Abt Customers Through the Generations: Customer Appreciation Sale 2024

Our Customer Appreciation Sale is here on October 26th and 27th! And to show just how much we appreciate every single one of our clients, we've reached out to some of our long-standing customers. Whether they're bringing grandchildren in through the door to look at the newest tech or remodeling their own home, we're so glad to say that many of our customers have been with us for decades. Many have even come with us as we moved from our older locations to our newest one in Glenview, and we asked a few what made them keep coming back to Abt. They all had a similar answer: service.

From the moment you meet a salesperson to the hour an installer finishes setting up your custom kitchen, Abt's service is one of our strongest suits. And bringing the best service possible is just one way we can show customers our appreciation. Below, we're spotlighting some of our longest-standing customers for the Customer Appreciation Sale read up on how these clients first came into contact with Abt (hint: it wasn't on social media).

Leonard, a veteran of the U.S. Army and helicopter pilot, has been a valued Abt customer for a very long time. At 84 years old, he has been coming here since 1949. His parents would bring him along at a time when electronics were entirely new and exciting, and he and his siblings would enjoy watching the TVs in the window. "Our first TV came from Abt, along with our first washing machine. My mother would have the washing machine wash the clothes." Instead of having to hand-wash the clothing herself, she'd have the appliance take care of the chore herself, which was completely new at the time. "Abt changed people's lives over the years."

He came to love the people who worked at Abt, including the entrepreneurs who started it, Jewel and David Abt. "Jewel would be behind the desk, babysitting her son, saying 'Robert, don't touch that!'" When he would walk into the store, Dave would greet them with a "Look around, help yourself!" Leonard notes that coming to Abt throughout the years has always been a learning experience. Here, you get to see new products, TVs, appliances, etc. "If it wasn't for Abt, people wouldn't get to see the new products."

We asked Leonard what he enjoys about Abt now that he's the shopper instead of his parents. He pointed out some of the people who've helped him throughout the years, like Jordan from Small Electronics and John Samp in the Mobile Audio Installation department. Leonard has 11 cars, and Samp is his go-to guy. When he comes in, Mike in Security will smile and say "Not you again..." "Your employees genuinely care about the customers and recognize them." And that goes all the way back to Jewel and Dave Abt "Abt was personal, and Dave took special interest in customers since it was family-owned." We're truly thankful for Leonard's business and are glad to say that in the fourth generation of the family-owned business, we hope to continue Jewel and Dave's legacy.

We'd like to thank Leonard for his service, and would also like to remind all veterans, active military members, first responders, teachers, nurses and students that we offer them a discount whether they're shopping online or in-store.

Paula loves Abt's tagline "Pleasing People... Since 1936" because Abt began the same year she was born. "I've been shopping at Abt ever since I got my home in Glenview in 1959." Little did she know she would be an Abt neighbor we share a zip code! She grew up in the area and has always chosen us for appliances, and we're grateful. Her entire home is equipped with appliances from us, from refrigerators to washing machines and even TVs. "I love the people; they're so friendly. The smiles, the service, everything. Everything you buy, you know they'll take care of."

When she babysits on a rainy day, Paula enjoys bringing her grandkids here, too, all to join in the Abt fun. They love the massive 7,500-gallon fish tank, chocolate chip cookies, even simple things like throwing pennies in the fountain (all coins collected are donated to the For Autistic Kids Foundation). And just like her, they love the bubble machine.

"I was here with my daughter one day and thought 'Nobody's around!'" Paula said of her time in the bubble machine. She climbed in and had fun trying to wrap herself in a bubble (which is harder than it seems). And while she had fun in the bubble machine, it's not her favorite thing about Abt. "It's the people...and when you buy something there, you know it'll be taken care of. I've never heard of an unhappy customer." We're glad to hear it, Paula, and everyone should know that the bubble machine isn't just for kids: swing by, hop in and have fun!

When we spoke to Patricia, she was awaiting her next Abt purchase: a dishwasher that was arriving the next day. Funnily enough, it's replacing her first-ever Abt purchase, a KitchenAid dishwasher that she bought 30 years ago. You heard that right, her dishwasher lasted 30 years. She bought it from the Morton Grove location the same day that she picked out a new range and television.

