The Vacuum

Howdy all,

Let me tell you about something that happened today.
It all started with a knock at the door.

When I opened to see who it was, a smiling young lady greeted me, handed me a flyer, and said pretty much "Hi, I'm with a vacuum company that is opening a new store in your town and as a part of promoting it, we're offering to deep-clean/shampoo the carpet of any one room in your home for free."

Period.

I was a little surprised. "Free? As in...really free?" was about all I could ask.

"Oh yes, totally free."

Well, that was all it took for me to say "Yes, please!" so she agreed to come back in half an hour to do the job and I hurriedly cleared out Ella's playroom because the carpet in there was in rough shape (kid piss, kitten piss, chalk, some fresh William spit-up/puke(?), etc). I was so stoked!!

Now, this was at 3pm.
This lady and her supervisor did not leave our home until 7pm. @_@

Let me explain what happened:
What I did not realize was that this was not just some amazingly generous promotion. This was a door-to-door vacuum sales scheme!!
Don't get me wrong, everything was legit about this vacuum cleaner -- it did a sick job cleaning the carpet -- but of the four hours these people spent at our home, three of them were spent trying to sell me on this vacuum cleaner. I thought I was just getting a free carpet cleaning, but like they say "in life, nothing comes for free".

This vac is called a Kirby and apparently the brand's been around for nearly a century. It's 100% made in the USA, has a lifetime warranty, will suck up everything your regular vac can't, etc etc.
And the price tag on this beauty? $3000!!

@_@

If you know us, you know that we do not have $3000 to spend on a vacuum cleaner of all things.
But I didn't realize this whole "promotion" was to get me to buy anything!! I thought they were just trying to demonstrate the great product that they sell at the store to drum up some business.
But no. They wanted me to commit to buying this Rolls Royce of a vacuum cleaner and in no uncertain terms, it had to happen right then and there.

Before I knew it, I was being shown all the accessories, she was doing sample cleanings of everything from my sofa to my air vents, and telling me very impressive carpet-care facts.
And I'm such a softie when it comes to matters of money that I couldn't just say "save your breath lady, I just want the clean carpet. Now get to it!"
No, no...I played along: ooed and aahed and let them know how impressed I was with this amazing machine...thinking I was doing them a favor by being "respectful"!

But by the end of the night, I was racked with guilt knowing that they had spent so much of their day in vain. They'd been hoping I would agree to pay them $3K on a machine I really don't need for a carpet that doesn't really take up that much space in my home, that's made of a material (wool) that this vac shouldn't even really be messing with anyway!! But in the end, they had to go home emptyhanded. I couldn't help but feel...like I had done them wrong.

Uuuuugh...! >_<

To look at the bright side, the carpet looks amazing now. (I'd show pics, but it just doesn't do it justice. You have to see/feel it up close. It's like walking on a cloud...)
But I would have liked to have bypassed all the guilt.

Granted, it's not like they were trying to lay the guilt trip on me. It was all me! But man, those salespeople. They must have degrees in psychology, because they knew just how to tug on my heartstrings: pointing out how this young lady is a new associate and in the running to win a trip to Mexico if she can just land 15 sales...warning me of the real health dangers to my children by letting so much dust and dirt remain in my carpets, especially their playroom!...finding any point of connection, really, to remind me that they are regular people with families to support too (complete with kiddos just about my age!)

Aaaaanyway, long story short, I resisted the urge to pity-buy it from them!
Yes, I am that big a softie, the thought was definitely in my mind: "They've already spent so much of their day with me, and they have to put food on the table too...maybe I should buy the vac!"
Guuuuh, I do not do well with sales transactions! I get way too emotionally invested with the person on the other end. >_<

From now on, I swear only Dash is allowed to answer random callings in the middle of the day. When it comes to solicitors, he just knows how to confidently tell them "no" and close the door in their faces.
Me? I am just too nice...

Have these Kirby folks come by your home yet? How'd you handle it?
Are you happy with the vacuum cleaner you already own? ;)

And with those thoughts, take care and Happy Vacuums!!