American Coin-Op - December 2017

THE YEAR’S BEST IDEAS

We covered a variety of important topics this year. If you happened to miss a story along the way, or could use a refresher, dig into this brief recap of some of 2017’s most informative American Coin-Op articles.

CUSTOMER CRAZIES

Customers’ antics can leave you smiling, shaking your head, or both. We asked store owners from around the country to share their favorite “customer crazy” moments.

LINING THINGS UP AT NATIONAL LAUNDRY & DRY CLEANING

Phong Duong was working long hours at the nail salon he owned and looking for other business opportunities when he attended a vended laundry symposium. It wasn’t long before he acquired and equipped his high-speed laundry.

STAY CONNECTED: THERE’S GROWTH TO BE HAD IN REACHING MILLENNIALS

What do they want? How do you reach them? How do you keep them loyal to your laundry? Speed Queen’s Jim Rosenthal says you might take some pointers from Doug Klingler, owner of Milwaukee’s Your Laundry.

WHEN

The good thing about operating in a mall, columnist Howard Scott says, is there are lots of potential

The bad thing is there are uniform rules that everyone must obey. If you still prefer such a location, choose one that will work for you.

A CLOSER LOOK 22

WHAT’S YOUR DEXTER DREAM? For the past 120 years, Dexter has been helping people realize their dreams. Our team is passionate about helping customers just like you build successful businesses.

SUCCESS

As employee-owners, our success depends on your success. Our focus in every product we build and every service we provide is to make you successful and satisfied.

FREEDOM

With DexterLive, you can provide customer service and manage your business anytime, anywhere. This opens new possibilities to live the life you want to ... not the life you have to.

We are proud to build products that we believe in. We refuse to compromise on quality, and we back every machine with lifetime technical support and leading warranties.

Charles Thompson, Publisher

E-mail: cthompson@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1680

Donald Feinstein, Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director

E-mail: dfeinstein@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1682

Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

ANOTHER ONE IN THE BOOKS

THE YEAR’S BEST IDEAS

You’re a busy self-service laundry owner or operator with a lot to do to keep your business running smoothly. I can see why— though you undoubtedly worked very hard to peruse each and every page of American Coin-Op each month—you may have missed a story here or there. With that in mind, I reviewed the work we presented this year and recapped what I think were some of the most informative articles, beginning on page 8.

ALL WRAPPED UP

For the Laundromat owner who has everything, Goin’ with Cohen’s Laurance Cohen has compiled some holiday gift ideas this month. They range in price from a few dollars to several thousand, and they each have their own unique view of our industry—but none stranger than “The Laundwich Shop.” Start checking off your list on page 16.

CUSTOMER CRAZIES

To those of you who answered my call for crazy customer stories, many thanks. From north, south, east, west, I received tales from all over. I won’t spoil them—they’re on page 26—but it seems to me that 1) Laundromat owners can’t take for granted that all customers understand how their equipment works, and 2) there are some items you just shouldn’t place in a washer.

LET’S DO IT AGAIN IN ’18

On behalf of the entire American Trade Magazines staff, I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season. I look forward to seeing you back here next year.

Bruce Beggs Editorial Director

E-mail: bbeggs@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1683

Roger Napiwocki, Production Manager

Nathan Frerichs, Digital Media Director

E-mail: nfrerichs@ATMags.com Phone: 312-361-1681

ADVISORY BOARD

Kurt Archer Ann Hawkins Wayne Lewis Kathryn Q. Rowen

OFFICE INFORMATION

Main: 312-361-1700

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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American Coin-Op (ISSN 0092-2811) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $46.00; 2 years $92.00. Foreign, 1 year $109.00; 2 years $218.00. Single copies $9.00 for U.S., $18.00 for all other countries. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Coin-Op, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 58, number 12. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 566 West Lake Street, Suite 420, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Coin-Op is distributed selectively to owners, operators and managers of chain and individually owned coin-operated laundry establishments in the United States. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason.

© Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2017. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Coin-Op does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Coin-Op or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

Bruce Beggs

CONFRONTING THE SCARY, AVOIDING THE ‘TURKEYS’

Inspired by the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays, this quarter’s American Coin-Op Your Views survey challenged coin laundry owners to admit their darkest fears and to identify those things for which they give thanks.

The majority of vended laundry owners (31.7%) consider a “competitor [opening] a new store nearby” as their most frightening ownership scenario.

Some other possibilities that give owners the creeps include a “child [getting] injured while playing in [the] laundry” (26.8%); “Business is down and you don’t know why” (17.1%); “Key piece of equipment is out of order” (12.2%); and “[The] store will be without power for [a] long period of time” (9.8%).

Some store owners have already faced frightful scenarios: • “Having store struck by lightning. Took three long days to get everything back up and running.”

• “Fire in shopping center not originating in my store. Shut down for three months.”

• “Customer drove through front of store.”

As for giving thanks, spirits are high among the store owners who responded to the survey. Some 95% said they were thankful “because our operation is performing well.”

The trade audience was asked if they agreed with this statement: “Our equipment works well and isn’t a concern.” The level of agreement was less concentrated, yet still overwhelmingly positive. Roughly 44% “completely agree” with the statement and another 41.5% “somewhat agree.” Much smaller shares “neither agree nor disagree” (2.4%), “somewhat disagree” (9.8%) or “completely disagree” (2.4%).

And the final statement: “Our customers appreciate the service we provide.” Again, largely positive were the responses. Roughly 53.7% “completely agree,” 41.5% “somewhat agree,” and the remaining 4.9% “neither agree nor disagree.”

Who or what is the biggest “turkey”—headache-causer—in your self-service laundry? Top pick among respondents was “employee(s),” at 26.8%, but not far behind were “other” (24.4%), “equipment” (22.0%) and “customer(s)” (17.1%). In the “other” category, individual responses were often tied to utility rates or business taxes/fees.

The Your Views survey presents an unscientific snapshot of the trade audience’s viewpoints. Subscribers to American Coin-Op e-mails are invited to participate anonymously in the quarterly industry survey. The entire audience is encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses helps to better define owner/operator opinions and industry trends. ACO

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BEST IDEAS The Yearʼs

American Coin-Op covered a variety of important topics this year. If you happened to miss a story along the way, or you could use a refresher, then you might appreciate a brief recap. Here’s a quick look at some of the informative articles presented in 2017.

IT’S TIME TO RETOOL

If you get the sense that your customer base is thinning out and your store is looking a little worse for wear, it’s probably time to consider retooling with new equipment.

In addition to a strong economy, favorable tax laws regarding equipment depreciation have encouraged small-business owners to buy new equipment in recent years, says Dennis Harker, owner of Alabamabased distributor SaveMore Commercial Laundry.

Retooling in terms of complete renovation most often happens with a store acquisition. It’s not uncommon for a store owner to upgrade his/her existing Laundromat, either a portion or the entire facility.

The state of existing wash/dry equipment, the local competitive landscape and changing demographics are among the factors that might encourage one to retool.

Concerning equipment, it may be either the machinery is no longer sustainable due to increasing maintenance and repair issues, or it’s somewhat outdated when compared to today’s high-efficiency models.

“With the higher-efficiency equipment,

people are retooling even if the equipment is not in disrepair simply because the new equipment may use 10, 20, 70% less utilities,” says Western State Design’s Bryan Maxwell.

