TRAVCO ENTERPRISES

I would like to preface this letter by telling you I have owned a Kirby vacuum cleaner for fifteen years using it off and on in addition to using a smaller, more lightweight vacuum. Knowing there’s little resale value, I keep the Kirby mostly as a spare. I would like to share my recent encounter with Travco Enterprises. They are based in both York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. They are a distributor of Kirby vacuum cleaners. In the hopes that no one will have to endure what I went through, I am sharing my story. I answered a knock on my door. A Kirby sales associate told me I could get my carpet cleaned for free and see the new Kirby at work. I told her I didn’t want my carpets cleaned and didn’t want to purchase a new vacuum. She said if I didn’t agree to the presentation she wouldn’t get a thirty-five-dollar bonus or a chance to win a trip. I told her I already have a Kirby and that I didn't want to buy another one. I removed my Kirby from the closet next to the front door and said I have one right here and I didn’t want to buy a new one. She said that mine looked old and asked if she could see it. I allowed her to come in in, still telling her I didn’t want my carpets cleaned and that I’m not in the market to buy a new one. We looked at the vacuum’s accessories and she told me what some of the attachments could be used for. Next, she got out her phone, and dialed a number (Nick’s number) and said, “We’re in”. Again, I repeated “I don’t want my carpets cleaned and I don’t want to sit through the pressure-loaded presentation. I asked the female associate if she was going to do the cleaning or someone else. She said it would be another associate. I asked her if she could do it and she said no. Next Nick shows up with another man, Darius. Without a knock on the door or using the doorbell, they both came barging in. Again, I made my negative statement, “I don’t want my carpets cleaned and I don’t want to purchase a new vacuum.” Nick then took the female associate out to the car leaving Darius with me. At this time Darius starts to set up. I asked him if he would just leave and we could say he did the presentation. Darius said that wouldn’t be ethical. Nick came back into my home and yet again I repeated that I didn’t want the carpets cleaned and I wasn’t interested in their presentation. At this point, Nick gets mad and started yelling for Darius to pack up. “‘We don’t need this kind of customer” were his words. Once again, between Nick’s ranting, I reminded both of them I didn’t want the vacuum or the presentation. “Why did you let her in your house?” Nick yells quite loudly now. I said she asked to see my old Kirby and I allowed her to come in and look at it, but not with any agreement of a presentation or carpet cleaning., We agreed to go out to his car and verify whether she was just in my home to check out my old Kirby or for someone to clean my carpets and do the presentation. As the two of us let my home and walked down my driveway, Nick started loudly screaming, “Stay away from my associate.” Nick got in the car and took off. I found out later the female associate was crying because I repeatedly said I do not want my carpets cleaned. I went back in the house where Darius continued to pack up. He apologized to me left and right for Nick’s poor behavior. I told him, he wasn’t to blame, but he should find a new representative. I requested a phone number for Kirby. The only contact information available was a web site on a box. I took the web address as that was all that was available. I thought perhaps they might have a business card, but that wasn’t a possibility. I looked up the web site and found a phone number. With all this information fresh on my mind, I was anxious to speak with a customer service representative. This was to no avail as the offices were closed on Saturday. Returning from my office, there’s pounding on my front door. This was actual pounding, not knocking. When I opened the door, Nick was there screaming, “Where is Darius? Where is Darius?” I told him Darius had left. At this time, I was escorting Nick off my property and Nick continues to yell that he was going to report me as a *** offender and a pervert perhaps because I had asked her if she could clean the carpet rather than one of the other associates. Nick continues to yell and continued to call me a pervert multiple times. I live in a development where the homes are close. I’m sure my neighbors could hear him repeating his ugly slurs. I was totally embarrassed as they drove off, just wondering what my neighbors were thinking. Monday, June 25, I called the Travco Enterprise and was able to talk to the owner, Travis Wyble who was expecting my call. He told me I was at fault for their unprofessional attitude. He called me a liar and continued the conversation with threats that he was going to call the police and report me for sexual harassment. He also said I had sexually assaulted the female associate by asking her if she would be the one cleaning the carpets. My next call was to the Kirby Company. Although they listened to my story, they weren’t in the least bit interested. They asked what I wanted. I really wanted Nick fired for the way he treated me, but they can’t do anything about that because he is employed by Travco. They offered to contact Travco for their side of the story. Kirby called back the next day and told me what Mr. Wyble said had happened. His story was one lie after another and also said he did apologize for his associate’s actions. I guess after Mr. Wyble called me a liar, said it was all my fault and constantly threatened me, I must have missed that apology. Kirby said, “Cased closed.” To summarize this Travco Enterprise experience, I would say the three employees were extremely unprofessional, they don’t understand the word, “no”, they have a tendency to lie and they don’t seem to care enough to apologize for their behavior. The owner, Travis Wyble, is one of the most unprofessional persons I have ever met. He also lies and tends to threaten prospective customers in an abusive manner. Kirby doesn’t seem to care about their customers and how poorly they are treated by these franchise associates; their interest seems to be in receiving franchise checks