Last week I had to do something I didn’t plan on doing. Replace my vacuum cleaner. It didn’t start that way though.
About a week earlier I had burnt out the belt on our Bissell CleanView bagless vacuum when it sucked up one of my kid’s socks into the roller mechanism. I went and bought a replacement belt and fixed the vacuum… I thought. Long story short I didn’t get the roller brush replaced quite right and ended up really messing up the brush roller.
I’ve driven by the Cleary Vacuum & Janitorial supply store for years on my daily commutes to work in downtown Indianapolis from the south side. The problem was that I’d always driven by thinking it was jus commercial and janitorial service and they didn’t serve residential customers. I was very wrong.
I gave it a try thinking maybe they’d have the replacement roller brush I needed. Upon entering the building I was quickly welcomed by an older gentleman immediately met me and asked how he could help.
I told him what I needed and he was worried that I may have also damaged the housing of the vacuum and that replacing the roller at $20+ may not really fix the problem. He said he hated to sell me the roller without making sure I didn’t have other issues.
To try and shorten the story even more, my vacuum ended up having more issues and the cost for all the repairs to get it up and running again were going to be almost the price of a brand new vacuum just like mine but the newer model. Which I ended up purchasing.
Here’s the deal. I was warmly welcomed and expertly assisted by a gentleman that came across as the owner because he took pride in what he did and what they offered in services and products. He informed me as a customer and didn’t just "sell me" to help the bottom line. He understood that service is what sets them apart from Target, Wal-Mart and other box stores. He reminded me that they’re always available to look over my vacuum if it’s not quite running or sounding right anymore, or just for a routine check-up and clean-up.
I’ll be returning to Cleary Vacuum & Janitorial in the future for any of my needs related to vacuums in the future. I’ll also recommend them to anyone else in similar need. Cleary Vacuum & Janitorial is THE warranty service center for just about every vacuum manufacturer in the area. If you need it, they’ve probably got it, and can service the problem to your satisfaction without question in my mind. Plus, you’re supporting a local business that’s chosen Indy as their home for the last 35 years.
If you’re on the north side or south side they have two locations to serve you:
Cleary Vacuum & Janitorial
3004 S. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46217
Phone: (317)783-6185
Fax: (317)783-6196
Cleary Vacuum North
7035 E. 96th St. Suite R
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Phone: (317)570-3910
Fax: (317)570-3917
Oddly, remember Cleary Vacuum & Janitorial and help the process of purchasing and owning a vacuum cleaner suck just a little less in your household.
Steve thanks for coming back and adding more details. It surprises me the experience you had with Cleary, but not behind the realm of reality either. I, like you, would have been upset for sure. After all you paid as much for your cleaning and repair as I did for my entire vacuum. Always wanted a Dyson though.
Jason, nothing was offered for me to sign and there was no mention of fixing anything. I went into the store and asked if they cleaned vacuums. I've had the Dyson vacuum since last spring and I have a dog that sheds a lot of hair. Some of the holes that suction were clogged and I felt it needed cleaning. I asked how much they charged for the cleaning and was told 29.95. Now, had they called before making the "repair" and explained what they thought was wrong, then I could have decided whether to have it fixed or not. For all I know, if a part had failed it may have been covered under the warranty. If this blog were “balanced” you wouldn’t attempt to pick apart my words. As I said, the vacuum was “fine” but dirty. I asked to have it “cleaned”, not “repaired”.
Steve I'm not sure about Cleary's process for when you bring in your vacuum, but I think there's probably something you sign that says they also can fix things if they're broken. I think for Cleary's sake they probably could have identified those needs with a phone call before completing them so you were aware of the additional charges before they were made. I'd also say that if your vacuum worked "fine" there was probably no reason to take it to Cleary in the first place.
Talk about suck. I just took my Dyson vacuum in to be cleaned. I was told it would cost $29.95. When I went to pick it up I was told the charge was $81.00. Supposedly I had a belt that had to be replaced. When I said there was a big difference between $30 and $80 and that it was a pretty expensive belt Mike Cleary shows me a part and says, no it's the clutch that was bad. As far as I was concerned, my vacuum worked fine. It was dirty and I needed it cleaned. Cleary pulled a nice bait and switch on me. I highly recommend you find another place. I will NEVER use them again and I will tell everyone I know. Cleary sucks.
I want the vacuum to suck more for sure, which Cleary can help with. I want the process of maintaining it to suck as little as possible. What I really wanted was to take advantage of the amazing deal they had on the Dyson DC17 with a $100+ hose attachment pack. Had to be smart though. Phooeey!
Wouldn't you want the home vacuum process to suck more?