Also relatively new to the game is the ability to monetize additional features like a pre-wash or extra rinse, described by Maxwell as a “value-added wash cycle.”

Installing new washers and dryers offers a natural opening for store owners to increase vend prices.

A more modern look attracts more customers, a store can provide additional wash capacity through larger machines, and new equipment controls offer greater store management tools.

All of them work together to streamline the laundry process and enable customers to get into and out of a Laundromat more quickly.

“We’re building stores that are much larger and offer way more features than

your grandfather’s Laundromat,” says John Francis, sales manager for Speed Queen distributor Commercial Equipment Co. in Texas. “We have stores that have Wi-Fi, hair salons, restaurants. If you’re a small, dingy store in a good area and you haven’t been taking care of your customers, I would say, ‘Look out, because somebody’s coming to get you.’”

BUILDING A BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

When ordering a cup of coffee, the Starbucks experience is quite different than that of McDonald’s, and that difference is rooted in the customer experience, says Jim Hohnstein of Martin-Ray Laundry Systems. You can make money and be successful throwing washers and dryers into a room and flipping on the open sign, but you can also command a premium for your services by focusing on a higher-level customer experience.

Be as pliable as when you started. Never stop learning and growing as an owner. Seek out new ideas and ways to give your customers more than just basic tools that wash and dry. A clean store with good lighting is not enhancing the customer experience; these are basic prerequisites to being in the laundry business.

The vended laundry game is trending toward larger equipment, Hohnstein says. If you don’t offer 40-, 60- and 80-pound washer-extractors, your store isn’t giving customers what they want (and you also are missing out on utility savings and profit potential).

A truly exemplary customer experi- ▲

Looking back at some of 2017’s best and brightest from the pages of American Coin-Op

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

(Image licensed by Ingram Publishing)

ence starts from the first interaction with a store – the front door. Customers are lugging giant bags into stores, and large automatic doors definitely help simplify things for them. Upsize laundry carts and customers will appreciate not having to balance bags and baskets overflowing with laundry on carts too small for their needs.

Print stickers or implement a cart colorcoding system that ties to machine capacity to help customers understand how much each machine can hold.

Having a variety of cycle options and modifiers on laundry equipment is a must

Is it vibrantly colored and well-lit?

Having signage that is unique is important when your store is located in a strip center, especially if any surrounding businesses are vacant. Can the public see that you run a “Coin Laundry” or a “Laundromat”? Those terms must stand out.

If you have a freestanding store, you can maximize the use of signage in your windows. Invest in having the signage done professionally.

Is the area around your store landscaped? Is it at least well-maintained? Virtually any exterior can benefit from a fresh coat of paint every so often.

What is your store’s parking availability? Do you have ample spots? Is the lot brightly lit? Are there cracks or potholes in the parking lot surface? How accessible is your store to the average person? Does it have a ramp for the disabled?

Are your windows clean and free of chips and cracks?

and social media like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat that can connect businesses and customers virtually.

“Traditional marketing is a completely different concept entirely,” says Jennifer Rae Schulman, president of Fortune Web Marketing. Her New Jersey firm offers an array of online marketing services, including search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing services. “Digital marketing must be done frequently and with more consistency.”

“Every business should have social media in its marketing plan,” says Dennis Diaz, president of Spynr (pronounced “spinner”). His New York company offers software and online marketing services to laundries and dry cleaners. “Social media has one of the highest lead-to-close rates. The key is figuring out which one is right for your business.

“The simplest way to discover where you need to be is by speaking with your current customers. Find out where they ‘hang out’ online. It’s likely you can locate others like them there.”

in delivering a great customer experience, Hohnstein believes.

Greater wash capacity should mean greater dryer capacity as well, and big stacks can enhance customer experience. He suggests installing stacks on platforms to make loading and unloading easier on a customer’s back.

Trending to one-price dryer starts of 50 or 75 cents gives the maximum amount of heat versus forcing clients to keep going through cool-down cycles with 25-cent prices, according to Hohnstein.

As consumers ourselves, ideas are all around us. Look at your grocery store, car dealership, restaurant, etc., and identify little things that make your task easier or make you feel more valued as a customer. Then bring these ideas to your store and adapt them.

FRESHEN THINGS UP

With a little creative thought, vended laundry owners and operators can utilize a variety of inexpensive ways to improve their stores and attract new customers.

To prepare, try walking around your store as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Examine these key areas with a critical eye: Exterior — Is your signage large enough? Does it stand out from other nearby signs?

Interior — Often, an owner can improve their store’s image simply by wiping down their machines and keeping the floor clean, so give your store a good cleaning.

When was the last time you painted inside? Neutral colors will expand your decorating options over time, but taking the plunge and bathing your walls in bright hues like fire engine red or kelly green will bring excitement. Select a paint that’s washable and doesn’t show dirt easily.

A well-lit store showcases the equipment and improves security. If your store is dim, it might be time to invest in new lighting.

Virtually any type of flooring can work in a laundry as long as it’s maintained. Cement floors are easy to put in, and sealing it will make it easier to clean. Vinyl tile is a bit more expensive but can last for years if cared for. Ceramic tile wears well and doesn’t require the same level of upkeep but it will cost more up front.

MARKETING YOUR STORE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Small businesses like vended laundries have long considered the building blocks of their marketing efforts to be things like store signage, newspaper advertising, a Yellow Pages listing, and direct mailers.

But in this digital age in which we now live, those marketing building blocks have evolved to include business websites

The first step toward success is getting started, Schulman says: “Don’t be intimidated. Realize that this is where your customers are and spend most of their time online. Do something, even if it’s one

post per week, and most certainly invest in Facebook advertising. It is an extremely cost-effective and a proven way to grow your following.”

If you’re going to manage digital marketing yourself, Diaz advises to invest in content creation, a graphic designer and publishing/monitoring automation tools to help you manage the workload.

“Build out your campaigns in advance. Block out time to schedule all of your posts up to six months in advance. But never ▲

‘set it and forget it.’ You want to schedule in advance to be consistent in your effort, but drop in daily to listen to your audience, monitor performance and tweak things.”

There are some common mistakes that small businesses tend to make in their social media marketing efforts.

“Most businesses start but don’t follow through, such as using cheap graphics,” Diaz says. “They use photos of storefronts as their profile photos. There are heavy content ‘jackers’—businesses that constantly share others’ content and never have content of their own to share.”

“The only thing worse than not participating in some sort of social media is having a page that you don’t post to for months or years,” Schulman adds. “It does not represent your brand well.”

EVALUATING STORES FOR SALE

While purchasing a coin- or card-operated laundry can be a great investment, when a store comes up for sale in your area, how do you know if acquiring it will be the right move for you?

That’s where due diligence comes in. It’s important to research and analyze the existing business and real estate thoroughly before making the decision to buy or not.

It’s helpful to know the reason someone is selling, says Brad Steinberg, co-president of PWS, a California-based company that says it is the largest broker of existing and new Laundromats in the United States. It is imperative, he says, if the reason is because of changing market conditions (i.e. a new store being built in the area).

“Meeting the seller is very important,” says Larry Larsen, of Laundromat123. com, with more than 30 years of experience in the ownership, management and construction of Laundromats. “If you are an insightful buyer, it might help you perceive the validity of the statements of income and condition provided by the broker. A meeting with the seller will also provide valuable additional information on the current manner of operation.”

Local area market and demographic research is an important part of the process.

