Vacuum shops turn their nozzles to repairs

The vacuum business has changed radically in the last several years for most independent shop owners, forcing a shift in focus from sales to repairs, according to vacuum store managers in the Chattanooga area.

Savvy marketing has allowed Oreck to stay ahead of the pack, said manager Donna Johnson, whose Chattanooga location was nationally rated the No. 1 Oreck store for sales in December.

"We are doing 10 to 15 percent more in sales than we were doing in pre-2007," Ms. Johnson said.

She said that part of the credit for strong sales goes to Oreck's marketing strategy despite the downturn.

"They haven't said, 'Oh gosh, we have a bad economy we're going to wait until it's over,' we've advertised very strongly, we have been here 13 years and we take care of our customers," Ms. Johnson said.

But strong sales are an anomaly in today's market, according to Ms. Johnson.

"With vacuum cleaners, there are just a few that have longevity, and so many vacuums out there, when they break down you buy a new one," she said. "It's a disposable market."

Meanwhile, Airway Vacuum store owner Sam Lockmiller has seen sales plummet while broken vacuums awaiting repair fill his 40-year-old shop.

"Sales have been a declining market over the last couple years," Mr. Lockmiller said. "I'm having to rely on the service side of it rather than the sales."

Discount retailers, who can offer a lower price when they buy vacuums from manufacturers in bulk, have cut into his bottom line on sales, he said.

"Wal-Mart can sell them cheaper than I can get them," he said. "It's tough getting people to see the importance of quality over cost."

At Mr. Vacuum Superstore, manager Dave Miller said repairs are up 50 percent, but sales have dropped off.

"A normal pre-hard times condition would be somewhere around five to six vacuum repairs a day, now we're looking at 10," he said. "We're just putting in a little more time, we really can't afford additional help."

make your vacuum last longer* Make sure that your brush roller turns correctly and at the correct speed to avoid burning up the motor and belt.* Make the correct height adjustment on your brushroller so you don't dig into the carpet deeply, but are just brushing across the top of it.* Keep the air filter clean, or keep a fresh paper bag in the vacuum, to allow for good airflow and keep the motor cool, and to prevent excess dust from being emitted into the air.* If it's big enough to see on the floor, bend over and pick it up. If you start sucking up larger items with the vacuum cleaner, it will clog.* Ensure that you have the correct vacuum cleaner for the surface you wish to clean.Source: Dave Miller, manager at Mr. Vacuum Superstore

He said customers who are skittish about spending a lot of money for a vacuum initially buy a cheap machine that they have to repair or replace within a year.

"People tend to buy what they see on television," he said. "I told one woman when she came in looking for a vacuum cleaner, she said 'On television I saw all this dust going away,' and stuff like that, and I said 'well, Superman can fly on television.'"

Rick Neufeld, owner of Aerus Electrolux, said that though sales have declined, vacuum repair is also getting more difficult due to cheaper parts that are frequently changed and become incompatible.

"Times have changed; people buy cheap vacuums and throw them away," said Mr. Neufeld, who employs five people at his company. "Everything is marketing in the vacuum cleaner industry. The one that markets best sells the most."

His biggest business is central vacuums, which depends on new home construction to drive sales.

"Our numbers on central vacuums are down $100,000 in total business, because people aren't building as much," Mr. Neufeld said.

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