American Coin-Op - November 2020

LAUNDRY CART SIZING & SECURITY

For as long as people have been bringing their dirty clothes to self-service laundries, they’ve sought ways to ease the task of transporting their belongings while in the store. Laundry carts simplify the movement of goods from here to there.

But do you know why carts are sized and made in the fashion they are? Cart maneuverability aids customers, yes, but it also makes the equipment susceptible to theft. What can be done to keep laundry carts from being rolled away? This article featuring reps from cart manufacturers takes a look at sizing and security.

PRETTY

COLUMNS

16 REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE TIPS THAT COST LITTLE OR NOTHING

Unless you are a real hands-on operator, columnist Paul Russo thinks a lot of your equipment failures will come from one simple source: lack of maintenance. Backed by 40-plus years of trial and error, Russo offers some repair and maintenance pointers that he says won’t dent your bank account.

20 USING DATA TO DRIVE NEXT-LEVEL MARKETING

Marketing your Laundromat doesn’t have to be hard or expensive, says Alliance Laundry Systems’ Aubrey Pollesch, but it does need to be targeted. By leveraging data collected through technology like payment systems and apps, store owners have a good way to effectively market while not making marketing a full-time job.

(Cover image: © Helen Rossand/iStockphoto)

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Bruce Beggs

STACKING UP FAVORABLY

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

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

Mathew Pawlak, Production Manager

Nathan Frerichs, Digital Media Director

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

ADVISORY BOARD

They say that two heads are better than one. But what about two wash or dry pockets of the stack variety vs. a single pocket? I’ll bet operators whose square footage is limited would say yes!

With more and more self-service laundries offering single pockets of larger capacities to an audience eager to wash and dry larger loads in just one machine, it would be easy to forget the bunk bedstyle stacks that take advantage of a Laundromat’s vertical space to produce greater wash and dry volume.

This month’s cover feature, Sittin’ Pretty with Stack Equipment, is a reminder of the stack’s usefulness and its continued importance to the traditional Laundromat equipment mix. It starts on page 6.

Another traditional self-service laundry fixture, the laundry cart, is the subject of Laundry Cart Sizing and Security on page 14. It’s a quick study of cart sizing, and the challenge store owners face in making carts available to customers yet protected from theft.

Paul Russo, with his Pointers from Paulie B column, is a believer in being hands-on when it comes to repair and maintenance. And during 40-plus years handling tasks in his New York City stores, he learned a thing or two. Starting on page 16, the retired store owner offers Repair and Maintenance Tips that Cost Little or Nothing, looking at the key areas where work is often needed and suggesting tricks and tools for simplifying DIY maintenance.

And there’s still more in this penultimate issue for 2020 but I’ll let you discover that for yourself.

Wear a mask, practice social distancing, and stay safe out there! I’ll see you next month.

Bruce Beggs Editorial Director

Main: 312-361-1700

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, 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, 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 61, number 11. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, 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, 2020. 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.

Sittin’ Pretty withStack Equipment

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Even though the self-service laundry is trending toward offering larger wash and dry capacities in single-pocket machines, stack equipment, which has been in use for decades, still figures prominently in many stores across the country.

This month, American Coin-Op invited several representatives from vended laundry equipment manufacturers to answer some questions about this specific equipment category and its position within the overall equipment mix.

IMMEDIATE BENEFITS

Q:

Matthew Conn, senior manager for Commercial Laundry Product Development & Marketing, Whirlpool Corp., parent company of ADC and Maytag: If you think about it, it’s about real estate. (Owners) can free up space to make the Laundromat more comfortable for their consumers, or to maximize their square footage. When you think about what it takes to rent space … that’s generally the first benefit we hear when we’re talking to customers about stacks.

If you think about that stack configuration, some people like the (lower) entry, from an ergonomic perspective, for consumers. I think the higher pockets are generally harder for people to get into but worth the trade-off for the owner.

Kevin Hietpas, director of sales, Dexter Laundry: In any retail business, laundries included, profitability is all about maximizing productive capacity (revenue per square foot). While stack dryers have been around for many years, it is only recently that truly commercial stack washer/dryers have been available in multiple capacities.

Stack dryers have been a great way to add drying capacity and make the most of available wall capacity. Stack washer/dryers, on the other hand, offer laundry owners the opportunity to add both washing and drying capacity in the same floor space. This innovation helps owners think differently and discover new ways of making the most of every foot of space in their location.

These products give creative laundry owners a much wider range of store layout and design options. Now, being able to get more productive capacity (washing and drying) into a location, owners have the opportunity to look at space, in good locations, that they might not have seriously considered due to size or internal layout limitations.

