Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

First upright from Miele

29 February 2008 This summer, Miele will launch its first range of upright vacuum cleaners – the S7.  It will consist of about six models, all of which feature ultra large dust bags and  “a unique swivel body, which makes it easy to manoeuvre in even the trickiest  of room layouts”. According to the company,  the decision was made following  numerous requests from customers that wanted to buy Miele  but would only use  an upright model. Text: courtesy ERTweekly.com Picture: courtesy Miele.co.uk, 2009 Edited 21st March 2009; reason: loss of original image.

Carmine,

You were in business some years ago. ( Not cracking on your age, my friend,just the facts) Miele did intentionally sell these uprights to the public. That is what made the hesitaion to do the exchange so puzzling.

YOU never sold test models, and as you correctly stated, it was your perogative to abstain from selling them. In this case, Miele ventured into totally new territory, uprights of their own design and manufacture. They opted to sell test models, or prototypes. And, the desired result was achieved. Needed changes were made as a direct result of the program. The only misstep was miscommunication from Miele to their dealers about exchanging them when after the official launch. It's over. Let's hope such a sequence of events does not have to unfold again. My faith in Immer Besser is at least tentatively restored. Let's see what happens as sales of S7's take off.

Trebor

Trebor wrote:

I don't hold your young age against you....and my faith in MIELE and the local MIELE dealer never ever faulted.  Ironically, as I said several times, I never was a new MIELE sales dealer.  Almost 110 years of a family owned, financed, and operated business [4th generation] with vacuum production since 1927 speaks volumes.   IMMER BESSER.

Carmine D.

Trebor wrote:

NO.  Not my prerogative.  It's bad business to sell 'test' models.  Why?  They are for 'testing'.  Display. Demo. Advertise.  Not sale.

Carmine D.

I may be under the wrong impression but I assume the user received a $100 discount from the future purchase price, to buy a 1st edition and then reporting on it. Rather than buying a test model.

Lucky1 wrote:

Hello Lucky1:

Ironically, I was hoping you would have chimed in on this thread long before now, but alas you didn't.  If I recall correctly [and sometimes I don't] you may have been the poster here who said this local MIELE dealer was a "diamond" dealer in order to get these 6 first of the test models so early on.

Earlier up, I posted a chronology of the events on this thread by this buyer from May 2008 with the purchase of a 'test' model S7 from the local MIELE dealer to now with the replacement by MIELE of the 'test' model with a production Salsa [MSRP $750].  Please read for the answer.  You'll also note some other threads on here related to the same issue if you want to read.  if you have any questions/comments after reading, please post here. 

Carmine D. 

catlady wrote:

This clearly explains, at least to me, the reason the local MIELE dealer offered to repair the 'test' model's danmaged housing by heating and remolding.  And also the reason that MIELE corporate didn't judge this as an unacceptable repair. 

Carmine D.

Today I stopped to visit my friend at his vac shop and asked him to tell me the entire saga of the S7 launch. WAY back before the launch even in Great Britain, in late 2007 there were S7 s LOANED out as test models. These were not for sale, and were to be returned after the test period was over. There were exactly 100 "pre-launch" S7 units sent to Diamond Dealers in the US for sale to customers. I verified this with my friend who has a close relationship with his Miele rep. These 100 units were intended by Miele to be sold, in order to receive documented feedback from the purchasers of the units. I questioned my friend again and he said, yes, absolutely positively these 100 pre-launch units were for sale. He did not receive any, and now says he is glad he did not. When a customer stopped in to look at a vacuum, he demoe'd the Salsa. In response the question, how long is the warranty, he said 2 yrs over all, 7 on the motor.

Trebor

Trebor wrote:

Let be perfectly clear for you, my friend.  My vacuum business.  My vacuum store.  My business rules.  I don't care what any vacuum brand maker says about selling its 'test' models.  It's bad business.  I never did it for all the reasons already discussed.  Note the operative words of your friend in the business:  He never received any 'test' model MIELE S7 uprights and says he is glad he didn't.   Even MIELE officials at the corporate headquarters were surprised that this 'test' model S7 was sold to the customer according to the customer's own account here.  Obviously, chaos and confusion abounds on which MIELE 'test' models to sell and which not to sell. 