“The most important issues to review are total population, percentage of renters, age of the surrounding buildings, and ethnic makeup of the population,” says Larsen.

“When buying an existing store, demographics are not as important as when building new, with the exception of knowing if there has been any shift in popula-

tion that would affect the business,” says John Vassiliades, CEO of Chicago-based J. Vassiliades & Co. and a licensed business and real estate broker responsible for brokering the sales of over 1,000 coin laundries.

How closely should a prospective owner examine the exterior, interior and physical layout of the business for sale?

“I believe the most important factors of a Laundromat’s success are location and the lease,” says Steinberg. “If you can purchase a good location with a good lease, someone can always replace the equipment and be a better operator than the previous owner. Obviously, if a store has a tired interior, bad layout or old equipment, the purchase price should be reduced accordingly.”

“The buyer should be examining all of that, especially the machines themselves: washers, dryers, water heaters, especially the HVAC units,” says Vassiliades. “I’ve always encouraged (clients) to have experts come in and give their opinion on the condition of the equipment.”

And what financials should a prospective owner request from the current owner and review before making an offer?

“Ideally, three years of tax returns if they’ve got it, P&L (profit and loss) statements if they don’t,” Vassiliades says. “I know some banks request balance sheets for three years. In addition to that, I would request at least 12 months of actual utility bills and a copy of the lease.”

The longer the glimpse into the past, the better the understanding of the business, Larsen says: “You can determine trends in income and increases in expenses by viewing the history.”

KEEPING GOOD EMPLOYEES

Getting the most from your attendant starts at the very beginning when you begin the hiring process and continues for as long as they work for you, says Brian Brunckhorst, the owner of six Laundromats

in the San Francisco Bay area. There are lots of people looking for a job, but finding someone who has the qualities that you want representing you and your business and who will actually work is not so easy. The first step to keeping a good employee is to make sure you hire one.

When hiring an attendant, Brunckhorst looks for someone with these traits: trainable/follows directions; honest; good work ethic/hard worker; bilingual; friendly/smiles a lot; outgoing; bubbly personality; shows up on time/reliable; attention to detail; and is a problem-solver.

Once you hire an attendant, there are several things that you must do if you want to keep them:

1. Give them clear job expectations and goals. In Brunckhorst’s company, there are three main components to the attendant’s job: customer service, store cleanliness, and wash-and-fold processing. Additional responsibilities include maintaining good communication with store supervisor, being dependable, and having fun.

2. Provide them with some resources, the first being an employee manual or handbook. A quick reference guide/duties checklist is also helpful.

3. After providing the resources to make your attendants successful, you need to provide them training. Brunckhorst goes over step-by-step the procedures for cleaning the store, maintaining the equipment, processing wash-and-fold orders, handling the money and selling items over the counter. Another area to focus on is customer service skills. Lastly, train them on emergency procedures.

4. Once your employees are trained, you need to enable them for success. For 90%plus of the hours you’re open, the fate of your business rests with the lowest wage earner in your organization. Empower them by giving them predetermined spending limits and support their decisions. Listen to their feedback and incorporate good ideas into your company procedures. Allow them the ability to swap schedules, following your guidelines.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING A BRAND

The Harley-Davidson bar and shield is arguably one of the most recognized logos in the world, says Brittany Pettineo, director of marketing at distributor Aaxon Laundry Systems, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It’s on everything from shirts and hats to teddy bears and coffee mugs. And oh, ▲

by the way, it’s also on the company’s motorcycles. People not only recognize the logo, but exactly what it stands for.

Brand consistency is instrumental in the healthy development and progression of any business, including Laundromats. Branding improves business recognition, creates trust, inspires employees, and generates new customers.

Where store owners tend to fall down in terms of branding is early on. They don’t work to carve out a unique identity for their laundry. Pettineo’s advice is to spend time on naming your laundry and come up with something memorable to build your brand around. Next is to pair that name with a logo that gives your store its “pop” and contributes further to your laundry’s differentiation within the marketplace.

Treat this brand and identity mark as the foundational elements they are. Do not change or alter them in any way as you drop them into your website, mailings, store signage, uniforms, letterhead, social media, etc.

You’ll want to set up a Google My

Business page so your store can be found by folks searching for a laundry in their area. The final piece of your out-of-gate branding checklist is creating your web presence. Again, make sure your site’s overall look and feel represents your brand accurately — cultivating the personality you want customers to identify with.

There are some ways to change your company from just a brand to an experience by utilizing social media, Pettineo says. Use photos and videos, because they help convey actual experience, and they increase engagement. Monitor customer response and respond yourself. Publicly reward your fans, your brand advocates, by thanking them and posting replies on your page.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Finally, create a place on your website or on a social network where customers can share their experiences.

Don’t lose focus of what your business is. It’s always a good idea to craft a calendar of posts to work off of. Keep content fresh but relevant to your audience. Laundry tips, equipment videos, stain guide links, etc., can all be helpful and spark shares and comments with your group.

But it doesn’t always have to be about wash-and-dry cycles and detergent. Keep an eye on pop culture and what’s going on. Quite often, the trends and things people are talking about on a wider view can be localized to your brand.

We all know how hard it can be to attract new customers versus maintaining good clients. Shouldn’t you do all you can to make sure those good customers are also good brand ambassadors helping attract new clients?

ACO

For more laundry improvement ideas, or to read the complete stories that were summarized in this article, visit AmericanCoinOp.com.

CLEAN SHOW EXECS RELEASE EVENT SCHEDULE THROUGH 2025

The Clean Show Executive Committee recently revealed the dates and venues for the next four Clean Shows through 2025.

As previously announced, New Orleans’ Morial Convention Center will next host Clean on June 20-23, 2019.

Marking the sixth time that Clean has visited the Big Easy, Riddle & Associates says the “popular destination … has experienced very positive attendance by decision-makers, and the city is continually adding new restaurants and entertainment venues.”

Clean returns to Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Center on June 10-13, 2021. That city last hosted Clean in 2015.

On May 18-21, 2023, Clean returns to Orlando, Fla., and the Orange County Convention Center. The city has hosted Clean twice before, most recently in 2005.

And on June 9-12, 2025, Clean comes back to Las Vegas, the city that has played host a half-dozen times since the show’s

1977 inception.

“The Clean Show Executive Committee is already working on hotel selection and educational content to build on the success of the most recent Clean Show in Las Vegas,” says Joseph Ricci, Clean Show 2019 chairman and president/CEO of TRSA, one of five sponsoring associations. “By securing future Clean Show sites that offer both familiarity and distinctive opportunities to attract national and international decision-makers across all market segments, we are ensuring the continued success of the Clean Show.”

The biennial exhibition features educational programming and working demonstrations of equipment and products for the laundry, drycleaning and textile services industry.

Clean 2017 sold out its Las Vegas exhibit floor exceeding 227,000 net square feet and drew 12,563 attendees in June. ACO

sites have previously hosted biennial textile care industry gathering

THE

The Huebsch® distributor network earned the highest Overall Distributor Quality Score in the vended laundry industry,* with outstanding marks for prompt response and proactive communication. Proof that whenever, wherever and however you need help, Huebsch distributors are there. Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company was recognized as the 2014 Huebsch Distributor of the Year earning them the designation “The Best of the Best.”

Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company, serving the Houston and Atlanta markets, is determined to provide the best service and best commercial laundry equipment at the best price. It’s the Gulf States Laundry Machinery Company way of doing business.