With layouts utilizing new stack washer/ dryer options, we have locations where we can increase the available washing and drying capacity in the same floor space by over 30% while still maintaining a customerfriendly layout. And these differently sized or shaped locations might very well be available at very favorable rental rates.

Tod Sorensen, regional sales manager, Girbau North America, parent company of Continental Girbau: The fundamental benefit of stack dryers is the dual-pocket capacity in a given square footage. When selecting a typical 45-pound-capacity stack dryer over a 75-pound single-pocket dryer, you’ll provide 20% greater dry capacity within a 20% smaller footprint.

Stack dryers are also used to offset the increasing rent, labor and operational costs of laundries, allowing for greater wash capacity and turnover in a similar space.

MACHINE CONFIGURATIONS

Q: Are there certain store configurations that are possible only when using stack equipment?

Hietpas: Locations needing to maximize revenue-producing capacity due to high

rental costs are always a great place to utilize stack equipment. Stack washer/dryers are also a great fit for very narrow locations (under 20 feet wide). They allow an owner to use one side for equipment (washing and drying) and one side for folding and still allow space in between for customer movement. Stack washer/dryers are also a great fit for smaller locations (under 500 square feet).

Kathryn Rowen, general manager, North American Laundromat, Alliance Laundry Systems (including Huebsch and Speed Queen brands): The great thing about products like our stack washer-extractor/ tumble dryer is that they help owners maximize floor space and generate ROI (return on investment) where single units may not be an option. Locations that might otherwise not have looked profitable because of small square footage can now be viable with stacks.

Sorensen: All configurations benefit from the capacity gain and space savings of stack equipment, but those in commercial strip malls, or limited in the number of outside walls, benefit the most.

Picture a strip mall with retail on both sides of the laundry. The most practical installation of dryers may be on the back wall, closest to the combustion air source and venting termination. Stack equipment offers increased capacity for what may be a limited linear back-wall space. Customer flow from entry to washers to dryers to folding can be configured in such a way as to promote clean, efficient movement.

Conn: They can create a bank of stack dryers that all occupy one wall. A Laundromat owner can really optimize space and get down to a smaller total footprint. In terms of specific configurations … where you’ve got washers on one wall and dryers on another wall, or the more typical format where you’ve got a bulkhead and a bunch of washers in the middle and dryers all around the outside, (stack equipment) supports all of those configurations, I would argue, equally.

There are some interesting dynamics internationally that happen with stack products that we see, especially with our smaller-platform, single-load stacks where we see people build whole Laundromats with just a bank of stacks.

CAPACITY AND CONTROL OPTIONS

Q: Generally speaking, are the same kinds of capacity and control options found

on single-pocket machines also available in stack units?

Rowen: Yes. For instance, we have seen owners selecting Speed Queen’s Quantum Touch control for single pockets and adding stack units with the same cutting-edge control in the same store to increase pockets.

Sorensen: Yes, single pockets and stacks share controls and common cycle options. Historically, the only difference between stack and single-pocket dryers from the 1980s until recently is the option of reversing the cylinder. This is important for largedimension and bulky items like comforters. In the last five years, stack dryers started offering this option, and it is growing in popularity.

Conn: Across the industry, folks cap out at about 50 pounds per pocket. … In terms of that capacity, there is kind of an upper limit, mainly, I think, because of the upper pocket. In terms of control options, you have pretty much the same options in the stack machines. A lot of our configurations have two different controls, and we have a couple of machines that have a single control and you pick your upper pocket or lower pocket.

Hietpas: Yes, since owners need to offer customers different options for different load sizes, Dexter offers stack equipment … in small, medium and larger capacities (20, 30 and 50 pounds). And these models have the same control options and capabilities as our non-stack models, including the ability to be connected to the cloud via DexterLive and to utilize mobile payments via DexterPay.

Additionally, all three of our stack washer/ dryer models feature the same user-friendly, front-mounted supply dispenser that we use on our largest washer models.

MARKETING OR PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Q: Does the availability of stack equipment lend itself to any specialized marketing or promotional opportunities?

Sorensen: Because of increased capacity and improved wash-to-dry ratios, many stores now incentivize customers to use larger-capacity washers by offering a dryer discount or free dry, lending to overall increases in customer flow. In a sense, they’re guiding the customer habits to consolidate loads rather than using three to five small-capacity or top-load machines.

Hietpas: With the programming and pricing flexibility of today’s controls, we see ▼

creative laundry owners using these capabilities to market different types of equipment to their customers in lots of creative ways. All of Dexter’s stack models have the same programming features and flexibility of our non-stack models, including our newest built-in capabilities, the ability to be connected to the cloud … and to utilize mobile payments.