Just another reiteration for the MIELE customer's benefit IF SHE INTENDS TO KEEP THE MIELE Salsa now.  The MIELE Salsa comes with a MIELE warranty at the time of purchase.  But, the original sale/purchase of the 'test' model S7 to the customer was in May 2008 and that started the customer's warranty clock on the MIELE.  The warranty on the customer's MIELE is already 10 months along.  The replacement MIELE Salsa does not NECESSARILY restart the warranty clock back to zero just because it's new.  I suggest the customer dicuss the actual warranty remaining on the Salsa and confirm it for a fact with the local MIELE dealer.  So, in the future, if there is a problem with the MIELE Salsa, all parties know and agree on the warranty terms.

Carmine D. 

Trebor: YOU never sold test models, and as you correctly stated, it was your perogative to abstain from selling them.

Carmine: NO.  Not my prerogative.  It's bad business to sell 'test' models.  Why?  They are for 'testing'.  Display. Demo. Advertise.  Not sale

Trebor: I questioned my friend again and he said, yes, absolutely positively these 100 pre-launch units were for sale.

Carmine:Let be perfectly clear for you, my friend.  My vacuum business.  My vacuum store.  My business rules.  I don't care what any vacuum brand maker says about selling its 'test' models.  It's bad business.  I never did it for all the reasons already discussed.  Note the operative words of your friend in the business:  He never received any 'test' model MIELE S7 uprights and says he is glad he didn't.   Even MIELE officials at the corporate headquarters were surprised that this 'test' model S7 was sold to the customer according to the customer's own account here.  Obviously, chaos and confusion abounds (from Miele on down, apparently), [my comment. Trebor] on which MIELE 'test' models to sell and which not to sell. 

Just another reiteration for the MIELE customer's benefit IF SHE INTENDS TO KEEP THE MIELE Salsa now.  The MIELE Salsa comes with a MIELE warranty at the time of purchase.  But, the original sale/purchase of the 'test' model S7 to the customer was in May 2008 and that started the customer's warranty clock on the MIELE.  The warranty on the customer's MIELE is already 10 months along.  The replacement MIELE Salsa does not NECESSARILY restart the warranty clock back to zero just because it's new.  I suggest the customer dicuss the actual warranty remaining on the Salsa and confirm it for a fact with the local MIELE dealer. (perhaps have her copy of the warranty initialed by the store/rep?) [my comment. Trebor] So, in the future, if there is a problem with the MIELE Salsa, all parties know and agree on the warranty terms. (perfectly logical, no argument there at all) [my comment. Trebor]

Carmine, my friend, it sounds like we are singing in different keys. I never for a moment questioned your right to conduct business as you saw fit. Nor was I questioning your opinion about selling test models. (Actually, I agree) It sounded like you were disagreeing that Miele DID in fact offer test, (beta, prototype, whatever) models for sale. It was obviously successful in one respect: it prompted design changes. In every other respect it was a disaster. Miele was obviously not prepared for anything to go wrong with the test models during the warranty period, since they did not train their dealers how to fix them.

