Avalon Vacuum

I had used them for years and received excellent service. On my last visit, a sales person named Mark said he didn’t know the part I needed. I said that he had the same vacuum on his sales floor. As I walked over to show him, he left me and went over to another customer! This place has lost my business.

Fantastic service! Helpful, personable and attentive!

First of all, I have a Shark, and apparently Shark doesn’t sell/​distribute its parts to any middlemen. That means usually stores like this can’t fix Shark vacuums. I thought it was worth calling them because it seemed the only things wrong with my vacuum were a detached wire and a broken fitting where the bottom of the vacuum rotates relative to the rest of the upright vacuum. The person over the phone (I’m an idiot for forgetting his name because he recognized me and helped me when I came in to drop off and pick up my vacuum) said it was worth bringing it in for the mechanic to take a look. I brought it in, the mechanic (again I’m an idiot for forgetting his name too because he was really helpful and had an admirable can-​do attitude) said he could fix the wire and probably rig something up to make the vacuum stand up/​rotate again even though they don’t have Shark parts. Sure enough, the next morning, I get a call that my vacuum is fixed. I came to pick it up and they had cleaned it inside and out so that it looked brand new. It also worked like brand new! I’m super excited (probably too excited.) about reducing waste by repairing this vacuum and saving money by spending $ 50 on the repair instead of $ 180 on buying the same vacuum again. Also, I’m very grateful to the Avalon crew for not turning me away and for doing such an excellent job for such a reasonable price. I hope my vacuum does not break again, but I will come here if it does!

I ordered a part replacement (broken hose) for my vacuum, and they seemed reasonable over the phone. But when I delivered my vacuum, Mark at the service counter was less than stellar. [Note this review was for service performed several years ago… I’m just getting around to saving/​posting it now…]

I was seeking disposable vacuum cleaner bags for a vintage (circa 1958) Kirby No. 518 upright. My go-​to place had been the now defunct A.A. Moley, formerly of Evanston. So a visit to Sears got me no supplies, but a friendly lead to Avalon from the Sears salesperson.
When I arrived here the next day, things were looking good from the advice and service being given to the people ahead of me. When I explained to the salesman what I needed and that I had previously used non-​Kirby brand bags, he knew exactly what I needed and brought me a 3-​pack of Eureka brand F&G Premium dust filtration bags. He was also able to get me a replacement bayonet lamp for the Kirby’s «front light.» Both items were at reasonable prices and fit my machine perfectly.
It was confident and friendly service. These are my Kirby’s new pals!

Rudest customer service here. I get better prices buying brand new vacuums online Whatever price the repair may be, it’s not worth dealing with these grumpy old men

First time customer here, and I’m now a huge fan. My 10+ year old Fantom vaccum just wasn’t sucking up dirt anymore. When I took it in on a Saturday, Mark said it probably needed a new belt. They called me on the following Tuesday to say it was ready for pickup! Besides replacing the belt, they took it apart, blew out the filters and basically made it run like new again. Pretty good for under $ 50. I will be taking my vac back here for regular checkups, and when I need a new machine, I will buy it from Avalon. A great neighborhood business!!!

Happy customer here for more than 10 years. Yep, some products/​services can be a bit overpriced but I’ve never had a problem with their repair service. Granted, they have a very specific niche and brick ‘n’ mortar is expensive nowadays so I would hardly think they’re «raking it in» by any stretch of the imagination. And their attitude could be called «old school», which I’ve never had a problem with either. If I need to gushed over, I go to Disneyland.

Very helpful, they go out of their way and even gave me a free part once because it was not in a package. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

My 3 year old Dyson vacuum cleaner had been through the ringer. I have a 110 pound long haired dog shedding everywhere & bringing in loads of dirt from the outside daily. Frankly I never thought the vacuum would last this long but something had to give and suddenly there was no longer any suction. I am very pleased with Avalon Vacuum & Janitorial Supply Co. and the repair job they did. I took the Dyson over for them to take a look. They diagnosed the problem. They were patient & honest giving an estimated range of costs for the repairs. They said it would probably take no longer than a week to fix. They cleaned out the insides, a part was ordered and replaced and in four days I receive a call reporting that my vacuum was ready to be picked up. It is working beautifully, the suction is strong as ever & the dog hair is under control once again.
Also, I noticed that the supplies in the shop seem pretty good. They have a swivel (type) floor duster that is a lot heartier than the kind you get at K-​mart and it comes with a sturdy washable duster attachment (rather than the paper disposable ones that cost an arm & a leg even at Costco). They also have all kinds of small convenient vacuums to pull out quickly to take care of a mess when the dog knocks a plant over. This Avalon Vacuum store is a great place!

I went in this past Saturday to see if they could fix a used Riccar vacuum I bought on eBay. I got prompt attention, a can-​do attitude, and it was fixed in less than 10 minutes. The guy didn’t even charge me! If I ever need maintenance or other supplies, I’ll definitely go back. Highly recommended! Thanks again, guys!

