The Vacuum Cleaner Story

I don't know if you folks in Malaysia know anything about Dyson. They make the coolest vacuum cleaners known to mankind, and the story of Sir James Dyson is a must read for every wannabe entrepreneur.

Not many people though (especially in the States) know that like Dell laptops, these über cool machines are made here in Malaysia!

As my correspondence to the people at Dyson will tell you, I was shocked to note that our retailers here don't stock them appliances. Why? I am yet to know why, but I suppose the potential is huge. How else can you explain a group of school kids having lunch at Carls Jr in Sunway Pyramid? When I was back at school, McD's was at the high end of the scale..

Us, Malaysian urban dwellers just love premium items, man! As long as the brand name brings association with the good life, we'll buy it!

So, I decided to write to Dyson..

Here I reproduce my e-mail in its entirety, minus personal details:

"Dear Mr. Dyson,

I am writing this from Malaysia, a country you surely would know well by now as your low-cost manufacturing facility.

I have been a great (read: fanatical) admirer of your goodself since my student days in the UK back in 1997, where I would read up about you in tech magazines, when the latest hot contraptions were handphones, HiFis and LCD TVs.

I know it is a bit belated, but congratulations for making it big, as I knew you would 10 years ago.

My great big thanks for providing my countrymen with jobs, even though at the risk of great flak from people from your homeland.

But my greatest gratitude is for saving our planet Earth, by making use of recyclable plastics in your products, as well as reducing the usage of paper bags globally.

The thing is, I was given a vacuum cleaner (a cheap Made in China model) as a wedding present by my brother, and thus, by local customs, were obliged to use it (especially when he came around) even though it was worse than a traditional coconut-leaves skewer broom! The worst part, as you would guess is when one needed to dispose off the dust stored in the cloth-bag (like the paper bag, only this was a permanent fixture), which was quite filthy and troublesome with all sorts of clips and such.

We were blessed when one day, (by accident of course) my wife broke the attachment (like I said, it was cheap), and like all other non-aesthetically inclined, low-cost driven, no customer support product, we happily noted that there were no spare parts for that sorry excuse for a vacuum-cleaner.

Not wanting my wife to despair, I sought to get a replacement for her and your Dyson machine was the first thing that popped into my mind!

I have worked hard to be able to make enough to support my wife and two kids, and knowing how steep your price is, I think now, I should be able to happily pay for your premium piece.

BUT WHY OH WHY OH WHY?

I have scoured the internet through and through, and I need an answer urgently; Why would you be selling the Malaysian made product in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and China BUT NOT HERE IN MALAYSIA?

This is beyond belief.

Do you know how many people have I mentioned your success story to since a decade ago? People who I motivated enough to come back from the UK and rather than the HiFi sets, they brought back your vacuums instead (albeit from a car-boot sale)?

Do you know how Malaysians hunger for your products?

For it to be produced in Senai, Johor and not getting sold in Kuala Lumpur and Pulau Pinang is definitely mind-boggling.

And I have a broken vacuum cleaner.

Thus, I would humbly request for a Dyson machine sent to me free of charge for:

1. The grief that I had after I realized I cannot get your product here in Malaysia

2. For the decade long dedication and effort in providing word-of-mouth promotion and brand awareness

3. In exchange of greater publicity (not to mention the highlighting of my life-long gratitude) to the general Malaysian public via my Blog site and word-of-mouth marketing campaign.

Your Marketing/Customer Service people should be able to get me via e-mail or call my mobile phone number at: (+xxx)xxxxfive2.

Your swift reply is highly appreciated.

Many, many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

xxx xx xxx"