Why Vacuum Cleaner Hospital chose to carry Miele vacuums

In the world of vacuum cleaner retail, brands come and go and so do the companies that make them.  We happen to be lucky to have gotten connected with Miele, a quality, family owned company in Germany, many years ago.  Fortunately, Miele has grown over the years just like Vacuum Cleaner Hospital.

My first exposure to Miele (pronounced Mee-lah) was at the 1988 Vacuum Dealers Trade Association (VDTA) show.  What caught my eye was one of the representatives tossing the vacuum about 10 – 15 feet across the carpet and seeing it land intact.  If a piece came off the vacuum, it snapped back in place and wasn’t broken.  The Miele vacuum cleaner line intrigued me because of its durability and strong suction.  By 1994, Miele had put a power nozzle in the box with the same canister and called it the Series 10 since it had been 10 years since Miele entered the US market.

What got me to carry the brand was a customer who came in and asked if we could get her one because she lost hers in a divorce.  After that, she ordered one for her sister and mom and then a few other people bought them.  In 1992 that sales begin to take off when Miele packaged a turbo (air-driven) nozzle in the box with the canister.  It was called the Flamenco and we sold a good number of those.

From the mid-90’s, we’ve always carried at least 8 – 10 models and that’s grown to around 18 today.  We are frequently asked “what makes Miele special?”  There are 3 characteristics that Miele vacuum cleaners are known for: very quiet operation, extremely high filtration and very versatile.  I could easily add ‘stylish, well-engineered and easy to maneuver’.  We’ve never sold a vacuum brand that’s had the customer satisfaction - some call it ‘love’ – that Miele has.

As the business owner, I appreciate the fact that they are a 113 year, fourth generation family owned company that doesn’t have to answer to the demands of the marketplace.  In fact, Miele is so financially strong, they've never had to borrow a penny (or ‘mark’) in their entire history; much to chagrin of the German banks I’m told. 

Their design is very well thought out and they don’t try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ every few years like a lot of the other vacuum manufacturers.    Yes, they’re stylish and attractive but logical function is much more important.  Their motto has always been ‘Immer Besser’ or Forever Better and I think that exemplifies the approach they’ve taken in their design. 

Although they don’t use the slogan “the best example of German engineering on three wheels” any longer (pre-upright era), I believe it really is true. The biggest advantage of buying in our retail store is that customer needs in a vacuum is matched the right model for their home and the security that Vacuum Cleaner Hospital is an authorized Miele Warranty Center.  Visit our Miele page.

Vacuum Cleaner Hospital Business Model

I am often asked what are the key components of the Vacuum Cleaner Hospital business model?  There are basically four:

Personal Essentials for Clean Living™ total support for carefully chosen state of the art vacuums, full service & parts and a loyalty program* to add additional value. 

Commercial equipment and supplies with the same full parts and service for the cleaning professional as well as supporting the needs of restaurant staff, retail businesses, church cleaning crews.  Plus we offer the same loyalty program*

Central Vacuum Experts serving Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, Morrisville, Raleigh and all areas within 70 miles of Chapel Hill.  A central vacuum system can be installed in existing homes or commercial as well as those under construction. We can fully integrate such unique central vacuum products as the Hide-A-Hose and the VacPan.  

Indoor Air Quality  Quoting from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America " Indoor and Outdoor Allergies – (Allergic rhinitis; seasonal/perennial allergies; hay fever; nasal allergies) Approximately 40 million Americans have indoor/outdoor allergies as their primary allergy. (Many people with allergies usually have more than one type of allergy.) Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, the most common pet allergy. The most common indoor/outdoor allergy triggers are:  tree, grass and weed pollen; mold spores; dust mite and cockroach allergen; and, cat, dog and rodent dander."  Prevention is paramount with the personal Essentials For Clean Living mentioned above and air filtering systems such as IQ Air.

*Vacuum Cleaner Hospital's Royalty Rewards program rewards customers for every dollar they spend, earning points towards FREE Loyalty Certificates. It's a 'thank you' card.  The VCH Royalty Rewards card is Free! 

Commercial Vacuum Connections

One key part of our business is commercial vacuums.  Vacuum Cleaner Hospital typically sells 7 or more models to fit a wide range of cleaning needs for offices, churches, club houses, and restaurants.  Vacuum Cleaner Hospital helps local cleaning businesses by providing a one stop source of vacuum cleaner servicing, cleaning supplies and even business advice.  Cleaning professionals require a diverse mix of vacuums to fit their needs - ranging from inexpensive canisters to full-featured backpack vacuums.  The commercial brands VCH carries are: Sanitaire, Hoover, Riccar and Royal.

A common complaint we hear from those individuals who volunteer at their church or homeowners association is the short life of the vacuums that are donated or purchased by individuals who serve on those committees.  Although people mean well, the donated vacuums are typically 'well used' and simply are not up to the task.

Recently a new commercial canister vacuum was introduced into the market and it's something we are excited about.  It is a heavy duty unit with a metal body called 'The Restorer'.  In case you're wondering what makes this vacuum so special, I'll give you one clue:  A hose that stretches out to 25 feet long!  Now that makes vacuuming much larger areas much easier!