When I dropped my vacuum off, I was told I would be called back within two days with a price quote and what the problem was. Quelle surprise: Never got called. So, I decided to call myself. When I asked about the quote the guy at Avalon told me he probably thought it was the motor.
He also said I could get a used motor or a new one. I asked how much the used one would be, and his reply was: «I have to ask Bob.» Like I know who Bob is. Just get me a quote, I thought to myself. I told them I would come and pick the vacuum up. When I got to Avalon, they handed me the vacuum back, but taken apart with wires hanging loose. They told me they would put it back together, but they would have to charge me for it… QUE? After complaining for a bit (I stayed calm, even though its a $ 500 vacuum cleaner), they told me eventually they would put it back together for free, but at this point I lost faith.
I should have listened to the earlier reviews. People: do not take your vacuum cleaner here. Oh, and check the rating details…

I haven’t been able to use my vacuum for months. It just doesn’t suck anything up. When I took my vacuum in, Mark took it to the back to look at it for a few minutes, found something was clogged, and fixed it free of charge! Service was great!
The only drawbacks are the limited street parking and it’s not the nicest looking place… but if you don’t mind that then it’s great! I would recommend Avalon.

These guys are great. Excellent service and very knowledgeable about our old vacuum. They were able to provide us with the part we needed to get that beast up and running again in no time. I would recommend to anyone who needs some work done to their vacuum!

The team at Avalon Vacuum is great. I had to get some refill bags for my Royal vacuum, about a $ 4 purchase, and was given the same style of assistance as if I was purchasing a $ 400 vacuum. One of the reps, Mark, also informed me that Royal, Dirt Devil and Hoovers are all the same company, so I didn’t have to just buy the more expensive Royal bags. Good education, great service, very happy customer for years to come!

I walked in, I said a friendly «Hello» and the guy at the counter (as soon as I walk in) replies «Yeah, What are you doing here?»
What kind of Greeting is that? Pretty damn rude.
Long story short, The repair person (the repair counter) informed me that it wouldn’t make sense to fix my Bissell Lil Green Machine as the pump would likley cost half the price of a new Machine. I agreed. Same guy helped me find the vaccum bags I needed for my other vaccum.
Upon leaving the store, I said «Have a nice weekend «to each man in the store. Just because one of them in a complete and total dick doesnt mean I have to be a bitch.
Yeah, their prices are a lil higher but if the customer service was better, I probably would have bought a steam cleaner.
I went to a competiter and dropped some cash on the Bissell Proheat 2x for a friend and a beloved Bissell Lil Green Machine for myself.

I love avalon… I love my oreck. I do not like the oreck repair people. I like Mark, the avalon repair person…(I think he used to work for oreck.) Today, I had a ride and brought my vacuum cleaner in for service. I explained that I don’t have a car and had a ride for the today. Mark repaired my vacuum and I picked it up within several hours, saving me on the cab fare. Reasonably priced, (although I did pay a fee for same day service-​it was still cheaper than taking a cab). It is so nice to be able to vacuum again. Thanks Avalon!

This place is very old-​school, in a history of Chicago local business, kind of way. I felt like I was back in time, like in the 60s or 70s, it was almost timeless really.
The guys working there are super-​friendly, funny characters and extremely knowledgeable about all things vacuum.
I didn’t even know the model and type of my own vacuum, for which I needed a new filter piece, and had brought the old one to show them. I saw my vacuum type up on a wall and pointed to it, and they knew all about it. «The Hoover Flair.» I always thought it was a dirt devil for some reason, I think because it’s red, my bad.
Anyway, a nice vacuum-​expert guy answered my questions about the part and how much it would be to order, etc. No hard selling. He said my filter looked clogged with dirt, but if I wanted I could try to shake out the dirt outside, and I did, but of course it didn’t work. So, I placed the order and they called within a few days when it came in. My vacuum works fine now, previously it didn’t suck at all!
Only drawback, is parking –hard to park on Ashland with all the cars speeding by.

These guys know their trade, and their products. 4 or 5 years ago I took a year old ‘big box’ retail vacuum in for repair, and was told it wasn’t made to be fixed. I ended up buying their cheapest upright vac, and it’s still running. They rent dry carpet scrubbers which are a great improvement over the icky wet systems you can rent at Jewel.
As for the poor reviews, they reflect more on the authors than the guys at Avalon. Some people don’t like being told that they’re wrong by someone more knowledgeable. They’d rather have perky ‘customer service’ than real service. If you want to buy solid lasting products, do business with local stores, and product experts, these are your guys for vacuum and floor cleaning supplies.

When some folks rate this place, they look at overall cost of the vacuum… it sort of indicates above budget-​grade in the name of the company, so quit yer griping cheapskates. You get what you pay for.
Instead of surfing Kmart or Target for vacuum supplies for my broken vacuum, I found Avalon in searching the net. Found the products, they were helpful in locating the replacement belt and bags. Reasonable price, good service. What more do you need?