According to a recent poll conducted by Tornado Industries, 60 percent of the cleaning professionals questioned indicated that they "have brand loyalty and tend to buy vacuums from the same manufacturer."
 
What motivates this loyalty? According to those polled, the machines they purchase from those manufacturers have proven to be durable. However, 40 percent indicated that they do not have brand loyalty, purchasing their vacuums from a variety of manufacturers.
 
Asked what their first consideration is when selecting a new vacuum cleaner, 26 percent of responders (the largest number) indicated "ease of use." Twenty-three percent indicated once again brand loyalty. The remainder wanted a machine with an advanced air-filtration system (20 percent); only 11 percent said price was their foremost concern.
 
"The participants were also given the opportunity to write in their answer to this question," says Jolynn Kennedy, Director of Marketing for Tornado Industries. "One respondent answered, ‘We need it to be CRI approved,’ likely reflecting the growing impact of Green cleaning."
 
Other information gathered in the survey included:
• When gathering information on vacuum cleaners, 53 percent of responders said they visit manufacturers Web sites; the rest seek information from trade publications, their distributors, their peers, or social media, in that order.
• Asked how long they usually keep their commercial vacuum cleaners, 40 percent indicated three to six years; 34 percent said more than six years; and 26 percent indicated only one to three years.
• As to the frequency of repairs, 54 percent indicated that they typically have to repair an upright vacuum cleaner once or twice during its lifespan; 26 percent indicated three times; and the rest more than three times.

The survey also asked responders about their most common problems with their vacuum cleaners. The respondents were pretty evenly divided on this issue:

• frayed or broken cords
• declining performance
• burned-out motor
• increased noise or abnormal vibration

"What surprised me was the high number of people loyal to a specific brand," says Kennedy. "That is unusual nowadays. Manufacturers have to work hard to keep this trust."