Buying a Bernina Sewing Machine

A lady appeared; she’d brought her old Bernina sewing machine in for service. We chatted as I booked her machine in and wrote out her ticket. The lady had that look, I’ve seen it before, and she needed no excuse to walk into our showroom. I followed. We have a nice Bernina stand that holds six or seven of the most popular Bernina sewing machines. It rather caught her eye.

She cast her eyes upon the illuminated machines, each one designed for a general purpose. Of course, like many visitors to our shop, she wasn’t yet sure which one might suit her best. But she knew she wanted a Bernina, and she also knew she wanted one that would last for many years to come.

My father, who became an authorised Bernina dealer in 1958, taught me, many moons ago, that my job isn’t to sell, and I’ve never seen it that way. Instead, my job is to be a ‘matchmaker’. And funnily, sewing machines, especially Bernina sewing machines, and sewing, are all about love. But, you know that already, don’t you?
So instead, my role is to match the machine that best suits my customer’s requirements. Then they can decide about cost and guilt, and where it will sit in their sewing room or area.
And should they tell anyone they’ve bought a new Bernina…

So anyways, we chatted some more about how the lady had inherited the Bernina from her late mother-in-law. She told me she’d been searching for a local Bernina dealer and found us, and here she was. So the chat continued, and I asked a few gentle questions. It turned out the lady had tried a bit of quilting and was now looking for a Bernina quilting machine.
Quilting, I pointed out, was dangerous territory as it often leads to full-blown addiction. The lady nodded quietly and I could see the bug had already bitten

The lady’s hand reached for and touched the Bernina 570 QE. The white body and sleek silver grey fascia had caught her eye. “I like that”, she reported. I pointed out that in addition to the handsome looks, the 570 QE was also rugged and robust, and an excellent choice for the increasingly ambitious quilter.
I showed her the built-in Dual Feed Mechanism on the Bernina 570 Quilter’s Edition. Very efficient at feeding the top layer of large quilting projects. Helping as it does to prevent top-layer slippage and waving.

The lady was impressed. She mentioned that although she’d looked at various websites, she was unsure which Bernina she should buy. Seeing the Bernina sewing machines in our shop gave her a much better understanding. And, by watching a Bernina demonstration, she could see just how well it sewed a straight-stitch, zig-zag and buttonhole. I always invite our Bernina customers to try the machines themselves. The look is one thing, but getting the feel of any machine during a demonstration is very important. Always test and try yourself before you part with your brass.
So, I invited the lady to test the Bernina 570 QE herself. She seemed very happy at the prospect, and I didn’t rush her and chatted about the weather, sciatica and the cost of diesel. I don’t think she listened….

The chat turned, as it so often does, to aftercare and all of that. I pointed out that Bambers provides excellent Bernina aftercare. Not only do we include a two year guarantee with every Bernina sewing machine bought from us, but we also provide unlimited free tuition. So, at any time in the future, the lady could phone up and book a session with Maggie or Jenny for some tuition.
She liked the sound of that, and she said with a smile, I’d like to buy the Bernina 570 QE, please, Alan. It’s perfect.

There has always been cost competition. I remember back in the 1970’s when my father would check the Manchester Evening News. Quite often, there would be an advert from another sewing machine dealer listing discounts and deals. Dad, of course, always believed that service trumped discounts, although he was always prepared to do a deal, as well.
My brother Steve and I agree, but we also agree with Dad’s old motto. On all the labels he attached to his sewing machine was the line,
Bambers. Where service comes easy.

Customers often tell me that choosing a Bernina sewing machine is not simply a purchase, but the beginning of many years of enjoyment, creativity and satisfaction. So, you can see why I take it seriously – which Bernina I match to each of our customers.

So I believe that the service we offer at Bambers still provides our customers with the best option. Especially so if you buy a Bernina. With our Expert and Unlimited Free Tuition and an on-site workshop staffed by Steve and Shahid, who, between the pair of them, have seventy odd years of training, expertise and experience. In other words, Bambers will take care of you once you’ve bought your Bernina Sewing Machine and it is, as Dad would say, Where service comes easy.

Although we are based in Manchester, the centre of the universe, people come to us from all over the UK to buy Bernina sewing machines. And you are most welcome to pay us a visit and have a chat and a Bernina demonstration. We are open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturdays 9am – 3pm. Closed Wednesdays & Sundays. And we have a small car park at the rear of the building.

Meanwhile, click here to take a look at our Bernina Sewing Machines line up on our website