Working in a vacuum sales and service store.

[kirbyklekter]

Both of the shops I've been going to,

for 20+ yrs. have a great repair shop within. They sell both new and used. For me, I just like going in and chewing the fat with the repair guys or the owner, if I sense their not too busy. Always learn something from them. I like that they have a lot of parts on hand. They have lots of bins with trim pieces for Kirby's etc. I'm like a kid in a candy store when they let me go back and peruse their supplies. I always buy something while there, even if only a couple belts. Even if I can save a couple dollars buying something on line, I still go down to their shop and get it there. I'm spoiled from the past. I'm in the middle of something and need a part, I want it now if possible and the internet can't do it as fast as the 30 min. it takes me round trip to the store.So I think a good repair section in your store is still a good feature to have. In retail we were taught to treat everyone the same. The customer spending only 50 dollars today may be in next week spending 500.

 

[huskyvacs]

I live in a city of 100,000 and mom and pop vacuum shops are still going strong here (even have a lamp repair shop that's doing well too). Some owners have generations invested in their stores. They are all about 30-40 years outdated in style and cluttered with vacuums parked everywhere, and that's how you know they're good. The one I used to take my Kirby to always asked the customer if they wanted to repair with used parts or brand new, and gave the cost difference to each while still offering warranty on their service. And the shop I went to as a kid you could go in there and either buy a brand new Miele or Sebo or buy a 50 year old refurbished Electrolux, or some Hoover from the 90s. They had something in there for everyone, no matter who that happened to be, it was also kind of a little bit like a museum too.

I think the key is you have to have someone that's a good talker and suave man to run the sales and handle the front desk, and then have someone that is a mechanical wizard running the back-end, and it will be easy as pie. And yes like anything, customers can be jerks, just know how to downplay and control them while maintaining courtesy and a lot of times they will see they cannot beat you and just leave.

 

[scvacuumguy]

If you do it right, it can be a highly sustainable business. The outdated store model from years ago isn’t sustainable or what people are looking for today. Junking up a store with used vacuums is the biggest mistake I see. In terms of repairs, both of my locations repair lamps, sewing machines, model trains, lithium batteries, small appliances, and vacuums. We carry a number of new lines and have them tastefully displayed in a beautiful setting. When you enter the stores, customers do not get a feel of “dirty old repair shop.”

We carry a great selection of cleaning related products, bags are hidden in the back because displaying a bunch of vacuum bags in the front takes up valuable real estate and clutters the store. We carry commercial scrubbers and extractors along with central vacuum cleaners. In order to open a store today, you would be ridiculous to rely on sales of used and refurbished machines. If parts are NLA or the machine is 10+ years old, it’s likely that the landscape in the house has changed and we always give an estimate and then show a machine. Our primary line is Sebo (they have been kindest to the dealer in regards to price protected machines).

Opening a store that will be successful today is far different from expecting to make any money by owning a tool set and knowing how to “fix things” like it was in the 70’s and 80’s. I won’t get into specifics of advertising successfully and how to get your name and message out there- that has changed entirely from the 80’s and 90’s.

I’ve managed to have two very successful stores (most recent 3000sqft store opened last year). We have 9 employees, 4 of them full time who do this for a living in order to feed their families. Our full timers make anywhere from $42k-$54k per year plus bonuses based on store performance, so it is a highly viable retail job. It’s far more work than it used to be, now, you must remain relevant in addition to moving products.

 

[scvacuumguy]

By the way...

Good help is always hard to find. We are continuously growing and expanding. If any of you vacuum fanatics are looking to move to beautiful SC, GA, or NC, we may have a location in the future for you to manage . Drop me a line if you’re ever interested in being a managing partner.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I must say.............

"Beautiful space". Best of luck.

 

[luxflairguy]

Come to Wilmington! Both vac stores in town are sad sacks and so is the rude Aerus dude! We need you! Vacs fly out of the big box stores because there's NO ONE here to sell or service anything!

 

[lelvacman91]

Re: Working in a vacuum sales and service store.

Thanks everyone for your input. I have applied to a vacuum store and am interested to see what happens. It seems like a great place to work from what I have gathered and they carry some pretty decent brands (Miele, Riccar/Simplicity, Sebo, Dyson, Royal, Bissell Commercial, and Oreck plus a few more). They carry central vacuums as well . We bought our Sebo Airbelt D4 from them and they were really personable and informative. I would definitely enjoy working in a place like that . We'll see what happens...

 

[madman]

Man, that ain't no vacuum shop, it's a vacuum boutique!

