Perhaps the Worst Salesmen Ever.........

[FinanceDude]

Our washing machine is on the fritz, so DW sent me on a recon mission to see what I could find. I went to a large appliance store right in my hometown, and ran into one of the worst salespeople ever, what a tool:

Salesguy: Can I help you?

Me: yes, I am looking to BUY a top loading washing machine.

Salesguy: Like I always say, "pay me now, or pay me later".........

Me: Excuse me?

Salesguy: You don't want a top loader they're obsolete.............

Me: Since when?

Salesguy; That's all the manufacturers are making, we really don't sell any top loaders anymore.......but if you want your clothes to get beat up, use more water and energy, that's up to you.........

Me: I notice all your front loaders are $850-$1300, and I'm looking to spend around $500 max.

Salesguy: "Like I said, pay me now, or pay me later"..........

I was going to light him up like a big X-mas tree, but then I remembered he was an APPLIANCE saleman, and I left the store instead........

 

[73ss454]

Exactly the way I felt when I used to have a broker. (heh)

 

[FinanceDude]

Exactly the way I felt when I used to have a broker. (heh)

Too bad you had a crappy broker.........

 

[Purron]

I'm sure he would have explained the benefit of buying the extended warranty too

 

[bbbamI]

Since when is $500 not enough money to cram in someone's pocket?

 

[calmloki]

What - belittling the buyer doesn't work? He didn't ask you what you were looking to spend per month on it?

 

[73ss454]

Too bad you had a crappy broker.........

No, he was very good, to himself.

 

[FinanceDude]

I'm sure he would have explained the benefit of buying the extended warranty too

Which I wish he had, so I could explain that berating buyers doesn't always lead to add-on sales........

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Did you say "Sir your annoying sales line is really pissing me off"

 

[Nords]

Salesguy: "Like I said, pay me now, or pay me later"..........

I wonder if he can spell C-r-a-i-g-s-l-i-s-t...

Plenty of "upgrade selloff" used appliances on there these days. Spouse and I were in a couple of open houses yesterday, with "prices reduced" from $1.0xxM to "only" $998K & $988K. One of them had four, count 'em four, LCD TVs in a four-bedroom two-story 2800 sq ft floor plan. Every one of them was at least 50". (I considered getting the tape measure out of the car but decided that would be misinterpreted by the realtor.) The laundry room was actually taking up a 12'x15' room on the second floor, filled with a late-model front-loader washing machine.

 

[MasterBlaster]

To be fair...

When I recently looked into the top-loader/front loader issue and mentally worked through the math they came out about the same considering the $350 rebate from the water company for a front-loader.

I don't need another washer right now. Maybe in 8 years or so I'll be looking seriously though.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

He was probably just being a very good salesman.

You'd have almost certainly saved $350 over the life of the appliance by buying a front loader, unless you only do 1-2 loads of laundry a week. Since you have multiple kids, I'm pretty sure its a lot more than that.

Your utility companies probably would have given you a hundred or two in rebates, your water and electricity use would have gone down, and yes...your clothes would have lasted longer. Top loaders used to beat the crap out of my clothes, especially sweaters.

Plus you could have done twice as much laundry in the front loader.

Granted when I was in sales I always sold the customer what they wanted to buy, but that never stopped me from giving them the benefit of my knowledge of the products/services.

Lets flip this around...new customer calls you and tells you he'd like to buy a bunch of vanguard funds and an AIG annuity. You just going to take the order?

 

[bbbamI]

I think the salesman could have worded his comments better...or brought out a vat of vaseline. He aggravated a customer and lost a sale.

...and yeah, I've worked in sales as well.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Id sell anyone a pile of **** if they wanted to buy it.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

gassing up yesterday ($3.61/gal) some salesthug pulls up along side me and asks if i want to buy a home entertainment center. i politely decline to his sales pitch "just because you don't want it, don't you love anyone enough to give it to them."

nothing says love like a stolen home entertainment center bought cheap off a truck at a gas station.

hmmm, maybe if i repackage it in a box from tiffany....

 

[jazz4cash]

To be fair...

When I recently looked into the top-loader/front loader issue and mentally worked through the math they came out about the same considering the $350 rebate from the water company for a front-loader.

I don't need another washer right now. Maybe in 8 years or so I'll be looking seriously though.

Yeah I wish we had a front loader, but the top loader is 4 yrs new and the 20 yo dryer works fine. As discussed here, there are several issues and numerous decisions required to pick out a front load machine. I love the idea of using less water and all, but more than likely I'd go with the front load strictly on the basis of less wear and tear on my back!

Anyway, it's awfully annoying when you know what you want and some sales guy or gal belittles the customer instead of offering an infomed choice.

 

[FinanceDude]

I don't think any sales training exists that could help him get better. Perhaps he is just bitter at life...........

 

[haha]

As discussed here, there are several issues and numerous decisions required to pick out a front load machine.

My top load broke a few years ago. I went down to Sears, next morning I had a front load. I loved it, but now I have moved. All the apartment laundry rooms have front loaders now; they are really quite superior from so many POVs.