Rowen: With the current pandemic showing no signs of letting up, stack units offer a social distancing marketing opportunity. Laundromat customers can complete their wash and dry cycles at one machine. They don’t have to cart wet laundry across the store, or even across the aisle, to the tumble dryers. It also reduces their touch points while in the laundry. Marketing the strengths of the stack washer-extractor/tumble dryer can be attractive to potential customers during this new COVID-19 world.

IMPACT OF LARGE-CAPACITY TREND

Q: Incorporating large-capacity, single-pocket machines is a growing trend in vended laundries. How has this trend impacted the popularity of stack equipment, if at all?

Conn: As far as impacts to our volume in the (manufacturing) plant, the mix hasn’t changed a whole lot. … For a Laundromat application, you cap out at about 90 pounds. You very rarely see the bigger dryers in those locations. It’d be hard for us to see that shift, because they’re still going to need a lot of stacks. Stacks are a better value, two pockets in one cabinet. Fundamentally, on a dollars-per-pound basis, you’re likely getting more capacity out of a stack.

Hietpas: As laundries have added more and more larger washers, we have seen a significant trend toward more and more 50-pound stack dryers replacing single dryers, or even 30-pound stack dryers. Largesize stack dryers are a great way to add more drying capacity to keep up with the great volume of washing capacity that’s been added. And with larger equipment commanding higher vend prices, as well as attracting non-traditional laundry users, we think it’s a great trend for our industry.

Rowen: This is where 30- and 50-pound commercial stack units can still fill that multi-load need/trend.

Sorensen: The usage frequency trend is, and has been, increasing for large-capacity washers up to 130 pounds. This has put greater pressure on the drying capacity in laundries. Some laundries have installed

multiple 75-pound, single-pocket dryers, while other owners prefer to educate customers using large-capacity washers to simply split the wash load into 45-pound stack dryers.

CLEANING, MAINTENANCE DIFFERENCES

Q: Are there any differences in the cleaning and maintenance of stack machines versus a single-pocket machine, particularly among dryers?

Hietpas: Equipment maintenance is essentially the same as non-stack models. The biggest difference that owners will need to be aware of is that lint filters will need to be cleaned more regularly on stack models. The space previously available for greater lint capacity is now devoted to another revenue-producing dryer pocket. Most owners agree that’s a good trade-off that makes for a more profitable business.

dryers tend to build up more lint around the outer shell of the cabinet, requiring the front panels to be removed and vacuumed out.

IN CLOSING

Q: Anything else you’d like to share about stack laundry equipment and its place in the vended laundry industry?

Rowen: Our company is excited about the potential of our multi-load stack washerextractor/tumble dryers. Their ability to produce strong ROI helps owners in locations that previously were too short on square footage to be viable Laundromats. In addition, their robust commercial construction is better suited for the heavy use of busy Laundromat environments.

Sorensen: Be careful with new stores and renovations to pay close attention to customer flow through the stations of wash; transfer and loading of dry; and folding. Stack dryers allow for adequate capacity and dryer pocket-to-washer ratios, so don’t come up short and logjam your store in the dryers during busy weekend hours.

Beware of stack washer/dryers in Laundromats for three basic reasons:

• Customer flow is critical. Mixing one with the other often limits capacity because vended customers are occupying the space. Customers can be territorial in nature. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers don’t want others near them nor should store owners want to promote that.

Sorensen: Most stack dryers are “axial airflow” — heat and airflow from the rear vented to the front — and often have front roller wheels to support the cylinder. There is a cylinder belt driving rotation. Singlepocket dryers use “radial airflow” — heat and air from top to bottom rather than a pulley and belt with bearings on a tub shaft, similar to a washer.

The difference between these two designs requires that lint be cleaned in different areas of the machine and the rollers become the replaceable wear component instead of the main bearings on the shaft.

Stack dryers allow for greater drying capacity per square foot in the laundry, but they do require more frequent servicing and lint-drawer cleaning due to the smaller size of the lint screen. Additionally, due to airflow, design and gas consumption, stack

• Mixing water and drain (washer), venting (dryer lint) and unconditioned combustion air (dryers) for stack washers and dryers is challenging. The wrong conditions (cold, humidity, condensation) could spell more maintenance and offer the potential for water line breaks, inefficiency and/or lint obstruction in venting, apart from the expense to install.

• Serviceability of anything stacked can increase the need for service accessibility behind such units, which would occupy valuable laundry space that should be reserved for customers.