For serious though, that seems like a great business model and I'm glad it's worked out. But in my humble opinion, I still think selling used machines could work, though perhaps not as the main revenue source. It also really depends on the area, clientele, and the types of used machines you're selling. Used high-end machines, tastefully displayed, could work just fine. Yeah, having a bunch of crap ass Dirt Devils and Sharks lined up with discount stickers on them would look pretty crappy, for sure.

 

[de409]

My local shop just closed. Sold out and retired. I miss them already. I spent @ $200/yr there in bags, filters, and then the vac sales. I've owned 3 from them, my parents got one, I bought my sister one, old boss bought a commercial version for work there. I was their best salesman LOL.

 

[lelvacman91]

Re: Working in a vacuum sales and service store.

So... I never heard back from the vacuum store I applied to. I'm a little disappointed but in reality, I'm not sure the commute would have been worth it. Considering the fact that we don't have a decent vacuum sales and service store within 40 miles, I am thinking it's time to simply open my own. My wife and I have discussed it and she is fully on board. I'm a little unsure where to start though as this is a big undertaking. I am at the beginning of writing my business plan and organizing all of my wants and needs for a store but want to make sure all my bases are covered. Any suggestions current/former owners? Where do I begin? Even being this far into it, I feel like I'm finally free and can do what I am meant to do! So excited!!

 

[dysonman1]

I opened my own vacuum shop 9 weeks ago. I was so worried at first, "will we make enough money to survive"? I was coming from a job with a weekly paycheck - so the uncertainty was almost overwhelming.

I have far more business now than I ever expected. Joining the chamber of commerce was one of the best moves I made. I've been selling the hell out of commercial vacuums to other business owners that I've met at chamber meetings. They don't buy wally mart vacuums for their businesses. So commercial vacuum sales have been through the roof. The Perfect 8 pound upright is my "go to" along with Perfect "sanitaire" models for commercial sales.

Nationwide Sale and Service out of New York has been a GREAT supplier. The Perfect line of commercial vacuums are outstanding quality. I love their HEPA vacuum bags - why would anyone buy genuine bags? Their HEPA cloth bags for the Tri-Star/Compact are such a huge improvement over the genuine paper style (just one example).

Steel City is also a fantastic supplier. I placed my initial order with them for over $4000 worth of inventory - and I've reordered inventory (not on that scale) once a week at least. Great people to talk to.

ESSCO is most vac shop's "go to" supplier. They are good, and have a fantastic website. Plus they carry Dyson parts, Kenmore parts, and carry new Oreck and Hoover machines as well as the usual assortment.

I would not recommend Tacony as a supplier. I can tell horror stories all day long.

I sell new Aerus Electrolux cleaners and love selling them. I feel like an old fashioned Electrolux salesman, without having to go door to door. When a local baptist church wanted a new canister, but with a very long hose so the machine could sit in the aisle while the power nozzle went down the pew, Aerus came through for me with a 12 foot hose and we made the sale.

If you love vacuum cleaners, are honest, and talk like a professional as well as a true expert, people just throw money at you. I never expected after just two months in business, to be able to repay my savings account for our start up costs. I thought that was at least a year away. The way its going, my entire start up cost will have been repayed to my savings account by the end of this month.

Good luck. Charge what you would pay if you had to take the money out of your wallet (an honest price), and sell what you like to fix. You'll be successful in no time.

 

[lelvacman91]

Thank you dysonman1! I appreciate it. Glad you're off to such a great start with your business. I will look into the suppliers you mentioned. As for Tacony, did you mean just for parts or to avoid selling their vacuum brands as well? I have limited experience with their brands and have only used one once (a Riccar Supralite). I have heard both good and bad; most of the positive regarding the machines themselves and the negative being more in reference to the company. I simply don't know though so any insight from you or any others that currently deals or has dealt with them may be helpful. I do have a list of brands I definitely want to sell.

 

[dysonman1]

Tacony makes some good models like the Vibrance and Symmetry. The Ultra Lites are good, but, the Perfect Ultra Lites are I n my opinion a more sturdy built machine. And they cost less. The tandem air models are a complete bitch to have to fix. There are 1 million screws. You have to put it back together again completely in order to test it, and if the part you thought was bad was not the part that’s actually bad, you have to take the entire thing back completely apart. Circuit board failure is rampant. I do not, and would not, sell the tandem air. I have repaired so many of them, and I have cussed them every single time. The new leadership at the company is terrible. They have also raised their prices considerably. There are better suppliers with competitive products at better prices. After years of working on those horrible tandem machines, I have decided to only sell vacuum cleaners that I enjoy repairing.

 

[tolivac]

One of the vac shop owners out here complained about the tandem air vacuums-they are interesting-but indeed hard to service-and INEFFICENT!!!12A Vs 6A for a Kirby,Sanitaire,many Royals,and so on.Those can do a BETTER job with HALF the power draw!