Wow, the salesman sucks more than his product

[Kittish]

We were recently in the market for a new, up market vacuum because I'm sick of replacing cheap ones once a year or more. The last 3 machines we've had have all been the same brand and have all died the same death. Dust and pet hair and my hair and cheap lightweight construction all conspiring together.

So, we stopped in at a locally owned self-styled 'superstore' to see if they had the vacuum I'd decided I wanted, or something fairly close. I'm guessing this guy was the owner... Almost from the first words out of his mouth he's arguing with me about what I want. And about what killed my previous vacs. And about how filters work. And how often I have to change the bag on a bagged vac.

Seriously, I gave this guy a good 10 minutes (which turned out to be 9 more than I should have), and he spent every second insuring that not only will I never spend a dime in his store, but that I will also steer everyone I know away from him. Way to go, dude. Well done.

I finally cut him off mid rant, said thank you, goodbye and walked out before he could process what I'd done. As we cleared the door he gave us this parting shot: 'You'll be back when your vacuum needs repair!' Um, no, no we won't. I'll drive an hour each way to Vegas first.

[ReverendBSB]

I highly recommend a Dyson. We got the Animal because we have too many pets and it works great. Expensive though.

We could only afford it because I had a laptop die on full replacement warranty. I already had a new computer and the equivalent replacement was several hundred dollars less than the money I had paid (not arguing with that, it is fair). I asked if I could just get store credit and to my surprise they gave me credit for the original purchase price, not the price for the now three year later replacement.

[Kittish]

In fact the Dyson Animal is exactly what we got. Was delivered yesterday, and will get its first real trial tonight (I only did a small test patch to be sure it worked yesterday.).

[DGoddessChardonnay]

In fact the Dyson Animal is exactly what we got. Was delivered yesterday, and will get its first real trial tonight (I only did a small test patch to be sure it worked yesterday.).

Congrats on the Dyson . . . I bought one last year (did RTO) and, while expensive, it's worth it.

I've got the DC25 Animal (in purple). It's great for that pesky dog hair (and my husky mix, Abby, sheds twice a year if not more.)

And it'll come in handy this holiday season to suck up possible glitterbombs.

[thatcrazyredhead]

Dyson is the shiznit. When we get a house, I want one of those and an armada of Roombas.

[wolfie]

my husky mix, Abby, sheds twice a year if not more.

Be glad you don't have a German Sheppard like some of my friends do. It sheds twice a year - for 6 months at a time.

[Kittish]

Our current dog doesn't blow her coat, but she does shed constantly in moderate amounts, as do the cats, both longhaired. Then there's me. I shed almost as much as the animals do, and my hair is quite long. One of the things that sold me on the Dyson is that they made it easy to get at and clean the roller bar in the regular vacuum head.

The thing that gets me, is the guy at the vac store didn't even TRY to figure out some way to sell me what I wanted. I'd have been willing to spend an extra hundred bucks or so to buy from a local business owner. Oh well, his loss.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I still have and use my Kirby vacuum cleaner I bought about 40 years ago.

[MoonCat]

I still have and use my Kirby vacuum cleaner I bought about 40 years ago.

Those things are fairly indestructible. My brother used to sell them, hated that job, and then ended up managing the repair dept. at one of the local Kirby shops (well, he pretty much WAS the repair shop AND the manager ). People used to bring in vacuums that were 30, 40, 50 years old that just needed a new belt.

[KatherineB]

Vacuum salesmen are weird. We have an entire chain of cheap vacuum shops here and they are owned and staffed by the most incredibly sexist, mysogonistic pigs I have ever seen in my life. I went in years ago and there were four salesmen, two male customers and me. Both male customers (buying single vacuums for their homes) had two salesmen helping them each. They didn't even have time or energy to acknowledge me.

One customer got on his phone to check something with his wife and this was the one-sided conversation I heard:
Custy: Dear, I'm looking at the vacuums. Did you say you wanted one with Feature X or Feature Y?
Sales 1: Hey, don't ask her what you're getting! Tell her what you're getting!
Sales 2) Yeah, she's only your wife. Why is she involved at all?

I swear, I was waiting for one of them to grab the phone and end the call or abuse the wife for her involvement or something. Instead the two salesmen (clearly realising that their man wasn't a 'real man' strolled back to the desk.

I wasn't far away from them and got my only acknowledgement of the day:

"Tell your husband to come in. We'll help him."

Strangely, I left at that point.

[fireheart]

Vacuum salesmen are weird. We have an entire chain of cheap vacuum shops here and they are owned and staffed by the most incredibly sexist, mysogonistic pigs I have ever seen in my life. I went in years ago and there were four salesmen, two male customers and me. Both male customers (buying single vacuums for their homes) had two salesmen helping them each. They didn't even have time or energy to acknowledge me.

That isn't Godfrey's is it? My partner's aunt worked there for a period of time and now quite happily works at a hardware chain.

[KatherineB]

That isn't Godfrey's is it? My partner's aunt worked there for a period of time and now quite happily works at a hardware chain.

And we have a winner!

[fireheart]

And we have a winner!

I should walk into the Godfrey's near home and test this theory out now...there's one out my boyfriend's way and one out my way. (actually 2 come to think of it)

As for vacuum cleaners, we have a Dyson one that swivels around on what looks like an exercise ball at the bottom. Can't remember the name for the life of me (it's a standing one).

[wolfie]

As for vacuum cleaners, we have a Dyson one that swivels around on what looks like an exercise ball at the bottom. Can't remember the name for the life of me (it's a standing one).

Sounds like the "Sphere". Note that despite the name, this vacuum cleaner is useless as a solar energy collector.

I've got my own "stupid vacuum cleaner salesman" story. A while after I moved out on my own, I was shopping for a vacuum, and had already been to a few places (looking for a cannister with a powered nozzle). A Future Shop ad showed a picture of the type I was looking for, and a very attractive price. When I got there, it turned out that price applied to an "electric broom" type vacuum. I told the salesman what I was looking for, and that I had seen one that fit my needs at $other_store for $price. He showed me their models of the type I was looking for, and all were over $price. When I didn't show any interest in Future Shop's offerings, he asked me how flexible I was on price. Considering I had told him I could get what I needed elsewhere for $price, shouldn't that imply that I was NOT flexible at all?

[thatcrazyredhead]

Sales 2) Yeah, she's only your wife. Why is she involved at all?

I find this odd, because I would think mysoginists would expect the wife to be the only one actually using the vacuum.