It was late in the day and I was tired from work. I was about to hit the shower when the door bell rings. I answer to door to a man claiming to be giving out free carpet cleaning demos and I was his next and last demo, all the while trying to make it seem like I had won something. Of course, I instantly knew it was a Kirby saleperson since I once worked as one for a week back in my early 20's before I quit because of the sleazy tactics one was encouraged to use in order to sell the overpriced and overrated thing. My grandmother also had an unpleasant experience with Kirby sales people as they bullied her into buying one which we later returned at her request, though she had a difficult time getting her money back. I initially told this guy I wasn't interested, all the while knowing he would probably be stubborn, and of course he was.
I decided to let the guy do his thing with one condition. That I have a few neighbors over so they could also witness his presentation on this supposed incredible machine. At first he hesitated, stating that he had already performed presentations for my neighbors but when I picked up the phone to verify, he quickly rescinded his earlier statement saying instead he was thinking of another neighborhood and reluctantly agreed to my terms.By this time, the guy asked for permission to use my home phone so he could supposedly keep his boss up-to-date. (another known tactic) I refused his request since he had a working cell phone on him. He gave the excuse that his cell phone was only for company use but he then realized how dumb and contradicting he sounded and promptly made his call on it.
I then proceeded to call some of my neighbors, who also happen to be very good friends, to persuade them to attend and most of them did. As the neighbors started to show up, he seemed to become more uneasy. After most of them had arrived I let the guy start his presentation. He kept right on script talking about dust mites, unhealthy indoor air and hidden dirt in my carpet. To his disliking I kept interrupting him as more neighbors showed up. At one point he asked to see my vacuum cleaner so he could demostrate how the Kirby picks up all the dirt my vacuum leaves behind. I gave him access to my vacuum and he proceeded to show me all the supposed dirt it left behind by way of a makeshift filter attached to his Kirby. Well just as he was about to brag on how superior the Kirby was, one of my neighbors, on cue by the way, interrupted him once again and challanged that his old vacuum would pick up the dirt the Kirby leaves behind and could prove it. The sales guy was completely caught off guard then became upset at the notion. When my neighbor returned with his old vacuum, we gave a pass at the same exact area the Kirby had with a makeshift filter on the neighbors old vac just like the Kirby had and sure enough, the filter was dirty again! The guy became more upset but to be fair, I let him give another pass at my carpet with his Kirby. He gave about three or four passes and then I gave another pass with the neighbors old vacuum once again and what a surprise, another dirty filter! The guy was so visibly shocked and upset by now that he didn't notice his cell phone ringing away and in a rude tone said he didn't appreciate being made a joke of.in response I told him that his Kirby was the real joke here but to be fair, my neighbor was willing to sell him his old vac for half the price of the Kirby. Speechless and embarrassed, the guy packed up and left so fast, he forgot a couple of parts from his Kirby.
A few minutes later, his supposed boss showed up in an unmarked white van to retrieve the parts left behind and insisted on giving us a 'proper demo' this time around. Simply put, I told the guy that just like the guy before him, he was wasting his time and more importantly, mine since I was having hardwood floors installed throughout the house the following month.
Oceanswest
Santa Teresa, New Mexico
U.S.A.
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