Kirby door to door visit here

[dartman]

Well accidentally let a Kirby salesman in last week after he promised to be quick. He was a BIG polite guy who told us to go ahead and eat the dinner we were just getting to when he knocked. I ate and watched him pull out and setup a probably brand new Avilar machine. He broke out the main attachments and put it together, got out the famous white foam dirt catcher pads and special pad holder and did all the things, demoed the carpet cleaner spray, tried out my Starks/Royal 4650, did 105 passes with it, then hit it with the Kirby and of course still pulled up dirt in the special pad. Did another area and then let both of us try it, pushed very nice, groomed well, then got down to convincing us we could afford a 3k machine. That it was a lifetime investment that would also protect our investment in our new to us house. He even explained it was a unsecured high interest loan from Kirby to us and uf we defaulted on the loan they probably wouldn't pursue it and we'd get to keep the vacuum.
He said if I made you a unbelievable deal could you refuse it, I said yes maybe I could after he figured out I thought maybe 30 bucks a month could work but we were pretty much tapped out right now and I had to beg for gas money.
He did the bit about winning a Disney trip, how we could trade in all our old vacuums etc and fugured it up including that he had earned one free unit he could sell for anything he wanted. Ended up being 33@month at 24 months for around 1000.
I said it's a awesome machine and we'd love to have it but, no, mortgage and food had to come first but thanks. So we just talked while he boxed it back up about life and our houses and things and he was pleasant. He did ask just for his info what I honestly thought it was worth and I said 5 or 6 hundred and got his number in case I tripped over a pile of money and changed my mind.
The number came in handy as he accidentally dropped his car keys on the carpet packing up and we called him next day and they seemed pretty happy.
Must be hard to sell a 3000 dollar machine in a predominantly poor neighborhood but he had the default speech ready for that one.
It is still made in the USA at least and quality seemed excellent but any vacuum is going to pull dirt up after any other with that white pad demo they use.
Last Kirby guy 20 years ago ended up selling me a nice almost new Royal 413 two weeks after he showed up, he was smart and we both were happy.
Just for giggles I looked on Craigslist and could buy several Avilars for 500 or a bit less in brand new condition with everything.
Was a interesting and educational night anyways and has to be a hard way to make a living these days.

 

[dysonman1]

I got a brand new set of Kirby branded "Ginsu" steak knives very recently from a Kirby door to door salesman. He stayed about fifteen minutes, long enough to set his machine up and ask me to vacuum over a spot. I pulled out the Hide-a-Hose and power nozzle, and proceeded to clean my rug. Then came the 'old trick' - look what the new Kirby gets up.

I made a statement right then and there that I would NEVER use a vacuum with disposable bags, my Vacuflo central vacuum uses cyclonics, never loses suction, and has twice the power of a Kirby (if not more). The salesman stated that bags were best, so I asked how much they cost. Apparently, $5 per bag doesn't seem like much to the salesman. I let my two border collies into the house (one is over 100 pounds), and told him I'd use a bag a week. That's $20 a month, $240 per year to THROW DOG HAIR AWAY.

After he realized I was NOT going to buy very expensive bags, he packed up. On his way out, I walked him to his car and showed him the huge dirt container on my Vacuflo twin-motor commercial. I had emptied it a week before, so I though I'd show him how much dog hair I got in one week's time. It was enough to have filled the Kirbeast bag more than to the line. I told him when the Kirby came out with a bagless machine, that had no loss of suction, and no on-going costs for bags and belts - come back and see me.

While I do have 19 vacuums in the house, I never showed him any of them other than the Hide-a-Hose and Volt power nozzle (which he agreed was an awesome idea). He even recorded the hose going back into the wall with his cell phone camera.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Tom

Here's my question.


Ethically, other than pure evil intentions, why did you even let the man in? 


 


Since you work for a company that manufacturers a competing brand(s), and you curate a vacuum gallery; what ethical grounds did you have to take advantage of the man trying to make a living, then taking his knives that cost him out of pocket for your entertainment? 


 


You have mentioned other stories, all of them Kirby dealers, where you plugged their machine into a 220V damaging the Kirby that is checked out to them and they are responsible for.


 


Just wondering how you ethically justify this?

[this post was last edited: 10/21/2016-11:29]

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Over the years, I knew 2 Rainbow salespeople.

