Stark’s Vacuums – Clackamas

My wife and I just spent an hour with Jennifer at Starks. She explained and compared several machines for us. Truthfully, after reading some negative reviews, I was hesitant to visit. However, Jennifer was first class all the way… and we purchased a great vacuum based on our experience.

Sucking, blowing and 82^nd avenue… in the past a certain bet for a review rife with hooker taint references and debauchery connotations.
But I’ve matured. Yes, certainly a loss to you dear reader, but quite possibly a win for society in general.
So here’s my story, officer. My vacuum no longer sucked (other than balls). Yeah, it blew.
A slight tear to the hose and no longer would it swallow dirt and debris; instead choosing to spit it back all over the floor. I’m sure my mouth must have been agape the first time it pulled this trick on me.
Some might be familiar with my particular type of model and know this is a frequent problem due to the continuous grabbing of the shaft where the hose extrudes in order to jerk it off of the base so you can get to all those hard to reach spots.
So long story short. No longer did it suck; it just sucked. A problem certainly due to the lack of good suction caused by the aforementioned man handling of my one ball Dyson machine.
Hence my need to visit Stark’s. If you’ve lived in Portland for anytime, you know they are pimps when it comes to all things that suck. Growing up I remember my Dad going to them when our old family Kirby no longer performed as it should. Yet Stark’s was able to turn that two ton steel ball buster into a high class Hover we always knew it could be.
I was very impressed with their expertise when it came to servicing my machine. They certainly have been around the block a few times and knew more about proper suction than most. They went over every inch of it, taking in the entire machine and providing a long overdue service. I was somewhat shocked by how methodical it was and how long they said it would take to reach completion. Hell, they even showed me places on my rig I didn’t know existed, but will be sure to play with in the privacy of my own home.
My only hesitation was the hand to the back of the head salesmanship, trying to convince me that a newer model wouldn’t be that much more money. Trust me when I say my Tall Leggy Blonde gagged at the idea of me coming home with a new model. The older one may have a few miles on it, but with a little love was sure to suck just as good as it did when we first brought her home.
So climax of the story is that despite a little uncomfortable foreplay with their forward sales tactics, when you fully take in the entire experience, this story had a happy ending that left me whistling a cheerful tune.
You do know how to whistle don’t you? You just put your lips together and blow.

CAVEAT EMPTOR– Buyer beware!
We’ve had a great Dyson DC15 vacuum for a few years, but a plastic cover broke– and my wife and I went to the 82^nd store for help. The white haired fellow with fu manchu white mustache waited on us. He told us we’d need to spend almost $ 175, before insulting us and telling us our vacuum was worth $ 20 at best, IF they even took it in on trade. I left before losing my cool, while my wife stayed and tried to learn more about new vacuum options and packages. She came out about 10 minutes later, claiming the fellow was rude, treated her like she was an idiot – when she asked about new vacuum accessories and pricing she’d seen on Dyson’s website. We promptly went next door to Best Buy-​who happily sold us a new Dyson DC65 vacuum at a great price. I went home, and found the plastic part I need, for $ 37. I’ll be fixing it myself, as Dyson makes their products with intuition, and practicality. Why anyone would want to give their business to these folks is beyond me. If you like to be belittled, talked down to, and made to feel you are bothering them, this is your place!

Bought machines to clean and brighten hardwood floors. Jennifer helped us, was very patient. They have all the models plugged in and ready to use! No schlepping around looking for a sales person! They price matched!
Stark Vacuums are all over Portland with a BIG. Variety of machines & products.
Love the Customer service.
Sale prices are great!!!