GOIN’ WITH COHEN Wrapped Up All

Cool gift finds with a laundry spin

Baby and Swimming Pool.

by Laurance C ohen

Taking the road less traveled involves an occasional detour for those one-of-a-kind finds with a tie to coin-ops. With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to consider a laundryinspired gift for that special someone on your list.

EAU DE LAUNDROMAT

I did a double take at a local Walgreens when I spotted Laundromat as one of the scents on offer in the cosmetics department. But there it was, tastefully displayed alongside others in the Demeter Fragrance Library: Kitten Fur, Jelly Doughnut, New

A spritz-and-sniff delivered a crisp scent evoking memories of a freshly starched shirt more than a Sunday afternoon elbow-to-elbow in the front-loader aisle.

I proceeded to clean out the stock — all six 1-ounce bottles of cologne — and gave them away as door prizes during a recent tour of regional laundry equipment distributor shows. The fragrance got a thumbs-up from gift recipients, although most were skeptical of wearing it as their signature perfume.

Online reviews on the New Yorkbased company’s website mentioned Laundromat smelling “like laundered clothes in the dryer with a lightly scented dryer sheet.” Another wrote she mixed it with another of Demeter’s fragrances, Dirt, to create her own “Dirty Laundry”

blend, adding that the customized spray “makes me giggle when people ask what I’m wearing.”

The website also pays homage to the patriarch of the coin-op industry: “J.F. Cantrell, having noticed that personal washing machines are a luxury many of his neighbors cannot afford, opens the first Laundromat in Fort Worth, Texas… At Demeter, we celebrate April 18th as the inspiration for the freshest, cleanest scent we know, our version of Laundromat cologne.”

One of dozens of unique fragrances in the Demeter Fragrance Library, Laundromat is available at select retailers, as well as online. The firm’s website (https://demeterfragrance.com) offers Laundromat in 10 sizes, from a half-ounce “Mini Splash” priced at six bucks to a

Perfume maker Demeter describes its Laundromat cologne spray as “simply the freshest, cleanest scent imaginable.” (Photo: Laurance Cohen)

Ever been in a Laundromat armed with deadly lasers, trampolines and disappearing floors? Players of Levi the Laundry Guy (shown in screen captures), a puzzle game for Android users, have. (Photos courtesy Groovy Lime Games)

GOIN’ WITH COHEN

3.4-ounce cologne spray for $40.

CHILD’S PLAY

We’ve come a long way since the timeless classic Curious George at the Laundromat offered up a soapy lesson on oversudsing as the mischievous monkey wreaked havoc in the wash aisle. Thirty years on, it’s still a noble cause to familiarize kids with the self-service laundry environment, even if the results are a little chaotic.

Parents can download Levi the Laundry Guy, a free 80-puzzle Android app, and challenge their youngsters to maneuver between washer and dryer loads in as few moves as possible, all while avoiding lasers, vanishing floor tiles and other obstacles.

While everyone’s favorite chimp and The Man with the Yellow Hat will surely be missed, the app does feature Levi and his golden locks or — at the player’s option — his alter ego, “Robot Levi,” traversing the game board in pursuit of a dry load and coveted gold stars.

After completing several rounds, mom and dad may want to have the kids put down the tablet and pull out Curious George before bedtime.

Levi the Laundry Guy is a free Android

app available on Google Play.

AIRING YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY

Inevitably, when a friend or relative happens to catch wind that you’re active in the laundry biz, the stream of questions is bound to follow. Save your breath and gift-wrap a copy of the paperback Feeling Dirty? Life as a Laundromat Owner, a nuts-and-bolts look at coin-op basics from Alabama operator Ken Barrett.

The multi-store owner and LaundromatHowTo.com webmaster offers up an easy 60-page read that will give newbies a taste of laundry life while leaving them yearning for more. His intro opens with a bit of advice: “A Laundromat, like any business, needs customers. If you have the ‘build it and they will come’ attitude, you better have some deep pockets in case they don’t.”

Barrett touches on oft-neglected areas like kids’ play areas, laundry carts, and even the proper placement of electrical outlets to keep customers charged up — topics useful to both novice and veteran.

Intertwined with all the shop talk are Barrett’s recollections of times when the daily routine goes off-script, reminding readers that the human element plays a big

role in the self-service interaction between man and machine.

One such story recalls an incident in which he handed his teenage kids some quarters to pay for the wash of a random customer. The gratitude of the store patron for the small gesture took the youngsters by surprise. “They were so amazed at how thankful the lady was for the free washes,” Barrett writes. “Never estimate the difference that a small donation of money or time can make.”

Feeling Dirty? Life as a Laundromat Owner is available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle edition.

BUILDING A LAUNDRY IN 307 HOURS

If, like me, you appreciate scale models as works of art, cast your eyes on Al “Caveman” Smith’s tabletop creation, “The Laundwich Shop.”

This is by no means your run-of-themill, miniaturized version of a cookiecutter laundry layout with rows of painted balsa-wood blocks passing off as front loaders. Smith’s creation is spot-on when it comes to capturing not only the finer details of a coin-op, but laying bare its humorous side.

Multi-store owner Ken Barrett authored this first-hand account of life as a Laundromat owner. (Photo: Laurance Cohen)

A Snorri Bros. coffee-table book depicts Laundromats from the five New York boroughs, including those pictured here, but unfortunately never makes it past the front door of any of them.

(Photos: From “Laundromat” by the Snorri Bros., published by powerHouse Books)

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE AN ESD SYSTEM?

I chose ESD because of ESD’s commitment to product cutting edge technology, customer care and technical provided me with the tools with MyLaundryLinkTM my stores operations anywhere, and ESD provides payment options: card, Credit/debit card, pin based EBT. They can also start their washers or dryers with and their phone will vibrate when their washer or dryer system even allows the customer to view their account from their PC when they are away from the store.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE LAUNDRY INDUSTRY?

I have been in the commercial laundry industry since owned retail Laundromats since 1987. I have personally ESD’s growth over the years to become the industries payment systems.

WHAT WERE THE UNKNOWN CHALLENGES THAT WITH YOUR NEW STORE AND HOW HAS ESD’S YOU OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?

Building a customer base, hiring and managing a managing staff of employees and security; ESD provided me with systems to manage my employees, and provide me with

product innovation, technical support. ESD software to oversee my customers with based debit cards and with a phone app, dryer stops. The account and add value

my competitors do not have…I have a totally cashless store, which gives my employees and me peace of mind and security. In addition, many other marketing and pricing options that my competitors do not have.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE ESD SYSTEM?

I was surprised at how many customers really love the ability to use their credit or debit cards right at the machines.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY DOWNSIDE TO THE ESD SYSTEM?

INDUSTRY? since 1979 and have personally witnessed industries leader in THAT YOU FACED SYSTEM HELPED managing a good with the tools and with advantages

Absolutely not. I do not believe my store would be as successful as it has been so far without the ESD CyberLaundryTM system and the company and the people that stand behind it.

www.esdcard.com

Contact your local ESD distributor or ESD sales representative for more information.

Larry Vladimir - Bakers Centre Laundry

GOIN’ WITH COHEN

Peering in the storefront windows with the aid of built-in illumination, the rather bizarre goings-on at the hybrid self-service laundry/deli counter sandwiched between two slices of bread comes into view. Is that really the figurine of a buck-naked man standing by the top loader?

