it up and shipped it out for her. Since it was going to take two weeks to get it back, I gave her a loaner to use. When the machine came back, she brought the unopened box back in and I opened it and assembled the machine for her. They did a wonderful job with the rebuild. It was beautiful. She took one look at it and was infuriated. She swore up and down that it was not the same machine we sent in, and that we were crooks. I didn't charge her for the repair estimate or boxing it or reassembling it when it arrived. All she paid for was the cost of the rebuild, and shipping. I was dumbfounded. No matter what I did, I couldn't make her happy. What do you do in a situation like that?

 

[briankirbyclass]

I was a Kirby salesman from early 1980s-early 90s,,when i started selling, it was at the end of the Traditions, and just starting to sell the Heritage models. One nutty woman i sold a Heritage to called several weeks after the sale saying there was this horrible stench comming from the vacuum whenever she turned it on, and she couldnt figure out why. She said the machine also wouldnt pick up anything. I handt demo'd the machine to her,,she ordered it, and i had just deliverd it and put it together for her.
So, i went back over to her house the next day to find out what the problem was.
I took the head and bag off the Kirby, and it was CAKED with DOG FECES,Dog DIARRHEA, Dog VOMIT,,and the entire inside of the machine, and bag was wet (and rusting) from pet urine. The entire inner bag hose was completly packed FULL. As was the bag. You can imagine what the brush roll,inside the rug nozzle, and fan looked like.
I showed her what the problem was,(trying not to vomit myself) and she went on and on that "Her Baby" has NEVER made a mess on the carpet or in the house, and that the machine must have been SOLD to her that way.( Of course it wasnt sold to her that way, i unpacked the machine and put it together myself,,it was brand spanking new in box.)
From the smell of her house,,it was obvious that "Her Baby" had been using the place for a bathroom for quite some time.
She insisted on either a new machine, or her money back. We gave her neither,,and she theatened to sue,,but never did. Never heard from her again. Dealing with the public is such a pleasure sometimes!! haha

 

[bagintheback]

Well not for a living, but I'm currently have a vacuum store on eBay co-owned by my grandpa. Made over $100 to date.