Breathe Easy - Advances in Indoor Air Quality Products

Indoor_Air_Quality
Vacuum Cleaner Hospital in Chapel Hill has been in the business of improving indoor air quality for over 32 years.  Vacuum Cleaner Hospital slogan is Essentials for Clean Living®.  We strive to provide cost effective solutions to specific clean living needs.  I’m going to give you some tips on ways you can breathe easier by picking the right cleaning products for your home.  I’ll also give you an overview on ways you can improve your indoor air quality.  Each solution to an indoor air quality need is personal.  There are a few obvious solutions such as keeping your windows closed during pollen season and not owning a pet if you’re allergic to its dander.  The areas I know best are air purifiers and vacuum cleaners, and how getting the right one plays a major role in controlling your allergies by managing the indoor air quality.

Particle chart using the human hair as the base for understanding

I want to give you some facts on those particles that you can see and those you can’t. Using the human hair as a baseline for comparison, you’ll notice that everything has a range of sizes and that’s important to remember because 99% of indoor air particles are microscopic.   A micron is one millionth of a meter and anything smaller than 30 microns is invisible to the naked eye.  So how do you contain these particles? You have to have equipment that can properly trap and hold those particles.  That’s where vacuum cleaners and air purifiers come in.  The challenge is how do you know which one is best for you?  Advertising claims and even online articles can be confusing.  One thing to be aware of, a poor filtration vacuum can be worse than not vacuuming at all.  That’s because it becomes a ‘dust re-circulator’ by picking up the dust and dirt from your carpeting and floors and spewing it back out in the air you breathe.  That’s obviously something you want to avoid.

What are some advances in indoor air quality products?  The best filtration vacuum is the central vacuum system installed by our Central Vacuum Experts division, because it takes the dirt and dust and exhausts it out of your living area.  Listen to a recent interview on WCHL .  The best filtration system for your heating and air conditioning system is a 4 HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filter system called the Perfect 16 by IQ Air.  For a home with someone with significant allergies or other respiratory problems this combination of central vacuum and whole air filtering is the solution.  There are several well-known HVAC filtering systems out there but they use electronic charges or UV lighting to filter dust or kill germs.  The trouble is, they’re messy to clean and aren’t as effective as advertised.  The Perfect 16 guarantees a 90% reduction in indoor air particles.The next best vacuum equipment are those that use a high filtration bag and HEPA filter.  Bagless vacs, uprights and canisters typically have the least effective filtration, though many have HEPA filters.  Be advised that not all HEPA filters are equally efficient., yet that is what you’re told when read various articles on the Internet.

Handheld particle counter that we
measure particles in the home or office

Vacuum Cleaner Hospital uses a handheld laser particle counter to measure the level of particles in the air and then the output levels of each piece of equipment.  At a presentation at the Southern Ideal Home Show on April 15th, the particle count on the seminar stage was 1.3 million particles.  The exhaust port of the IQAir single room filtration unit measured zero particle count as did the Miele upright vacuum;  the Dyson got the output down to 1200 ( a significant drop); the bagless Hoover actually increased the output to over 3 million. How do we match the right combination of products to your needs? When evaluating the best products for your needs, it’s important that you identify the source of your indoor allergies.  If you (or other family members) find yourself with a stuffy or runny nose after you vacuum, you’re a candidate for a better filtration vacuum.   A central vacuum is the ultimate vacuum system because it’s quiet, filters outside the living area and lasts longer than typically any portable vacuum.   Almost everyone could benefit from an air purifier but you may not need one if you don’t have allergies.  Everyone can benefit from have a well designed vacuum cleaner, portable or central, because it makes cleaning easier, more effective and less expensive over the long term.

Looking Back and Going Forward

December was a great month for Vacuum Cleaner Hospital of Chapel Hill. We serve customers for 70 miles around and appreciate the community support in this competitive retail environment.

VCH is a dealer approved vacuum cleaner warranty repair station for: Dyson, Miele, Eureka, Royal/Dirt Devil, Sanitaire.  January is usually one of our busiest repair months so if you plan on bringing your vacuum in for repair, give us a couple of extra days to get it back to you. Look out for those Christmas tree needles as they can really clog your vacuum!

2011 had a lot of high points.  We won the 2010 Small Business of Year from the Chamber of Commerce in January and then celebrated our 25th year in business in March.  Thanks to several long term employees, our business continued to prosper and look forward to growing even more in 2012.

It's been just over a year since we started our customer loyalty program.  Since that time, we've sent thousands of dollars of reward checks back to you, our customers.  You may not know about this program or perhaps we haven't told you about it when you stopped in.  The program is free and simple, we just have to get you signed up.  When you accumulate 500 points ($1 = 1 pt.) you receive a $25 gift certificate in the mail.  The great thing is, when you spend up to $500, we double the points the first time so you could get a $50 gift certificate in a short amount of time.

Another part of our business we just don't talk enough about is our central vacuum division, Central Vacuum Experts.  Our fourth quarter was tremendous and this was a result of several factors.  We have been participating in four home shows a year for several years, we do expert installation, we sell the best quality products and we actively seek more business through the local Home Builders Association and the Internet.  We are a sponsor of the Green Home Builders of the Triangle (GHBT) and since central vacuums expel the least emissions of any vacuum on the market, they're considered 'green'.

We're very 'bullish' on 2012!