No one has mentioned any previous sale of test models by Miele prior to the S7 pre-launch. In all probability such never occurred. Since the inception of the plastic box canisters any changes to Miele canisters have been mere refinements. (some of them substantial, to be sure) The S7 was a totally new product from the ground up. No matter how well designed and tested a totally new product is, whether or not it is called a test model, it is, and the engineering, management, and customer service teams need to have their "fingers on the 'jeopardy' button", as it were, to respond swiftly and decisively to any issues no matter how slight. It is incumbent on the creators of a philosophy like "Immer Bessser" to jealously and zealously guard it. If there is no resolution yet for the customers issue, but they have been promised a phone call, they are entitled to that phone call, even if the customer is likely going to be hostile. The company who has their money owes them that call on the day the call was promised. THAT'S how you build credibility with a customer, and win their patience to have a little more time. That's how you keep faith in 'Immer Besser.' YOU NEVER, EVER say, "so-and-so will call and let you know what he can do, if anything" or worse, "at least he can console you". How utterly patronizing and infuriating! That kind of comment is blasphemy in customer care.  If there is no resolution yet, you say something like, "I do apologize, but your situation (never problem, because the customer is never the problem, and even if they are, you do not say anything of the kind,)  will take a bit more research to make sure we handle this properly. And if they become hostile, you let them vent, and say, "I understand, but this resolution will be coming from above my pay grade ma'am. Certainly, yes, I can let you speak with xyz now, but he/she is unable to finalize anything at this moment. We are working on it and I will speak to him/her right away."

And then, you get off the phone, and your duff, with your page of notes, go to the supervisor and say, "The next time she calls, if we don't have this fixed, she is going to insist on speaking to you, or your boss, or his/her boss, and I will tranfer the call.  This needs to be escalated and resolved NOW. Here are all the notes, and a record of all the calls. It's why your paygrade is higher than mine. Handle it." I always had extra copies ready to fax to whomever, so it could never be shoved back to me when there was nothing I could do, and I had already done all that I could. A company that values its reputation has to be more diligent and speedier that all the competition (which usually is not hard) to be above reproach. But it is every moment, every customer, every day. It matters, because no one gives a rat"s behind about the next guy or gal's wallet. Like the Janet Jackson song, "What have you Done for Me Lately?" It's all that matters. There is no entitlement to special consideration or slack from the customer. It's what you earn with them by following through, no matter how difficult it may be. And most customers, once you prove you are serious about helping them, are more than willing to be fair and reasonable. There are the rare exceptions, but fortunately they are rare.

A few have responded to me privately to say I spoke out of turn. If the entire situation had been handled swiftly and pro-actively (starting with preparation and communication from Miele to their reps and dealers) there would have been nothing to speak about, would there? One of the functions of public forums like this is precisely the way Melanie used it. Not happily, mind you, but nonetheless it may or may not have played a part in the speedy exchange of her S7. Using  a 'bojack' part for any in-warranty repair is never acceptable, and neither is any unorthodox repair. on an in warranty product. Every vac shop I know of has loaner vacs to offer if the repair will take over 24 hrs. The Kirby, Lux, and Rainbow offices all had their brand loaners at the ready. A Panasonic or Cirrus upright loaner, along with phone calls made when promised, every time they were promised, would have gone a long, long way to satisfying Catlady. Ultimately, Miele stepped up to the plate. And even if the exchange could not have happened any sooner, it could have gone a lot smoother, easier, and with less aggravation. I give anybody, individual or corporation, as much respect and consideration as they earn. THAT'S the way it is in a free market economy.

And, it is perfectly acceptable to refund a customer's money carte blanche and say, "I'm sorry, but we are obviously unable to satisfy your needs. We wish you better luck elsewhere."  I did that with several Electrolux customers, informing them, and the factory that they had no remaining warranty since they had surrendered the product, (not knowing they were going to do that when I picked it up they got a check and a letter via certified mail.)  The same was done to a customer who returned THREE refrigerators, for no reason other than she decided she didn't like any of them. She will never spend any money in any HHGREGG store ever again. Don't want her money, don't need it. And several Centennial Wireless customers had their service unilaterally cancelled w/o penalty and were sent out the door because they just could not be satisfied no matter what was done in their behalf.  "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone" does not apply only to food and beverage establishments. So it does work both ways.

This was easier than replying individually. I'm glad to be here. And Carmine, you are still my 'bestus vac buddy'. You are the reason I looked up the forum.

Trebor

You can't make someone else's business choices.  You shouldn't let someone else make yours.

Carmine D.