amtraksebo1997
Well-known member
Like a lot of us on this site, I love Kirbys. They may not be my all time favorite vacuum brand of all time, but they're up there somewhere. However, it needs to be said that their product line has been more-or-less stagnant since the 1990s. They've seemingly adopted the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, despite the fact that the G Series has its flaws that should be addressed. On top of this, the company's marketing and sales strategies have been less than ideal at best. So, for kicks and giggles, I thought I'd go over some of the things I'd do if I had some kind of power in the Kirby Company. Now, first and foremost, I'm not a business expert in the slightest, nor am I an experienced engineer. I'm just a guy on the internet who has an interest in vacuum cleaners, and has opinions, too. Anyways, here are some of my suggestions.
#1 Abandoning the MLM business model.
This has been Kirby's business model for the longest time, and it's not great. It's very predatory, both for the consumer and the sellers. For the consumers, they'll in a lot of cases have to deal with extremely pushy door-to-door salespeople that won't leave until they make a sale. Oh, and that's on top of Kirbys being typically sold to the elderly and low-income, which I'm sure you can see why that's messed up. I'm not saying all Kirby salespeople are like this, but there have been many accounts of these kinds of them. Speaking of which, for the salesperson's side, they may in a sense "be their own boss", but that also means taking on most of the responsibilities of one. It's seemingly extremely hard to make decent gains as a Kirby salesman from what I've heard, at least in a non forceful/predatory way. Now again, that's not to say that statement is a blanket one, as I think it depends on the local Kirby distributors and their practices. In any case, I think the MLM model should be tossed out by the company, and the machines should be sold in a more modern way, such as online. Thankfully, it seems as though Kirby is going that route, as you can purchase the Avalir Platinum online, and/or schedule a demo on your own time, which I think is a step in the right direction. I'd also open up to them being sold in vacuum stores, just as Riccars, Sebos, and other luxury brands do. With all that out of the way, I'd now like to talk about how I'd revise the G-Series tooling with future Kirby models.
#2 Getting rid of the Tech-Drive system.
This one kind of pains me to want gone, because it's a feature that I really do enjoy on my Ultimate G. However, I feel as though it's better for the average consumer that it be omitted, as it only makes carrying them even more strenuous than on older ones. On top of it, it's simply another thing to break in the machine.
#3 Adding sound-deadening in the motor housing.
I get that Kirbys are trying to be traditional (no pun intended) with all of their quirks that separate them from today's machines. However, I'm not sure what generation (again, no pun intended) would want to listen to a screaming vacuum while they use it in high speed mode, I know I don't. Would a little bit of foam padding around the motor be too much to ask for? You're already charging $1,000+ for your vacuums, and yet I've found Sharks much more pleasant to listen to than them.
#4 introducing new accessories/reintroducing retired accessories
Once again, I get Kirby wants to do things like how they used to, but I think things like the shampooer need to be revised. Most companies have abandoned the dry-foaming technique and moved onto extraction, which I think Kirby needs to as well. In fact, I even designed my own take on an extraction-based Kirby Shampooer. It's just some rough sketches, but they show that one is possible. This extraction system could also double as a floor cleaner/traditional wet-dry vac, which would be a lot more useful and versatile than their current shampooer offering, in a similar vain to a VAX or a Bissell Big Green canister.
Also, I think that Kirby should reintroduce the Heritage 1's Turbo Groom attachment. I could totally see people being interested in such a product today to avoid spending money on regular haircuts. I may be missing something here, but I can't really understand why they even retired it so early. Regardless, it seems like something that people would be interested in buying today.
I also see room for development of brand new accessories by them. For example, what if they sold their own pet-grooming kit, or maybe a new mode that does the job of some other household appliance?
Finally for this section, I think the sander should be retired. It may be useful, but I don't think being intended for use with a household vacuum cleaner is a great idea, due to the risk of damage to the machine in a workshop/DIY environment. I think such a tool is better suited for a Shop-Vac, or something more heavy-duty.
#5 bring back the tool caddy
I simply don't like the look of the Avalir's duffel-bag for the tools. That being said, if the tool caddy were to come back, I'd want it to be slightly larger, as I have trouble storing all of my Ult. G's tools in it. I'm thinking something more akin to the Heritage 2.
#6 improve the power-nozzle design
I've heard testimonials that the square shape of the G-Series nozzles creates turbulence that can cause dirt to not be sucked into the fan. I think this is true, but I've only had stuff like sand get caught in my G7's head, not much besides that. So, I think Kirby should probably go back to more aero-dynamic nozzle desgins. Whether that be with changing the inside of the G series nozzle, or designing a new shape of nozzle together.
#7 Give the machines better graphic designs/color schemes/handles
One thing that I really love about Kirbys is the graphic design for their machines. I love the patterns and colors of the G3-Sentria II, as well as the pre-tech drive machines. While I don't hate the design of the Avalir 1 and 2, they're not great (don't even get me started on the Platnium Edition). I especially don't like their hollowed-out handles, as they just look cheap and lazy (speaking of which, I'd also go back to making the bottom plates metal, but that's besides the point). In short, there should be a better handle on the next machine (preferably with the coin-holder reintegrated), and more vibrant colors, not just 90% black with some other color (especially not grey). Some more funky patterns would also be nice, not just a bunch of K's and junk.
