You never know when the opportunity to do something outstanding will come knocking on your company’s door, but if you are

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Dylan, dressed as a vacuum salesman, for Halloween

Dylan, dressed as a vacuum salesman, for Halloween

always ready and willing to do the right thing, you will be prepared when it does.  In Chesterfield County, Virginia, Jodie Johnson recently presented Kirby, the vacuum company, with their chance.

Jodie’s son, Dylan, has Autism Spectrum Disorder and is “obsessed” with vacuums, studying repair and demo videos, and even dressing up as a vacuum salesman.  So when Jodie began to make plans for Dylan’s 14th birthday party, she had a wild idea: she would incorporate his love of vacuums into the theme of his party.  This idea grew from merely designing a birthday cake with a vacuum on it to contacting the Kirby vacuum company with an unusual request.  She sent the following email:

“I am reaching out to you in hopes for an answer to an unusual request for my son who is autistic. He has always been obsessed with vacuum cleaners. His favorite is the Kirby. He spends hours every day watching videos on his tablet about different Kirby’s. When he isn’t watching videos about them, he is talking about them. I really would LOVE to get a demo done for him for his birthday. In fact, I am even getting him a cake made that looks like a Kirby vacuum. I am writing to you in hopes that you can get me in touch with a way to get him this demo.

I want to be clear that I do not intend on purchasing a Kirby. I was hoping that I could pay a flat fee or thought that maybe if you have salesmen in training that needs to get in practice demos for training purposes. I do not want anything free, but as the mother of a special needs child, it is so hard to find things to make my son happy. I know that having this demo done would just be so awesome, and it would warm my heart to see him so excited to experience that.”

Receiving the request, Kirby went above and beyond to ensure that Dylan’s birthday party was a success.  In addition to sending Dylan a Kirby-branded soccer ball, hat, and t-shirt, Kirby sent Al Archie, a salesman who has been with Kirby for 25 years.

Mr. Archie took time to present Dylan with a full Kirby demonstration, engaging Dylan’s full knowledge of the vacuums.  “He knew more about the Kirby than I did.  I have never experienced anything like that,” stated Mr. Archie.  But then, Mr. Archie did something that no one expected or will ever forget.

“I planned I wanted to do something for him,” Mr. Archie said. “an opportunity to give something back.”

At the end of his presentation, Mr. Archie gave Dylan the gift of a lifetime: a brand new, Kirby Sentria II vacuum system of his very own.  “There was not a dry eye in the house,” recalled Jodie.

“It made my day,” said a very happy Dylan.

Kudos to Kirby and Al Archie for stepping up and going the extra mile in response to a customer service request.  They have truly set the bar for seizing the opportunity to wow people with their caring response.  Have you had the opportunity to surprise a customer?  We’d love to hear your own feel good stories of service.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]