Lift the removable top slice to get a bird’s eye view of the patron sans clothing waiting for his pants and shirt to spin out,

as well as the attendant who prefers to hide at her desk flipping through a magazine rather than take in the spectacle over by the front door.

From washer coin slides and stack tumbler directional arrows to the racks and hangers on rolling carts, the meticulous handiwork of Smith’s 307 man-hours to complete the project (over a year and eight months) is very much in evidence and best appreciated by coin-op aficio-

nados. Although the model-maker is not a laundry man, he just nailed it — even down to the ribbed dryer kick plates.

During a phone call to the artist at his Anacortes, Wash., studio on the Pacific Coast, Smith told me the piece was inspired by his visits to a once-thriving combo laundry/cafe in downtown Seattle that is now shuttered, having served its last wash and meal many moons ago.

While The Laundwich Shop has been displayed in gallery settings, this one-ofa-kind art piece currently resides with the octogenarian sculptor at his workshop and carries a $6,000 price tag.

Additional photos of “The Laundwich Shop” can be viewed at www.cavemanal. com

THE BIG APPLE IN 187 SLICES

Laundromat, a glossy 187-photo tribute to the colorful storefronts of New York’s coin-ops, is not your typical coffeetable book. Covering the five boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, the work of Icelandic director and photographer Snorri Sturluson, of the artistic collective Snorri Bros., places the neighborhood coin laundry literally front and center.

At first glance the montage may seem redundant, leaving readers with the sense that the same awning and sign company was contracted to decorate each and every storefront. But looking past the bright overhanging canopies and ubiquitous window signage touting drop-off service to the ever-present street life, one gains an appreciation of how well the coin-op is ▲

“The Laundwich Shop,” a one-of-a-kind sandwich-shaped diorama of a self-service laundry/deli counter combo, lays bare the humorous side of laundry, albeit with a steep price tag. (Photos courtesy of Al Smith)

(continued from

The penny at right reveals the true size of Al Smith’s small-scale model, “The Laundwich Shop.”

GOIN’ WITH COHEN

interwoven into Gotham’s fabric.

And with neighborhood gentrification and skyrocketing rents claiming small businesses one by one, those hundreds of unassuming storefronts captured by Sturluson may well become a thing of the past.

Photographed over a five-year period from 2008 to 2012, Laundromat journeys street by street, borough by borough, into the most densely populated self-service market in the country. But while Sturluson brings us up to the doorstep, his camera remains perched outside; we’re denied access to the classic interiors.

For those hungry for all things coin-op, Laundromat’s sidewalk vantage point will leave them less than satiated. At least he offers up a street address for each venue should anyone decide to book a busman’s holiday to the metropolis.

A seven-page essay titled All Washed Up: The American Laundromat by writer D. Foy, appearing at the back of the book, won’t sit well for those hoping

New York’s — or, for that matter, the nation’s — classic coin laundries would be portrayed in glowing terms.

While acknowledging Sturluson’s collection of photographs “would be an homage, on the one hand, to Laundromats and the people who use them and an elegy, on the other, to an America that used to be,” Foy’s piece quickly kicks this neighborhood institution and those who frequent them to the curb.

His dark tone is rooted in memories of patronizing unsavory coin-ops while residing thousands of miles away in California. “Whatever we may say about Laundromats, whatever goodness they may give, every single one I’ve ever known is an oasis of despair,” he writes.

Further on, under a section heading “The Toilet’s Prettier Sister,” Foy paints a disturbing picture, concluding one paragraph by penning, “The Laundromat is the place we go to publicly and communally discharge the waste we’re helpless to discharge in private.”

As unsettling as his contribution is, Foy’s insight into the mechanics of the photo artist’s visual presentation is thought-provoking and worthy of a read.

Laundromat is published by powerHouse Books and available at Amazon.

SLAY ’EM WITH LAUNDRY PRIDE

If the scale-model laundry described previously is a gift-giving budget-buster, have no fear and tap into a couple of online marketplaces offering customized T-shirts and other items with a laundry flair that won’t break the bank.

Operators and employees alike can show off their prowess with the “Laundromat Worker by Day/Grillmaster by Night” T-shirt available from Zazzle for around $20, along with a “Laundromat Worker by Day/Zombie Slayer by Night” version, if you’re so inclined.

For those whose heart is in our beloved industry, the company also boasts “I Love Laundromats” T-shirts in eye-catching colors.

The folks over at CafePress can help fill stockings with shirts proclaiming “The World’s Greatest Laundromat” for around the same $20 mark, along with $10 coffee mugs reminding those who get stressed running a coin-op day-to-day — or in the weeks leading up to the hectic holidays — to “Keep Calm by Focusing on Laundromats.” ACO

Laurance Cohen crisscrosses the country seeking out the most unique vended laundries. He served as American Coin-Op editor in the early 1990s and currently operates Laundry Marketing Concepts based in Hallandale Beach, Fla. He can be reached at goinwithcohen@outlook.com.

WashCycle Coin Laundry operator Kathy Sted (left) and staff member Margie Davis of Dania Beach, Fla., don customized T-shirts to show their pride. (Photo: Laurance Cohen)

Not all laundry-themed gifts have to be out of the ordinary or break the bank. This coffee cup is one of a couple dozen such products by CafePress. (Photo: Laurance Cohen)

CUSTOMER

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Store owners share tales of patrons’ wacky ways

Customers come to your vended laundry, and they go, and their antics can leave you shaking your head or with a smile on your face—and sometimes both.

American Coin-Op asked store owners from across the country to share their favorite “customer crazy” moments and here is a sampling:

“I got a call one night from a young woman who said there was no water in her washer. When I got there, her clothes and powdered detergent were in a 30-pound single-pocket dryer. She was very embarrassed. I then showed her how to do laundry. It was her first time away from home at university and she was totally clueless.”

— Grant Gose, 12th Street Laundry, Silver City, N.M.

“A family of three simply piled their laundry loose in the back of their pickup and headed our way. During the trip, a loose 5-gallon bucket of bright pink paint bounced around and popped open, soaking their blankets and clothes. When they discovered the disaster after they arrived at our laundry, they figured, ‘Perfect, we’re here at the laundry. We’ll just wash out the paint in their machines!’

“Each of the three grabbed a big bundle of laundry and walked right in our front door, leaving a wide swath of pink paint and footprints across our carpet and started stuffing our largest front loader. We quickly turned them on their slippery heels and herded them back to the truck and, with a few choice words, sent them on their way. As their truck headed up the incline out of our lot, what remained of the paint sloshed through the tailgate and left a broad pink stripe as a parting gift. Several hours of

cleaning later, we were good as new. Does this call for a sign?”

— Mike Shewmaker, Downtown Laundry Express, Hilo, Hawaii

“I had a customer come to our facility and do laundry. Our store attendant called and was complaining that there is mud in the washer. So I instructed him to remove the mud as much as he could and then turn on the machine and wash it out. After five minutes, he called back, screaming, “It’s dog poop, it’s dog poop, not mud....!’ I couldn’t stop laughing.”

— Bill Singh, Coin Laundry, Hesperia, Calif.

“We had a customer who walked in our attended Laundromat and proceeded to pour laundry detergent into the dryer! It was a big mess and (I) had to put (the machine) out of service until our maintenance man could inspect and clean all the controls.”

