Grand Lake Sew & Vac Center

Awesome. Tammy listened to our concerns with our current vacuum and suggested a new option when we said we were ready to move on. She offered us a reasonably priced model that would meet all of our needs. We actually ended up purchasing a higher end model and before we paid, I checked pricing online, they were offering us a low, low price, and Tammy threw in an attachment she thought would help us with our biggest vacuuming challenge. I usually purchase appliances online or at a large store, but after today I'm going to be exploring local shops for all of my appliance purchases.

I loved Tammy, the previous owner, who was a tough act to follow. Fred has succeeded. There are few business owners as honest and kind as he. I brought in my Miele for a service and instead Bobby pinpointed my problem in less than five minutes, selling me a new hose that fixed the problem beautifully, saving me the money. I brought in an old Miele for a service that no longer had any suction and was disappointed when it came back looking beautiful, but still not functioning. It turned out the other workers were rushed with double parkers and didn't write down the problem (make sure you have them write down what you need!) When I returned Fred explained that the hose that was needed was no longer manufactured. He pulled out an old one and gave it to me free and it worked. He knew the machine was over 20 years old. He told me he would refund my money. Instead I decided to splurge and get a new vacuum at the bottom of the line, just a little more than what I paid 20 years ago. It was twice as powerful. Fred wanted me to be happy and applied the money I had spent on the service toward the new machine.

I was impressed with how he helped people to their cars with the vacuums and refused to ask the landlord to replace his rug, soiled from a fixed leaky roof. "He was so good to us during COVID. I don't want to make any fuss," Fred smiled.

Fred knew the age of the first vacuum I brought in. When I wanted the cord replaced he figured out it was my outlet at home. A very honest business. Just make sure you don't rush if you are double parked so that your wishes are understood and written down! At such challenging times, it's a relief to have a business that's working right, with honest people that you can count on.

I really thought about whether or not I could handle the "frump-factor" of reviewing a store that sells and services vacuum cleaners...but the experience left me feeling so happy with my purchase and the service I received, that I must.

After giving my 1992 Hoover a proper burial recently, I thought..."at long last! I can buy one of those bagless Dyson's engineered by that cool guy with the hot accent." And so I did. I dug out my 20% off Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons and went for it.

Got it home. And the Dyson sucked. And not in the way vacuums are supposed to, by design that is. Based on many good reviews, I decided to buy a Miele. But where to buy? BB&B, Target, etc...don't carry the higher-end Miele. I stopped into the Vac store on Park Avenue in Alameda and they were helpful, but not great.

Today, I visited Grand Lake Sew & Vac Center in my own neighborhood. Tammy, who helped me, was knowledgeable, kind and asked good questions in helping me determine the best fit for our home, budget, use, etc. Not only did she not up-sell me once, but I was very impressed with Tammy's ability to quickly explain the pros and cons of the many models while also demonstrating their features in-store.

After spending 20-30 minutes comparing models, I had to run off to a meeting. Later in the day, I called 5 minutes before the store closed to see if they had the time to sell to me...even though we were up against their closing time. "No problem--come on in." Tammy not only reviewed the models to make sure I was choosing the best for my needs, but she also unpacked, assembled, plugged it in and demo'd it for me so I understood all the functions, HEPA filter stuff, etc. Top it off? She walked it out for me--all the way to the lot behind the Grand Avenue shops. Very kind.

I have to say that beyond getting a nice piece of equipment and being treated wonderfully, I am thrilled that I returned the Dyson to the BB&B mega-store, and gave my business to a local shop who knows their stuff, has been doing it for over 35 years and serves as a reminder of the value of small, owner-operated, neighborhood businesses who know their products and craft, specialize and pass that knowledge and service onto their customers.

If you are in need of a repair or new vacuum, I'd absolutely stop in here. Another awesome find in the hood.

Our old clunker finally gave its last gasp.

We did a lot of on-line research to help us buy a vacuum cleaner. Have you priced them lately? It's a good thing we don't have kids to send to college!

At a certain point in the review process, one must take a test drive. We started at a place that was close to home & were surprised that a vacuum store would be so filthy! We were further surprised when the guy selling gazillion dollar vacuums was rude! I didn't even stay to turn the things on; not doing that fool's cleaning!

Wow. Talk about contrasts. We walked into Grand Lake Sew & Vac Center just a bit before closing and found a clean, well-lit place with a lovely selection of the brand we were flirting with: Miele.

Tammy was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly & generous with her time. And just to sweeten the deal, she offered to match on-line pricing. (The prices on these dream machines don't change much between sellers, regardless.) And then she extended the warranty! Be still my customer service lovin' heart.

She helped us figure out which model would best meet our specific needs & we laid the money down. We do not have a single regret about that, my friends.

I gave our floors a quick once over again last night & it was the dreamiest house cleaning experience I can recall. Who wouldn't want to give these cats a shout out?

I made the mistake a few years ago of buying a dyson knock-off at Target. ("never loses suction" type - what a lie.) I spent a good $300 even at target and this thing was dead in a year.

I went to Grand Lake Sew and Vac to see if it could be fixed but discovered how much more there is to know about choosing the appropriate vacuum cleaner. Even if they could fix my vacuum it was not likely to be right for my rugs and needs. This was not a hard sell or soft sell type of deal - just a complete education! I spent time with Tammy I think who gave me a full rundown on my needs and directed me to a miele model - not an upright. I thought I would never love a vacuum cleaner, let alone one that was not an upright but I DO. And it's been two years and I still LOVE it.

I just regret that I did not go here first. I wasted money at a discount store when I'm a big believer in shopping local anyhow. This is as good as it gets when it comes to why it pays to shop local - you will NEVER find this kind of expertise at a big box store and you could well be throwing away money because of it. LOVE this place, love that they are experts.

I had a Hoover Futura can vacuum serviced here, where they also repaired the lockring on the hose that I otherwise thought was good as dead. For so little $$, and in less than a day, they basically brought that vacuum back to life.

I've since given that vacuum away and naturally needed to replace it (um, upgrade), so I felt inclined to shop here when I decided on a new Miele. Tammy set me up really well with an S4xx series model and was flexible enough to supply me with a package that contained exactly the fittings, heads and color that I wanted, despite Miele's very strange way of determining factory packages. I got all for a very decent price and walked away confident they'll be able to attend to any warranty, repair and maintenance issues with the new vac without any hassle.

Regardless of your model of vacuum, they'll probably have the replacement accessories for it, so come shop here for your bags. Support the small neighborhood angels and ditch the big retail giants.

Wow! What a great merchant. Tammy remembered me from a year ago! She spent 30 minutes on the phone with me, going over what I needed to order for my IQAir (I needed a new pre-filter) and giving me helpful hints on my Ladybug. Seriously, if you need ANYTYHING vacuum, filtration system, or the like . . . give them your business. They believe in customer service and do not abandon you after they make a sale. Love, love, love!!!!!!!