Ron Rhine has owned Hyattsville Vacuum Cleaner Service for 20 years, but he has been in sales for 67.
Hyattsville Vacuum Cleaner Service is a small shop on Baltimore Avenuewith three employees that does repair work and sells vacuums, cleaning supplies and parts.
The store primarily relies on repeat business and loyal customers. They do no not use social media and have a simple web site.
“Most of our new business comes from referrals from our current and past customers. And a little bit from people who find us on the website, but very little through advertising,” Rhine said. “I really don’t do much newspaper advertising. That is too expensive, for a little shop like this, to be practical.”
The shop can provide a greater range of service than department stores because of the amount of support they provide for vacuums that may no longer be carried or made and because of the amount of advice they are able to give to customers, according to Rhine.
“I’m generally amazed at what the staff seems to know about this model vacuum or that, and we’ve always been pleased with their service,” Hyattsville resident Greg Smith said. Hyattsville Vacuum may be well received by its customers, but they may not come up as the first place that people will go to for a vacuum.
“I probably wouldn’t go there to purchase a vacuum, chain stores probably have a bigger selection and better prices,” Katelyn Jarkowiec, a resident of nearby Mount Rainier, said. “For repairs I would go to a smaller shop.”
Rhine started in sales at the age of 10 by selling tins of cloverine salve advertised in the back of comic books. He is now 77, but still finds joy in sales.
“I enjoy what I am doing here. I enjoy the give and take with the customers,” Rhine said. “I am going to continue doing this as long as I am in good health.”