When we asked her what she loved most about shopping at Abt, she had a similar reply to Leonard and Paula. "It's the people, everyone who works here. The delivery guys are very clean and careful, and everything is seamless." And while her recent visit was the first time at our Glenview location, "I was gobsmacked when I saw the store." Patricia came with a friend and their grandkids, and they had lots of fun in the Candy Store. "We loved the body part candy for Halloween!" She wishes she could have stayed longer to explore, and we're happy to have her as a customer and invite her back to explore the store anytime! There's lots more to see.

Jim is a relatively newer customer and has been shopping with Abt since 2013 when he bought a laptop. He and his wife bought all of their kitchen and laundry appliances here the same year for a true Abt upgrade.

Since Jim has had the complete Abt experience with all-new kitchen appliances and a new laptop, we asked him what he loves about shopping here at Abt. He stressed that the people and the service are beyond compare, and that there's nothing like it.

"Holy crap" was his first impression when he came in the store. Now he knows that "I'll always be a customer here". When he comes to Abt, "I stop by just to talk to the people in the Connect Store." Jim is a diabetic, too, so it can be hard to find good candy, but Abt's Candy Store has it.

It's important to note that Jim is a veteran and a pilot and we thank him for his service. He's a part of Honor Flight Chicago, an organization that "recognizes the bravery, determination and patriotism of our nation's senior war veterans with a one-of-a kind journey to Washington, D.C." The goal is to thank older military veterans for their service with "a day of honor, thanks and inspiration." Learn more about Honor Flight Chicago here.

Meet Charlie Boyle, a veteran aerial photographer in the Air Force, veteran National Guardsman and Abt customer. Charlie is a longtime Abt shopper, and, at 95 years old, has seen a lot of evolution in the world of appliances and electronics. "Abt is outstanding. I remember coming there when it was on Dempster in Morton Grove, when the current generation of Abts were just kids." Just like Jim, Charles has invested in lots of Abt products for his home. "A furnace, generator, microwave, car radio equipment, all from Abt".

Charles is the Vice-President Emeritus of the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame, and made his career as a photographer. He worked for NBC Television News and has been recognized with four television Chicago Emmy Awards as well as multiple honors from the Aviation community, including five Civil Air Patrol Certificates of Merit.

When asked what he loved so much about Abt, he mentioned that "Everybody there is professional with a wonderful attitude. They know their jobs. I'm always greeted with a 'Good Morning' or 'Good Afternoon', and so many Abt employees have a strong, firm handshake."

Charlie pointed out that he's always been happy with any maintenance he's needed for his purchases, and that he always comes in when there's something wrong with his phone and gets help from Jordan in the Connect Store. And he just bought a washer;we're glad to still be Charlie's go-to choice for appliances after all these years.

Our final customer spotlight is Susan Anderson, and we're happy to have her as a client. She has been shopping at Abt for over ten years, when she first bought appliances from Abt (the essentials: a microwave, range and dishwasher). What's interesting is how she heard about Abt.

"I had known about Abt for a long time, but my daughter-in-law was remodeling the kitchen with all-new appliances here" and she was impressed by the service. Her husband came in during the holidays and was wowed by our toys, too. That's when Susan ordered her own dishwasher. But when it was installed, there was a plumbing issue. She thought it was something that only a plumber could fix. Susan pulled out her phone to call her plumber and Abt's installers said "Nope, we can fix this for you ourselves". She, too, appreciates the service and knowledge our team brings to every job. Our service is what will keep her coming back to Abt.

During our Customer Appreciation Sale on October 26th and 27th, we're so happy to spotlight some of our longtime customers who have shopped at Abt for over a decade (or even their whole lives). If you bought your first radio here, came to Abt instead of Polk brothers, or love coming here with the kids and grandkids, we can't thank you enough for your support. From the moment David and Jewel opened the store, we've worked to create a space where people could not only shop, but enjoy the newest technologies. Next time you come into the store, bring your kids or grandkids and explore some of our best attractions, like the Dave Abt theater and the aquarium. We can't wait to help you make some new memories, and we'd love to show new generations the value of a family-owned business that thrives on the same thing every one of these customers loved: our service.