My husband and I own a mid-​sized commercial cleaning company. We have been providing service to the community for over 21 years. We run a lot of business through Stark’s~ not so much because of the customer service~ there isn’t much, it’s just that there are a lot of convenient locations and the stores carry a variety of stock. You can purchase a vacuum cleaner, bags, belts, brushes, and etc in one fell swoop. I have put up with a lot for this convenience and have had my issues with Stark’s over the years: the constant high pressure sales pitch and attempt to up-​sell on everything, strange delays at the check out, attributed to the fact that they «can’t find» the one and only item I am looking for and I will need to purchase the higher price item instead… only to finally find the original item, price variances from store to store, you get the idea… it just seems like a lot of game playing… kind of like buying a car from the used car dealership. Unfortunately, Stark’s has hit an all-​time low in my opinion and they have lost my business forever. My husband went in to pick up vacuum cleaner bags the other day and the fellow that was helping him flat out lied… repeatedly. My husband wanted a bag of bags for a particular upright. They aren’t cheap. The fellow at Stark’s handed my husband a bag and said «here you go». My husband said, «those are the wrong bags». The fellow at Stark’s assured my husband they were the right bags alright. My husband then explained that we buy these particular bags fairly often and he had just been in two weeks before… the bags the salesman was offering were made by a different manufacturer, they were of a different type of material, nothing about these bags looked familiar and… wait for it… they cost almost $ 40.00 more! My husband listened to the salesman explain for a time about how these were the only bags the company was going to use… if we went with a different product our machines (vacuum’s) would probably break and our warranty would be void… and we would have costly repairs… and blah, blah, blah, blah. It was an outrageous sales pitch to get us… panicking… I guess??? My very smart husband said, «So, you are telling me you don’t sell the other bags anymore… don’t even carry them?». The salesman declined to answer the question and again launched into a sales pitch about dust and pollen and HEPA filtration, and the state of allergens and the ultimate cost to medical care and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. My husband, who is far more patient than I am, finally pulled out his phone and said he would call the manufacturer of our equipment and get their prompt recommendation and we would proceed… you can guess what happened… after one more desperate attempt to up-​sell, the clerk «tried» to locate some of the «old» bags and found several packages which he then tried to sell to my husband, «just in case we ever had trouble finding them again». My husband bought the bags and placed a call to our vacuum mfg. who just laughed… no, they don’t know anything about the «new and improved» bags… there was some talk about engineers and what control was used to really establish air flow and so on and so forth. Bottom line: the clerk at Stark’s lied, repeatedly, to make a higher sale for himself and probably make a quota. Unfortunately it was at our expense and the expense of good customer service. We are now buying online. What a shame. I genuinely like to keep my money and business in the state I live in… local business and all that. Stark’s, never again!

Okay, so I am well aware that you can purchase a vacuum at any department store in town, plus do the rest of your shopping at the same location. Convenient, right? So why would you go to a store that only sells vacuums? Simple… go to a department store and you will be helped by a staff that turns over every other month or so. You’ll get a nice employee that will be happy to answer your questions. However, this employee will probably have very little sales experience. He or she will definitely have no training on the vacuums that you’re considering purchasing. And he or she will definitely never have used any of the products that they are trying to sell you. Vacuums are a very important element of your household. Their importance isn’t just how much dirt they suck out of your carpet. The more important issue is how much dirt they leave IN your carpet and how much dirt they spew into the air you breath. You walk across your carpet constantly, sending dirt into the air you breath. You roll around on your carpet playing with your kids or with the family pet, and you’re breathing in dirt that’s been left in your carpet. Given the true importance of a vacuum purchase, doesn’t it seem silly to assign expert status to, and make your decision based on advice from someone untrained and inexperienced in vacuums? Enter Stark’s Vacuums. Their employees are well trained and experienced and can answer your questions based on hard facts. You’ll find that their employees are long term. The Stark’s company must take good care of them, because they stay with the company for a long time. Believe me, I have a 9 year old son, and I am NOT going to risk the air he breaths in my home by listening to the buying advice of a part-​timer at WalMart that’s basing his «expert» information on television commercials. Not happening! So, besides the truly expert information you’ll get from the Stark’s staff, there’s another excellent reason to shop at Stark’s. Customer Service. Let me tell you about my own experience. I had a small issue with the Clackamas store. It was minor, but something that I felt I needed to call the corporate office about. They took my name and phone number, and within a couple hours, guess who called me back? Jim Stark. Yeah, that’s right… Jim STARK as in Stark’s Vacuums. There’s no question that there are lot’s of people on Jim’s payroll that could have made that phone call to me. Yet Jim Stark himself took the time to call. He was very pleasant, extremely helpful, and completely customer service focused. He turned an experience that was slightly negative into a fantastic experience. I’ll tell you, I’m impressed that the Stark company is so focused on customer service that the owner takes the time to address a minor concern. I’ll never make a vacuum or carpet cleaning machine purchase anywhere other than Stark’s. Because of their expert employees and their commitment to customer service, they have earned my lifetime business. And folks, in case you’re wondering, their prices are very competitive. Oh, and while I’m here, let me give you another bit of advice. Don’t rent your next carpet cleaner at a grocery store or a department store. Have you noticed how beat up and unkempt those machines are? Who do you suppose is servicing them? How often do you suppose they are getting serviced? Stark’s rents the best carpet cleaners I’ve used. AND, they are serviced by experts every time they are used. The last time I went to rent, they wouldn’t give me the one they had on hand until they took the time to service it. Do you know what the problem was? It had a pet odor in it. That’s rightism rented the machine and used it in a home that must have had some smelly pets. When the machine was returned, the Stark’s folks noticed an odor and gave the machine a complete cleaning to get that odor out. What do you suppose the odds are that the same thing would happen to the machine you rent at a grocery or department store? If you guessed that every odor that the neighbors beasts left in their carpet would be transferred to yours. If that sounds appealing to you, knock yourself out. If you want a better machine, go to Stark’s. I’ll see you there.