Hietpas: Innovation is a sign of a healthy industry. Since our first stack washer-dryer model, the 30-pound capacity, was introduced almost 20 years ago, our lineup of SWDs has expanded to 20-, 30- and 50-pound models. While every innovation might not be an exact fit for every laundry, or for every owner, innovation keeps our industry moving forward, and each innovation leads to the next innovation. ACO

As laundries have added more and more larger washers, we have seen a significant trend toward more and more 50-pound stack dryers replacing single dryers, or even 30-pound stack dryers.

– Kevin Hietpas director of sales, Dexter Laundry

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LAUNDRY CART SIZING & SECURITY

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

For as long as people have been bringing their dirty clothes to self-service laundries, they’ve sought ways to ease the task of transporting their belongings while in the store. Laundry carts simplify the movement of goods from here to there.

“I think, for good reason, the cart of choice is a wire cart, an elevated wire basket, with or without a hanger,” says Cindy Lapidakis, VP of sales and marketing for Royal Basket Trucks, a producer of carts, trucks and containers that builds to order. “There are different styles of an elevated cart but the wire offers the clientele the ability to see if there’s something in that cart and not miss part of their belongings.”

“The standard cart has always been a chrome cart,” says Frank Rowe, VP of sales and marketing for R&B Wire Products, a diversified manufacturer of laundry and linen transportation equipment in business since 1946. The company is capable of vinyl-dipping carts in various colors, he adds, and also makes cart products with antimicrobial or rust-resistant properties.

Why are laundry carts sized and made in the fashion they are? Why are dimensions so important?

“Years ago, the stores were probably smaller, with tighter aisles, so people wanted to maximize the revenue opportunity they had with machines,” Rowe says. “That meant there were different needs that people would have as far as the size of a cart.”

R&B’s most popular basic model is one that stands 27 inches high, measures roughly 22 by 27 inches, and has an 11-inch-deep basket, according to Rowe.

“Part of it is just pure environment,” Lapidakis says of cart dimension standards and options. “How much room is there between rows of equipment? Do the carts nest up to the front of a piece of (laundry) equipment and give enough room for the door to swing? … You also want (to consider) your cart height and your (folding) tables so that carts can be stored underneath them. It can be neat and tidy when it needs to be.”

Trends show many laundries with the available space offering washers and dryers exceeding 50 pounds in capacity. So is the larger machine size also impacting cart sizing and options?

“Not in a manner that it’s raised a huge flag and that we track it,” says Lapidakis. “We’re aware of it but, primarily, these types of operations are still going to the traditional 27- or 33-inch size wire carts, even though the equipment is larger.”

Rowe says the growth in equipment capacity influenced R&B to add a 6-bushel “mega” cart to go with its “standard” 2.5-bushel and “large” 4.5-bushel models.

“If you try to train your customers that these standard carts belong with the 30- and 40-pound machines, the large with the 50- and 60-pound machines, and the 70s and 90s belong with these mega carts … it just makes the flow and the availability of carts better,” he says.

The maneuverability of laundry carts also means that they’re susceptible to theft. Do today’s carts incorporate any sort of antitheft features or devices?

“Standard carts do not,” says Lapidakis. “We’ve done many projects with specific customers in other industries with RFID tags and tracking. Some of those kinds of technologies have been incorporated, primarily in the waste-hauling industries.”

She’s seen some owners purchase carts that are physically larger than their store’s doorways when assembled to deter thievery.

“There’s not a lot you can do, other than changing the size of the cart, to keep it from, unfortunately, going elsewhere,” she adds.

“Constantly, people ask us about the shopping carts, the ones that have the locking wheels,” Rowe says. “The problem with those is … it takes you burying a cable out in the parking lot to be able to trip that caster to lock. So, you spend 10 grand to trench your parking lot to make sure someone’s not leaving (with a cart), but if someone wants it, they’re going to take it anyway.”

He’s seen store owners affix Bluetooth-enabled “tiles” to carts and try tracking them using a smartphone app.

Some owners have their laundry’s name engraved on their cart bases as a deterrent: “People are less likely to steal something with a name on it than one that doesn’t,” Rowe suggests.

R&B is looking into the possibility of burying a trackable chip within a cart that would transmit its location, he adds.

But for now, store owners will just have to make the most of low-tech solutions to keep their laundry carts handy for the next customer.

(Photo: © srongkrod481/Depositphotos)

REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE TIPS THAT COST LITTLE OR NOTHING

Unless you are a real hands-on operator, a lot of your equipment failures will come from one simple source: lack of maintenance. This month, I’m offering some repair and maintenance tips that cost little or nothing. (Always remember to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance guidelines and take care not to do anything that could void a warranty.)

Lint — The most common maintenance mistake is not cleaning out lint!

