Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Thought the Dyson discussion board would be interested in reading a small article about the Tacony Museum. Also Carmine's old friend.....

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/hit-the-road-jack/hit-the-road-jack/2009/08/new-museum-opens-at-st-james-on-historic-route-66/

dusty wrote:

I recently visited an independent lawnmower shop.  It was a slow day and the owner spent a bit of time shooting the breeze with me.

He sells the same brand as Home Depot.  He sells the more expensive line and HD carries what is considered the low end.  I have used both and prefer the low end series as it performed better on my lawn.  The owner said that he likes to see the HD mowers come in for warranty work (or non warranty).  The manufacturer pays him $75 per hour labor and parts.  If out of warranty the customer will sometimes (not all) trade rather than pay the cost of repairs.  He then sells the used on at a profit because he got it cheeeeap.

He had a big smile as he told all this to me.  Like you, he is content with the big box business.

HARDSELL wrote:

Hello HS:

Thanks for proving my point, tho you don't realize it because it's for lawnmowers.  Read on.

What should an indy vacuum store do when a customer comes in with a warranty product bought at a big box store, that has a sock stuck in the hose, has no suction in the tool mode, and was told by the big box store that indy has to fix it free?  Fix it free? 

Even better, the vacuum buyer who bought a defective DC25 ball dyson, that failed after the free return period, and is told by the big box store that the local indy will fix it free under dyson warranty and the indy is not even an authorized dyson dealer? 

Retailers' staffs are ill-informed, ill advised and don't know what they are talking about.  They misinform their customers with false precepts and the indy's have to educate them after the big box retailers made the sales.  Often times having to argue with the big box customers with warranty matters because they got bad information.

Carmine D.

I have a big smile on my face too HS when I retell these stories too.  I'm laughing in the inside at the knuckleheads that manufacturers select to sell their products.  And the things these knuckleheads tell their customers and the buyers actually believe.  Cracks me up.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

I can't decide whidh is worse, your ego or your stupidity.  I proved Dusty's point, not yours.

Not hard for me to figure out for you HS!  I have your sign waiting. 

The two points [Dusty and mine] are mutually inclusive, not exclusive.  The indy's are the back bone of the industry, not the big box retailers that you frequent and buy from.

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine,

How big is this backbone?  How many independents are in the U.S.?

DIB

CarmineD wrote:

You should buy from the indies if you are going to preach the sermon.

According to the VDTA there are over 18000 vacuum and sewing centers in North America.

Dusty

DysonInventsBig wrote:
Like a clock with a pendulum it tends to swing one way then the other. I will grant you that, as I keep saying, people have been conditioned to equate "value" by price alone. This is especially true of the younger populace who have become accustomed to a disposable product mentality and who trust the Internet for information. A source that holds no one to task for faulty misleading information and shady dealings (note all the Ebay Problems and Craigs List scams) I can't help but to believe in the future they might just tire of being "SOLD/TAKEN" by a faceless, un-accountable entity that has taken advantage of them once too often. The problem... will there be a source remaining after the "Free Market" becomes a Monopoly?

Every week people come into the store complaining about some vacuum that isn't even a year old (yesterday it was one that was only used 3 times and that was a return/exchange by Lowes).

Lucky1 wrote:

They also get a lot of bad info from public forums.  I haven't seen the face of any of the pros on here.  I have heard their prejudices.  The pendulum does swing both ways doesn't it.