I was reading though the paper while having my coffee this morning and thought you all might like this. Apparently this Kirby salesman doesn't like people that won't let him in to do a demo.

OMG! How weird do you have to be????

Just to think that I was a Kirby salesman for Halloween! Good thing I didn't go trick-or-treating! Then those people might have REALLY gotten mad!

and he had to be hispanic! slap!

Only here in New York....

Here a station in Denver mentioned this article on the radio and even mentioned the guys name who did it. Yes he was hispanic...hehe.

David

... what the man being Hispanic has to do with anything. We wouldn't be perpetuating racist stereotypes about those "hot blooded Latins" would we.......? Hopefully, not.

I would advise NOT!

Please forgive me if I have. I was merely pointing out at what the radio station said the salesman was a hispanic male that was arrested for car theft. According to the radio commentator either he was near the same community where he stole the car or he was on his next demo. Hehehe..I was not trying to offend anyone by anymeans...

David

Several years ago Kirby had to defend themselves against a lawsuit because one of their dealers raped a woman who he was demonstrating a Kirby to. This is typical of what the Kirby organization has become. As some of you will recall, a couple of years ago ABC News, of their Primetime program, shown on Thursday evenings, did a half hour segment on how disreputable Kirby was. They had a hidden camera and showed the Kirby salesman trying to get an elderly lady to sign her social security check over to them as a down payment. They told of another Kirby salesman who had found an old woman with Alzheimer's, and who couldn't remember what she had done from day to day. He kept going back to her, and in the course of a year, sold her 13 Kirbys. Shortly before that program aired, the Wall Street Journal had done a two page article, beginning on the front page, telling how disreputable Kirby is. There are still a few good people in the Kirby organization who are fine people, but most of their good people have retired, passed away, or gone to other companies. For example, there are quite a few former high level Kirby people - the three sons of a former Kirby President, and a number of vice presidents, now at Rexair, who run a very clean, reputable operation. The Kirby machine is still well made, and not a piece of junk like so many other products made today, and for that I respect them.
However, as people are reluctant to let strangers who appear at their doorstem unannounced, Kirby salesmen primarily get into pretty bad homes. The people who live there generally have no money and poor credit. So Kirby, recognizing this, Kirby builds their business around this kind of customer. These people pay full price for the machine, up to $2000.00. Kirby utilizes finance companies who specialize in high risk deals, and who pay the Kirby distributor as little as 35% of face value of the contract. This is why a customer who waves as little as $700.00 under the Kirby salesman's nose can get the machine for that price. After all, that's all he's actually getting out of the $2000.00 sale down at the trailer park or in the projects. Comparing customers, just as Lincoln owners are similar to Cadillac owners, because their cars are in the same price range, you'd expect Kirby owners and Rainbow owners (the two largest companies selling by in-home demonstration) this is not the case. The Rainbow owners are pretty much the cream of the crop, where, in my experience, the majority of my collection, bad check, and repair pick-up problems are with Kirby owners. Makes you think. The product has absolutely nothing to do with it. Both are fine products. It's the way in which they do business.

I have the salesmans manuals from a Kirby dealer here that went out of business.Kirby is actually strict about sales methods and who salesmen try to sell to.In those books they mention if you are trying to sell to ederly,and others-that they have to understand what the customer is getting-If the person cannot get the credit or pay for the machine-the sale cannot be made.And the Kirby salesperson MUST NOT sell the machine for more than the price marked on the box the system comes in-some salespeople DO NOT show the client the box.The Kirby instructions say YOU MUST show the client the package and explain to them about the system prices.I sort of think the real problem lies in the fact that present vacuum cleaner salespeople are CONTRACTORS and do not work for the company as they used to .On some of the info I got-Kirby will actually help out customers that were "scammed" by a dishonest salesperson.They client has to call the Kirby headquarters.If Kirby finds out you are selling their product not in accordance to their rules-they will drop you as a Dealer-Distributor.I think all DTD vacuum companies have this polocy.In the zeal to close sales-just about all DTD vacuum salesmen can get carried away.But raping customers and stealing their cars is not the mark of a good salesperson.Those folks should be selling vacuums to their cellmates in the prison!The Rainbow distributor here is still in business and the area I am in has gone thru 4 Kirby dealers.also TriStar,and Filter Queen are no longer here.Aeros Lux is hanging by a thread.Anyone care to comment on the future of DTD vacuum sales?At present High gas prices are a problem for the DTD salespeople.They have to try to close any distant sale.I went thru this while selling TriStars with another fellow.We drove for four hours total and couldn't even get into the persons home for our demo.I kinda wonder if the future of High end vacuums such as Kirby,Rainbow,Filter Queen,TriStar is that they set up a local franchise that is a store-you walk in and try the vacuum-if you like it-the sale is closed in the store.In the Wash DC area,they did just that Electrolux and Kirby had "stores" you went to and they demoed the machine there.You could then buy thru the store-the salesmen didn't go to your house.The Kirby place especially had all types of flooring and other surfaces to try the machine and its attachments on.

just catching up with this thread. hispanic. lol. well, i wasnt offended. the *slap* goes to the crooked salesman!