These are all of the ones I can think of at the moment. If you have any suggestions/additions to this, feel free to share!
#1 Abandoning the MLM business model.
This has been Kirby's business model for the longest time, and it's not great. It's very predatory, both for the consumer and the sellers. For the consumers, they'll in a lot of cases have to deal with extremely pushy door-to-door salespeople that won't leave until they make a sale. Oh, and that's on top of Kirbys being typically sold to the elderly and low-income, which I'm sure you can see why that's messed up. I'm not saying all Kirby salespeople are like this, but there have been many accounts of these kinds of them. Speaking of which, for the salesperson's side, they may in a sense "be their own boss", but that also means taking on most of the responsibilities of one. It's seemingly extremely hard to make decent gains as a Kirby salesman from what I've heard, at least in a non forceful/predatory way. Now again, that's not to say that statement is a blanket one, as I think it depends on the local Kirby distributors and their practices. In any case, I think the MLM model should be tossed out by the company, and the machines should be sold in a more modern way, such as online. Thankfully, it seems as though Kirby is going that route, as you can purchase the Avalir Platinum online, and/or schedule a demo on your own time, which I think is a step in the right direction. I'd also open up to them being sold in vacuum stores, just as Riccars, Sebos, and other luxury brands do. With all that out of the way, I'd now like to talk about how I'd revise the G-Series tooling with future Kirby models.
#2 Getting rid of the Tech-Drive system.
This one kind of pains me to want gone, because it's a feature that I really do enjoy on my Ultimate G. However, I feel as though it's better for the average consumer that it be omitted, as it only makes carrying them even more strenuous than on older ones. On top of it, it's simply another thing to break in the machine.
#3 Adding sound-deadening in the motor housing.
I get that Kirbys are trying to be traditional (no pun intended) with all of their quirks that separate them from today's machines. However, I'm not sure what generation (again, no pun intended) would want to listen to a screaming vacuum while they use it in high speed mode, I know I don't. Would a little bit of foam padding around the motor be too much to ask for? You're already charging $1,000+ for your vacuums, and yet I've found Sharks much more pleasant to listen to than them.
#4 introducing new accessories/reintroducing retired accessories
Once again, I get Kirby wants to do things like how they used to, but I think things like the shampooer need to be revised. Most companies have abandoned the dry-foaming technique and moved onto extraction, which I think Kirby needs to as well. In fact, I even designed my own take on an extraction-based Kirby Shampooer. It's just some rough sketches, but they show that one is possible. This extraction system could also double as a floor cleaner/traditional wet-dry vac, which would be a lot more useful and versatile than their current shampooer offering, in a similar vain to a VAX or a Bissell Big Green canister.
Also, I think that Kirby should reintroduce the Heritage 1's Turbo Groom attachment. I could totally see people being interested in such a product today to avoid spending money on regular haircuts. I may be missing something here, but I can't really understand why they even retired it so early. Regardless, it seems like something that people would be interested in buying today.
I also see room for development of brand new accessories by them. For example, what if they sold their own pet-grooming kit, or maybe a new mode that does the job of some other household appliance?
Finally for this section, I think the sander should be retired. It may be useful, but I don't think being intended for use with a household vacuum cleaner is a great idea, due to the risk of damage to the machine in a workshop/DIY environment. I think such a tool is better suited for a Shop-Vac, or something more heavy-duty.
#5 bring back the tool caddy
I simply don't like the look of the Avalir's duffel-bag for the tools. That being said, if the tool caddy were to come back, I'd want it to be slightly larger, as I have trouble storing all of my Ult. G's tools in it. I'm thinking something more akin to the Heritage 2.
#6 improve the power-nozzle design
I've heard testimonials that the square shape of the G-Series nozzles creates turbulence that can cause dirt to not be sucked into the fan. I think this is true, but I've only had stuff like sand get caught in my G7's head, not much besides that. So, I think Kirby should probably go back to more aero-dynamic nozzle desgins. Whether that be with changing the inside of the G series nozzle, or designing a new shape of nozzle together.
#7 Give the machines better graphic designs/color schemes/handles
One thing that I really love about Kirbys is the graphic design for their machines. I love the patterns and colors of the G3-Sentria II, as well as the pre-tech drive machines. While I don't hate the design of the Avalir 1 and 2, they're not great (don't even get me started on the Platnium Edition). I especially don't like their hollowed-out handles, as they just look cheap and lazy (speaking of which, I'd also go back to making the bottom plates metal, but that's besides the point). In short, there should be a better handle on the next machine (preferably with the coin-holder reintegrated), and more vibrant colors, not just 90% black with some other color (especially not grey). Some more funky patterns would also be nice, not just a bunch of K's and junk.
These are all of the ones I can think of at the moment. If you have any suggestions/additions to this, feel free to share!