Maybe I just didn't understand the many subtleties.

Ha

 

[W2R]

My top load broke a few years ago. I went down to Sears, next morning I had a front load. I loved it, but now I have moved. All the apartment laundry rooms have front loaders now; they are really quite superior from so many POVs.

Maybe I just didn't understand the many subtleties.

Ha

What advantages do they have? I know they look cool, and save water and energy (though I live alone and don't use much water and energy anyway).

Any other advantages I should know about? Do they do a better job in washing clothes? Is it easier to load and unload laundry with a front loader? Thanks.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Front loaders may be harder to load unload. They're low to the ground but that can help if you just drag all the laundry out. If you get the pedestals (optional and expensive) they can be easier.

They're a lot easier on the fabric.

They dont have agitators in the middle like a top loader usually does, so you can wash ginormous things like king comforters in them.

They spin almost all of the water out so drying time is significantly reduced.

Depending on the models, some front loaders clean better than some top loaders. But a sucky front loader wont do as well as a top rated top loader.

They use very little soap. We use about a tablespoon a load.

No "WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP BZZZZZZZZZZZZ" when the spin cycle hits and the load is out of balance. The front loaders will roll the load back and forth until its evened out.

 

[W2R]

Front loaders may be harder to load unload. They're low to the ground but that can help if you just drag all the laundry out. If you get the pedestals (optional and expensive) they can be easier.

They're a lot easier on the fabric. So I can't justify buying as many new clothes. Hmm.

They dont have agitators in the middle like a top loader usually does, so you can wash ginormous things like king comforters in them. Definitely a plus. No more trips to the cleaners.

They spin almost all of the water out so drying time is significantly reduced. I should care, but...

Depending on the models, some front loaders clean better than some top loaders. But a sucky front loader wont do as well as a top rated top loader.

They use very little soap. We use about a tablespoon a load. I don't use very much soap, since there's just one of me and also I found that half the liquid soap works just as well as all of it in getting my clothes clean. Not an issue.

No "WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP BZZZZZZZZZZZZ" when the spin cycle hits and the load is out of balance. The front loaders will roll the load back and forth until its evened out. That hasn't happened to me in the six years since I bought my oversized toploader washer. Don't know why!

Thanks! That's quite a comprehensive list and I appreciate it. Looks like, for me, the major advantage of a front loader would be getting to wash my comforters at home, which I would really like a lot. Even my oversized toploader won't handle a comforter. Another advantage is that I just think they look really cool. Some of the other advantages seem to depend on doing many weekly loads of laundry, such as for a large family.

No matter which kind I buy after ER, if the salesman is that bad I will leave and find one who wants my business! (just to get back on topic).

 

[harley]

Front loaders may be harder to load unload. They're low to the ground but that can help if you just drag all the laundry out. If you get the pedestals (optional and expensive) they can be easier.
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Depending on the models, some front loaders clean better than some top loaders. But a sucky front loader wont do as well as a top rated top loader.

I wouldn't buy a pedestal, but they are easy to make or fake. I think they're worthwhile for ease of loading and unloading.

I read a review a while ago that said that most frontloaders didn't do as good of a job cleaning as the old toploaders. However, we've had ours in the new house for about 6 months now, with no problem. But we haven't had anything that would really test it. The review said something about cloths used for waxing cars not coming clean in the frontloader. That would be a real test.

 

[growing_older]

Front loaders are certainly popular now, but it's still quite a personal preference thing. Folks I know with front loaders have had more service calls and when a seal fails more mess than my old top loader. A super heavy duty top loader, run with less than maximum size loads, seems to be able to last forever. I can adjust water levels and use as much or little soap as I want. I got a fancy one with all kinds of delicate cycles. I'm told that the front end loaders use less energy, but the stickers on the new top loaders are predicting $50/year energy use. FTC estimates 200-500 kWh per year usage depending on model and at my rate of $0.04 to 0.08 per kWh that's somewhere between $8 and $40 to run for a year. Less if I use it less frequently. With all the features I will ever need a top loader is about $400 and a similarly equipped front loader is $1000. If I save half the energy of the highest estimate (doubtful) I'll pay back the $600 difference in purchase price in only 30 years. At the lower estimate payback is about 150 years. Assuming the machines last that long and there's no differential in repair rates.

So, I'm not buying most of the salesman's claims, though I do understand why he likes to sell the more expensive machines. Some people do love their front loaders. For only a few hundred dollars for a machine that you will use often for decades, you should get whatever features you want in whatever format you want. It's going to amount to a few bucks a day at most anyway, so make yourself happy when you do laundry. Whether that means familiar traditional top loader you love or spiffy new front loader you love. Get the one YOU want, not what the sales critter is pushing.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Craig's List? I looked in the Boston's household and electronics section. There are no 50" plasmas or LCDs for sale, and there aren't any stainless ranges and fridges either.

 

[W2R]

Growing Older, thanks. That was a great review from a slightly different point of view than CFB's. I think I will probably get the top loader version, even though it would be nice to be able to wash my comforters at home. I don't think the advantages of the front loader are likely to be worth the difference in cost to me.