— Helen Feinsod, Wash Happenin’ Laundromat, Snyder, Texas

“A little boy, probably a first-grader, comes in every week with his dad to do laundry. One visit, Dad gives him some quarters for the gumball machine, but instead he goes up and down to all the dryers, adding money to everyone’s machines.”

— Lisa Varandas, Plaza Laundry & Cleaners, Hazlet, N.J.

“Back in the ’60s, when washing was 20 cents a load and dryers were 10 cents for 10 minutes, a lady put her clothes in the dryer and went to the picture show. After the dryer had caught on fire and the fire department had put it out, she showed up, asking what had happened. We asked her how many dimes she had put in the dryer.

She said six or seven. We said that anything would burn up with that much time on them. She asked where her clothes were. Told her the remains of what was left was outside in a buggy. She came back in and exclaimed, ‘How could these clothes have burned up? They are still dripping wet!”

— Varron Mclemore, Mclemore Laundry, San Augustine, Texas

“My brother and I opened [our] selfservice Laundromat in 1972. About a decade ago, a certain customer would confront me whenever I would visit my store. I have Speed Queen 30-pound dryers. She would tell me she lost 50 cents in the dryers, and I gave her a refund, no questions asked. This went on for over a year, at least two or three times a month.

“One morning, I walked in at 9:30 a.m., and she said, ‘Hi, glad to see you. I just lost $9.75 in this dryer.’ That was strange, because the previous evening at 10 p.m., I had emptied all my coin boxes. So I said, ‘I’m awfully sorry, but let me get the keys and I will give you all the quarters in this machine.’ Her face turned cherry red when she saw the one quarter in the box. I said, ‘Miss, this is a dryer, not a slot machine. But why would you put 39 quarters into a machine that was not working?’ She rammed her clothes into her laundry bag and made a fast exit. I kept the quarter.”

— Vincent J. Frantantoni, The Laundry Room, Belleville, N.J. ACO

If you have a “customer crazies” story you think is worth sharing, e-mail Editor Bruce Beggs (bbeggs@atmags.com). We may share it on our Facebook page and/or perhaps in a future issue of this magazine.

(Photo: © iStockphoto/mel-nik)

Outperform the Competition

TLC Tri-State was recently recognized by Speed Queen as a 2016 Top Producer. TLC Tri-State is the Speed Queen distributor for North Carolina, South Carolina, Central and Northern Georgia. The company has a large number of new vended laundry stores in development and construction throughout their market territory.

Tom Fleck (left), Veteran Speed Queen Regional Manager with David Chadsey, TLC Tri-State Vice President of Sales.

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From AmericanLaundryNews.com:

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From AmericanDrycleaner.com:

• Press Cleaners Bags Seed Money

• Cooling Towers for Dry Cleaners

Lining Things Up at National Laundry & Dry Cleaning

Owner Duong makes most of high-speed and large-capacity equipment

by Haley Jorgensen

Intrigued by vended laundries for their management flexibility, Phong Duong recently purchased National Laundry and Dry Cleaning, a 2-year-old vended laundry in San Diego.

“I owned a nail salon with my wife and worked as a corporate employee for many years,” he says. “I have two young boys and was working seven days a week, 12 hours a day. I quit my corporate job to focus on the nail salon. I still worked just as hard. It got old. That’s when I decided to look at different businesses.”

Hoping to learn more about the vended laundry industry, Duong attended a vended laundry symposium hosted by Elite Business Investments and Continental Girbau West. He took in presentations on vended laundry development, ownership and equipment and came away favoring Continental ExpressWash® Washers over other brands.

The washers deliver a simple-to-install freestanding design, a highly programmable ProfitPlus® Control, and extract speeds up to 400 G-force, according to

“I liked the idea of owning a high-speed store where customers could wash, dry and fold laundry in less than an hour,” says Duong.

By generating higher extract speeds than most hard-mount washers, which typical-

ly max out at 200 G-force, ExpressWash Washers remove more moisture from every load. This cuts dry time, reduces utility costs and improves customer turnover, according to Sorensen.

“Dryers operate less often, consuming less natural gas, and customers complete their laundry sooner,” he says.

After Duong researched the industry and related equipment, he phoned Elite’s Carol Dang. She works closely with vended laundry investors and owners to sell and purchase existing laundries, as well renovate them. Dang’s team at Elite also specializes in new vended laundry development.

Dang searched on Duong’s behalf for potential laundry locations for new store development, as well as existing laundries for sale. She contacted multi-laundry owner Brian Voytovich to investigate a laundry of his that was for sale.

“Brian gave me a brief rundown of the location, income and expenses, and

CG West Vice President Tod Sorensen.

Phong Duong was working long hours at the nail salon he owned and looking for other business opportunities when he attended a vended laundry symposium. It wasn’t long before he acquired the business now called National Laundry and Dry Cleaning. (Photos: Continental Girbau Inc.)

The 4,300-square-foot National Laundry and Dry Cleaning in San Diego is equipped with a mix of laundry equipment, offers residential and commercial wash/dry/fold service (including pickup and delivery), and provides drop-off dry cleaning.

AN OUTSIDER’S VIEW

BE A SMART SHOPPER WHEN CONSIDERING A MALL LOCATION

The good thing about operating in a mall is there are lots of potential customers. Moreover, people who use malls are generally steady and regular visitors; they go there frequently.

The bad thing is there are uniform rules—long hours, frontage demands, and minimum hours-ofoperation requirements—that everyone must obey. Secondly, mall locations are usually pricier.

That being said, if you still prefer such a location, you must know this: all malls are not alike.

You must choose one that will work for you. Mainly, that means a shopping complex that will afford you the most exposure to potential customers.

Of course, there are different types of malls. There are covered-roof centers that often have department store anchors. There are U-shaped complexes with parking lots inside the storefront perimeter. There are retail strips that sit alongside the roadway.

Primarily, what works best for a Laundromat is the U-shaped shopping complex with ample parking. A covered shopping center is usually price-prohibitive. A strip mall often doesn’t have adequate parking.

Even though malls are unique entities, there are some guidelines that apply to all situations. If you locate in one in an upscale suburb, where there are only 15% renters in the vicinity, you probably won’t do well. If you occupy a location surrounded by marginal stores, you won’t get enough retail traffic.

If you are in a corner spot with poor visibility, you will have trouble attracting customers. If you open up somewhere that charges excessive rent, you will probably find that costs are too high to achieve profitability. So, a mall location is no guarantee for success.

Yes, the big advantage of a mall is steady patronage. A supermarket-anchored shopping complex is truly the best, because there is always heavy traffic. These shoppers come regularly every week, and it would be most convenient for them to do their laundry while they shop. It’s the proverbial killing of two birds with one stone.

But other types of malls also attract large patronage. Those with the right combination of retail outlets—a liquor store, a hardware shop, a hairdresser, a dollar merchandiser—could have a lot of people coming and going. It depends on the logistics and geography.

What you want is a sizable proportion of the customers coming for their everyday needs. This encourages people to come to this retail center to do their laundry. Even if they aren’t at the mall for a few hours, it is likely that they will return to the same place to do their laundry. It’s convenient for them, plus the parking is no problem.

To read more Howard Scott columns, visit www.AmericanCoinOp.com

The other advantage of a U-shaped mall is sign visibility. There is a sign out front that will include many of the stores, including yours. Passersby will spot the word “Laundromat” and know that they can do their cleaning there. When they park in the parking area, they will take notice, so visibility is high. This is a big plus. Of course, a strip mall will have even more visibility, as the premises is on the main road.

