human
Well-known member
I love Kirby vacuum cleaners and own seven of them, along with a good assortment of tools and accessories but there is no way in hell I would let a Kirby strong-arm salesman through my door—no way, no how, not happening. COVID-19 notwithstanding, the two albatrosses around Kirby's neck these days are the aforementioned sales scum and an abundance of good, used machines that are readily available for maybe a tenth the cost of a new one.
Even if Kirby takes a hands-off approach to its independent sales force in the field, plausible deniability can only go so far. They are the face of the company, as far as the consumer is concerned and thus they put a huge stain on the company's public image. Kirby would do well to put an end to door-to-door sales as the artifact of a bygone era that it is and set about reinventing its sales formula. I have no problem with the idea of independent franchisees but the company the represent should hold them to a higher ethical standard.
As far as redesigning its core product, that would need to be approached with extreme caution to keep from sacrificing the things that make a Kirby uniquely a Kirby. Just how much plastic would a Kirby buyer tolerate?
Even if Kirby takes a hands-off approach to its independent sales force in the field, plausible deniability can only go so far. They are the face of the company, as far as the consumer is concerned and thus they put a huge stain on the company's public image. Kirby would do well to put an end to door-to-door sales as the artifact of a bygone era that it is and set about reinventing its sales formula. I have no problem with the idea of independent franchisees but the company the represent should hold them to a higher ethical standard.
As far as redesigning its core product, that would need to be approached with extreme caution to keep from sacrificing the things that make a Kirby uniquely a Kirby. Just how much plastic would a Kirby buyer tolerate?