One was a good friend of mine. I went to school w/ his sister. He was BRAND new and wanted/needed to practice his sales pitch. He asked if he could do a 'demo'. I told him sure, as long as you KNOW I'm not ever going to buy....(House of HOOVER) after all.
So, he went about his business. He tried to sell, but it didn't happen. I told him BEFOREHAND. AND. i TOLD HIM HE WAS not GOING TO TOUCH A hoover, RIP A BAG, ETC...OR try TO SHOW ME HOW 'INFERIOR' MY CURRENT vacuum was.An Electrolux salesman,friend of my dad's tried to do the same. He didn't last very long...in fact, he was out of the house in record time.
John

 

[sptyks]

re: Reply #2

Thank You Harley for making some excellent points. I agree with you 100%.


 


Deliberately plugging a Kirby into 220 Volts to fry the motor is a despicable act. How does Tom sleep at night.


 


 

 

[wyaple]

I wonder how a 120V plug fits into a 220V socket?

Since the plugs and sockets are vastly different, was an adapter used?

Bill

 

[sptyks]

Adapters are readily available, but I'll bet he has one of those step-up/step-down transformers that convert 120 VAC to 240 VAC and vise versa. I've seen these transformers for sale on many vacuum supply web sites.


 


 

 

[kirbysthebest]

Thread reference Voltage adapters


 


 


"A former club member has the opposite situation. He installed a 220 volt outlet in his living room in order to use his British Dysons. A funny thing happened when a Kirby salesman showed up at his door. He allowed the guy in, and he promptly plugged his Kirby into the 220 volt outlet. The Tech Drive made it fly back and forth violently, and smoke poured out of the motor. The Kirby man left not knowing what had happened, and my friend is still laughing about it.  "

<a name="endCOMX_956.8"></a>


 



http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?956

 

[dartman]

Well at least his machine was nicer and worked well but might as well buy a slightly used one and let someone else take the beating on a new one. I have at least 5 vacuums here and that guy was driving a van and had at least one guy with him. He said they drove all over the western states selling. Probably be able to buy one at a shop for the same or a better price new too. I usually tell them I wont buy but they always try, guess its a challenge to them.
Last time I was down with a busted arm and on workman's comp and told him up front we were busted and couldn't afford one but he did his whole pitch anyway.
Usually I just tell em thanks but no thanks. I guess the whole thing about Kirby not going after folks that default on the loan was his way of convincing poor folks to buy it as they make a payment or two then stop paying and get a free vacuum, he still gets his commission so he's happy.
I remember mom buying one many years ago after doing the whole thing. I have no clue if we ever paid it off, my dad was a bit of a flake.

 

[dysonman1]

Harley:

To answer your questions, the salesman offered the knives at the door when I opened it. While I do not have to disclose where I work, I DID tell him I had no interest in buying anything. But, if you're giving me the knives for free, well, I'll take them. I demonstrate vacuums all the time to people who have no intention of buying one. Happens everyday at work. Spent 20 minutes showing a TandemAir vacuum yesterday - they didn't buy and told me they weren't in the market. I still demoed the machine. I don't take it personally. I have not had the opportunity to try an Avalir on my rugs, until the demo. Didn't feel any different than any other G series Kirby - to me.

And by the way, I (as in 'me') never plugged anyone's Kirby into a 240 volt outlet.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Ethics or lack of beside

Did you not commit an error of omission for allowing him to do so (plugging into the wrong outlet)? I remember you bragging about the incident on the old Abby's Guide, What's the best vacuum. You and Carmine had some heated exchanges there.

 

[turbo500]

As great as Kirby's are, I don't like the sales tactics. I wish they'd adopt the same approach as Vorwerk, who do in-home demo's and parties with no pressure to buy. As much as Kirby claim there is no obligation to try, the salesman will try every tactic in the book to sell the thing.

Price is another issues. They need to be more black and white with the price. Set a standard, rather than allowing the salesman to whack whatever he wants on top of the manufacturer price. But I guess that's the problem with their set up. Vorwerk demonstraters are all paid an hourly wage plus sales commissionn and are directly employed by Vorwerk.

If Kirby salesman were to come and say "this is the machine, this is what it does, ths is why it's good, this is how much it costs and this is the priceplan you can have it on" with no tricks or tactics, I think they'd have a better sales reputation.

 

[jeschbac]

MSRP

As much of a Kirby fan as I am, I deplore their sales tactics. MSRP posted on the Avalir box is no where close to $3000. MSRP is already expensive enough. Kirby headquarters ought to be patrolling these abuses vigorously. Some distributors paste over the MSRP label with their own prices. A dealer around here told me this was strictly prohibited by headquarters, but they must be very lax in enforcement. A great pity because a tactic like this tarnishes the company reputation.