Still, you have to investigate the mall you choose. Gather statistics to make sure there are 30-35% renters in the area. Are the combination of stores advantageous to creating Laundromat traffic? Observe the flow of people into the shops. Is there enough flow that a significant portion of the population will see your Laundromat? Conversely, would few patrons of, say, an upscale mall be laundry customers?

Then travel outside of the mall and see where the competition is. Is it in a more central area so that the majority of local business would continue to use the

Howard Scott

You must choose one that will work for you. Mainly, that means a shopping complex that will afford you the most exposure to potential customers.

competitor? Are there adjoining areas that are not serviced well by a Laundromat, meaning your store could service these customers?

Visit the stores and evaluate their competitive potential. Are they marginal operations? Stacked up against your Laundromat, would you win out in attractiveness and convenience? In service and efficiency? If not, then it will be hard to win business away from the competition.

Then do “people” research. Back in the parking lot of your proposed location, speak to mall customers. These are the people who will be your customers. Ask if they use a Laundromat regularly or occasionally. Are they pleased with their current laundry provider? Would they switch if one were opened here? What do they expect of a Laundromat? Inquire if they might be interested in wash/ dry/fold pickup and delivery service, even if they’re not regular Laundromat users.

Size up the individual you speak to. Is he or she apt to be a good laundry customer, the type you would like to have? Are there a high percentage of “marginal” people, those who might not respect your Laundromat, would not keep your store clean, might be inclined to get angry and punch a machine when it malfunctions? If so, then this is not your ideal location. Does the area seem sketchy?

You might have to install an expensive security system.

Finally, what percentage of the people uses Laundromats versus uses home washers and dryers? The share should tally with the percentage of renters in your area. That is a control test for assessing the accuracy of your data. For example, if there’s supposed to be a 35% rental factor in the area, but only 15% say they use a Laundromat, then your figures are suspicious. Maybe you should re-do the survey. Maybe you should analyze what went wrong. At any rate, be skeptical of the results.

In the privacy of your office, study, or wherever you do your serious thinking, put all this input in front of you and weigh the factors. Keep running with hypothetical numbers until your gut or head leans one way or another. Then go with that decision. Negotiate a contract in that mall or keep looking for a more suitable location.

Follow this course of study and a mall location will work for you. ACO

Howard Scott is a former business owner, longtime business writer, and consultant. He can be reached at dancinghill@gmail. com.

Connected:

THERE’S GROWTH TO BE HAD IN REACHING MILLENNIALS

Ahhh, the millennials. A favorite topic and target for anyone doing business in everything from smartphones to donut holes. What do they want? How do we reach them? How do we keep them loyal to our laundries?

Is there a magic bullet for these questions and converting this demographic into raving fans? Well, plugging “marketing to millennials” into a search engine and seeing the sheer volume of blog posts, articles, etc., there appears to be no panacea. While there are unique variables within any business, often the best we can do is look to those who are having success for advice.

On the topic of millennials, Doug Klingler, owner of Milwaukee’s Your Laundry, has had the right idea for his store since it opened in 2015. He also taps into his daughter’s expertise from time to time – she specializes in marketing geared toward millennials.

THE BASICS

Like most successful stores, Your Laundry is spotless. Then there’s the overall look and feel. The store is warm and inviting. Stainless steel equipment, modern folding tables, a mix of tiled and painted walls, raisedletter signage, and a unique metallic ceiling give the laundry a premium atmosphere. Klingler’s model is to give customers something different, something new, and fresh. Don’t expect to see tired, old light fixtures in Your Laundry. Even the lighting is a mix of modern-looking round fixtures, recessed and track lighting.

Safety is a major component as well. He’s had feedback that many of his customers pass up several laundries to come to Your Laundry because they feel safe. That’s reinforced by the widescreen TV at the front door showing customers they are on camera, and another monitor shows all the store’s camera feeds.

Millennials crave a different experience – something that takes the model up a notch. Klingler jokes that if you want to attract this demographic, your store better not look like something out of 1975; a simple coat of paint and regularly emptied trash cans aren’t enough. Think of the atmosphere you see and feel when you walk

into a Starbucks. That should be the goal, and it is what Your Laundry offers.

GIVE THEM OPTIONS

From the start, Your Laundry was focused on offering a variety of payment options to give it broad appeal. Customers can choose coin, card and even a smartphone app. Klingler insists this flexibility, quite literally, has millennials’ faces lighting up when they come in, and has helped the store get a leg up on competitors in the area. Obviously, multiple payment options open the door to the other millennial favorite, the loyalty program. That shows in that 20% of customers are paying through the

Jim Rosenthal

phone app, and that’s growing each day. Millennials have always had technology be a part of their lives, and owners have to understand that fact and cater to it, Klingler says. Most of his customers who are under 35 use the payment app all the time.

LOYALTY PROGRAM IS KEY

Millennials want freedom, flexibility and convenience – they place a premium on their time. We hear that all the time. They want all those facets of a clean, modern store, and they want more. They want to be appreciated and rewarded for their loyalty. The loyalty program works to not only pull in millennials and keep them loyal, but true to their sharing reputation, they spread the word.

Frequent occurrences at Klingler’s store include customers suggesting to the coin-paying customer next to them, “You should really get the loyalty program,” and the person coming in for the first time, saying, “I need to get a loyalty card.” They are hearing about the card from others.

Klingler believes that word-of-mouth, social-media sharing among millennials is key. If a store or business is offering them what they want, this group will talk about it; if it’s not, they won’t. His hope is that this level of sharing appeals to that great fear that millennials, and many others, have: the fear of missing out. If their friends are here and talking about it, the sharing creates the impression that those not at Your Laundry are missing out.

The loyalty program, he says, is “incredibly important.” Klingler uses it to better manage his business and offer customers more than his competition. That includes adding value to the card, based

on the level customers load on it. He’s also started a “free dry” program, in which clients earn points each time they use a dryer. Ultimately, they reach a total at which point they insert the card and receive the “free dry” message.

RELIABLE EQUIPMENT IS A MUST

Millennials want choices. That extends from payment options into the machine cycles. “Cycle modifiers are a big part of what we do,” says Klingler. But again his focus on this audience is about hands-on education through a great staff.

Being close to a couple of colleges, the laundry often sees freshmen stop in with an armful of clothes but no experience doing their own laundry. They select the largest-capacity washer, the highest soil level. Staff focuses on helping them figure out the right size of machine and run through the cycle options to match the soil level and results they desire.

Having those cycle options, giving customers greater control, and high wash quality all contribute to that experience and value he believes millennials want.

Dryer speed and efficiency completes that quality experience. Your Laundry has a one-price dry. While customers initially push back that is too high and that they will still have to add time, there’s a big reveal: Klingler guarantees that if anyone’s clothes are not dry when the cycle ends, whatever additional time is needed to fully dry is paid for by the store.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOCUS

Your Laundry maintains a website and Facebook page to ▲

connect with its millennial customer base, though Klingler admits the audience isn’t quite as engaged on Facebook as it once was. So, he’s explored other vehicles. The laundry also has hosted contests for a $75 loyalty card through Instagram.

His advice is to seek out the social media environments where this group is gathering, though it is an ever-changing landscape. What is hot right now likely won’t be as hot in a year.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

Klingler recommends that owners who want to tap into this demographic focus on the full package – the clean, modern store; high-quality, flexible equipment with a variety of options; and well-trained attendants to deliver the best experience possible. Your Laundry is so committed to that final point in connecting with millennials that he wants his staff to actually sit down with customers, chat and get to know them.

Finally, vended laundries likely will not appeal to millennials without a loyalty system, he says: “You’re fighting the trend if you are not looking at it.”

Members of this demographic group value their time and will only spend it in places where they are receiving the greatest value for their money. They want a personalized touch; it’s part of the experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS

We all know that the way our business operated in the past isn’t the way it will operate today. We see it every day, and Your Laundry is a great example.

Klingler says he hears from people all the time who drive past other laundries to come to his.

Clean and modern may be part of the draw, but the millennials are coming for the experience. They are not just customers who wash, dry, and go home.

They, as Klingler hoped, are connecting with the business. They are getting a laundry that puts technology front and center (smartphone app, modern equipment with tons of flexibility), and a loyalty program that rewards them for choosing this laundry.

(continued from page 30)

I called Phong,” says Dang. Duong responded by purchasing the store.

“I couldn’t ask for more,” he says of his new laundry. “Carol has done an excellent job helping me and I’ve learned a lot from her along the way.”

The 4,300-square-foot National Laundry and Dry Cleaning is equipped with a mix of card-operated ExpressWash Washers and complementary ExpressDry Dryers; offers residential and commercial wash/dry/fold service, including pickup and delivery; provides drop-off dry cleaning; is fully attended; and features a children’s play area, video games, free Wi-Fi, vending machines and big-screen TVs.

Six hard-mount, 75-pound-capacity Continental PowerLoad Washers are the store’s most popular machines: “Customers line up to use them,” says Duong.

Dang recalls that just four months into ownership, Duong called her again for assistance.

“He said he needed some larger machines,” she says. “I sold him two 90-pound-capacity ExpressWash Washers with automatic chemical injection.”

Duong alleviated the backup at the

Yes, loyalty programs are imperative to reaching this audience. From there, it’s focusing attention on that welcoming atmosphere. Remember, it’s about an experience that they want to share in social media. Is your store providing that, along a personalized touch that makes them feel connected to the laundry in real time?

ACO

Jim Rosenthal is North American sales manager for Speed Queen Commercial. He can be reached at jim.rosenthal@alliancels. com.

process, according to Duong.

He showcases the injection system and detergents in a clear Plexiglass cabinet underneath a folding table: “That way, customers can see how it works. The machines are big, and the detergent injection is really convenient. Most other stores don’t have that.”

The large 90s also help with processing commercial and residential wash/dry/fold.

“We are located really close to a Naval base and the sailors bring me a lot of blankets, jackets and bed sheets,” he says.

75-pounders by replacing four 20-pound machines with the two 90s.

“Customers are loving them,” he says. “The 90s automatically inject industrial detergents, bleach and softeners at precisely the right time during the wash process.”

The new ExpressWash 90s bring customers a high-quality wash in 32-40 minutes; make National Laundry and Dry Cleaning unique; and boost revenue in the

A Card Concepts Inc. (CCI) electronic card payment system simplifies laundry management. It allows Duong to remotely issue cards and refunds, launch in-store promotions, monitor machines and check revenue, among many other capabilities.

“I love being a vended laundry owner,” he says. “I don’t have to work seven days a week anymore because I can manage the laundry remotely using the card system. I can even process refunds when I’m not at the shop.”

Haley Jorgensen is a public relations writer for commercial laundry equipment manufacturer Continental Girbau Inc.

Duong showcases the injection system and detergents serving his ExpressWash 90-pound washers in a clear Plexiglass cabinet underneath a folding table so “customers can see how it works.”

TIMERS REBUILT — IPSO main & reverse, Milnor, Dexter, Primus, Speed

MATTOCKS NEW CHANNEL SALES MANAGER FORCCI

Laundry payment systems manufacturer Card Concepts Inc. (CCI) recently welcomed Robert Mattocks as the company’s new channel sales manager.

In his new position, Mattocks will work to strengthen existing relationships with distributors and customers, plus implement new marketing initiatives and informational tools to sustain CCI’s ongoing mission of providing unrivaled value and responsiveness to customers and distributors.

CCI President Steve Marcionetti says Mattocks’ “experience, customer attentiveness, and personality fits perfectly” into the company’s culture. “I’m confident that our distributors and customers alike will enjoy working with him.”

Mattocks is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He has a master’s degree in applied health sciences, and 10-plus years of sales and management experience in property management and technical sales and management.

His professional history includes working with customers and clients on projects of all sizes, producing new business, and being a valuable point of contact, CCI says.

“Joining CCI is a tremendous opportunity to become a part of an industry leader,” Mattocks says. “CCI already has a reputation for excellent customer service, and I plan to continue the same interactions with distributors and customers alike.”

STATEWIDE WRAPS FLORIDA LAUNDRY IMPROVEMENT EXPOS

Distributor Statewide Laundry Equipment, with offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami, recently finished its three-day Laundry Improvement Expo, beginning in Kissimmee on Sept. 19 and concluding at Statewide’s Hialeah headquarters just outside Miami on Sept. 27.

Industry leaders presented what’s new in the industry, including Speed Queen’s much-anticipated Insights management system.

Industry vendors met with customers during a “vendor crawl” hosted on all three days, and interactive service seminars educated attendees on equipment mechanical details. Michael Sokolowski, chief operating officer of the Coin Laundry Association, and Vince Hansen, president of Vend-Rite, were among the notable guest speakers.

New to this year’s Laundry Improvement Expo was an added competitive service seminar, appealing to attendees who may own equipment other than the Speed Queen brand. Special financing and discounts on soap and parts were also made available during the shows.

“The show deals are interesting because they allow me to work my buying habits around when the shows are being held,” says Rollie Fondessy, a multi-store owner from Central Florida. “Statewide runs specials on things as little as soap and as big as the

biggest machines that are currently being sold. It’s a terrific opportunity for us as laundry owners to have one place to come to!”

Statewide hosts its Laundry Improvement Expos every fall in Central and South Florida to benefit the laundry owner community across the Sunshine State.

EASTERN

FUNDING PITCHES IN WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

National finance company Eastern Funding LLC recently joined forces with Habitat for Humanity New York City on local projects to create affordable homes for families in need.

In mid-September, more than 50 Eastern Funding employees volunteered at Habitat for Humanity construction sites in Hollis, Queens. Under the direction of Habitat for Humanity construction staff, they helped with demolition, framing, putting down floorboards, and other tasks.

Besides employees giving their labor and time to the effort, Eastern Funding also supported Habitat through a monetary donation. Habitat for Humanity New York City reports the donation will help the organization’s work in “transforming lives and communities by building quality, affordable homes.”

Two of Eastern Funding’s fundamental principles and practices, says President Michael Fanger, are to do the right thing and be compassionate.

“Giving of ourselves to others to improve lives and communities is doing the right thing,” he says. “Helping those less fortunate than ourselves is being compassionate. Habitat for Humanity is an outstanding organization that makes it possible for so many to do the right thing and to improve lives in the process. We are honored to do our part.”

Jim Rogers, vice president of Statewide Laundry Equipment’s Tampa/Orlando/Jacksonville offices, prepares to be recorded for his company’s 2017 Laundry Improvement Expo highlight video, available now on YouTube. (Photo: Statewide Laundry Equipment)

Mattocks