Lint is the enemy of Laundromats, clogging up dryer ducts and drain lines, as well as the stoves that heat up the dryers by changing the air/gas ratio. A lint buildup in your dryers can cause the airflow switch to not switch on the flames. This is an important safety issue to prevent a fire! The airflow switch is telling you that the air is slowing down to the point that a fire could

erupt, so don’t disable it!

A layer of lint can insulate computer boards and cause them to overheat. Lint can cause havoc with any computer board, and nowadays, mats have lots of computer boards!

When I first started out in the business, I learned the danger of lint the hard way. I allowed a quarter-inch layer of lint to build up behind a row of dryers. A motor created a spark that ignited the lint and the fire took down half the mat. The feeling of standing inside your mat and seeing the sky is something one doesn’t forget!

So, make up a regular schedule for deep cleaning to remove lint.

Cost: Only your labor

Clogged AC Condensers — Have a problem with dryer exhaust lint clogging up your HVAC units on the roof? Wrap the condenser with a layer of a fine mesh screen

Paul Russo

designed to catch gnats. It’s fine enough to block lint (a regular window screen’s mesh is too porous) but air still flows through the coils. When lint starts to collect on the screen, just wipe or hose it off.

Cost: $20-40 for a roll Drain Lines — Another common lintrelated maintenance failure is not having a regular schedule to have your drain lines snaked (or rodded) out. This is especially true with cast iron drain lines. When you do have a line cleaned, make sure a doublesided scraper blade is used to scrape encrusted buildup off the pipes. Do this while running as much water through the drain as possible to wash down the crud.

If you did this once a year, I’d say you could eliminate as much as 90% of emergency water backups. You’ll get a better service price if it’s not an emergency situation.

Cost: The price of hiring a drain mechanic, or buying your own drain machine

Logbook — Keep a maintenance logbook that records every repair that requires a part. You can then spot trends, which helps you maintain a more efficient parts inventory. You can use a spiral notebook,

or a note app on your smartphone.

Use a marker to write directly on the part the date it was installed and where you bought it. Do this in your logbook, too. Different parts suppliers offer different versions of the same part, some better than others. Keeping track of the source will help you identify who sold you a bad part.

Cost: None, or less than the price of one double-load wash Swap Out Parts — If you’re not sure that a certain part is the cause of an issue, a common trick is to “swap it out” with the same part from a working machine. If the issue follows the part, then you nailed it.

Cost: Only your labor

Reduce Drain Blockages — Want to know how to dramatically cut down on clogs and obstructions in your drain lines? Very simple. Armed with a good flashlight, open the washer door and peer inside. Look down at the holes in the basket while pointing the light downward at the area where the tub drains the water. You’ll be able to see past the holes in the basket, similar to looking through a window screen. Many drain obstructions will hover over this tub drain opening for a couple of days,

so inspect all your washers twice a week. A look inside each drum takes only a couple of seconds.

Cost: Price of a flashlight and batteries

Magnetize Your Screwdrivers — For those times when you’re working on equipment and handling screws, having a screwdriver with a magnetized tip can be a big help. Acquire a rare earth magnet and slide the screwdriver tip over it. Turn it around and slide the other side over the magnet. The screwdriver tip is now magnetized. The effect lasts six months to a year until you’ll need to do it again.

Cost: $10-15

Hose Screens — Rather than clean them one at a time, buy a box of new hose screens and just swap them out. You can save the old ones to clean, or just chuck ’em.

I got so fed up with the debris New York City was pumping in our water supply, clogging up my screens all the time, I stopped using them. Yep! I decided I would try no screens to see what would happen. After a year, I had one water valve diaphragm (out of hundreds) that was chocked open by a chunk of iron. My crew simply shut off the washer until I got

there. Another thing that happened: I never had to clean a hose screen again.

Cost: $20 for 100 SS hose screens, or nothing if you can remove them with no issues

Clearing a Top Loader Tub Clog — If you have socks going over the sides of top loaders and clogging up the drain outlet, you can pull them out from the inside fairly easily.

Buy a small triple-point fishhook and some line. Make sure you attach a small weight to the hook. Drop the fishhook over the basket, let it drop to the bottom of the tub, and then swing it around in a circle until you hook the sock.

Cost: Less than $5

Washer Water Levels — Examine each washer’s water level, both high and low, because they go out of adjustment after a couple of years and you’ll see they have strayed from the original water levels you set. Some may be too high, wasting water, and some may be too low, causing customer complaints.

You can have your crew inspect the levels and mark them on the glass door with tape. Then you come to check them out. Sometimes it’s just a loose air pressure hose.

Cost: None

Temperature Checks — Not sure of your dryer temperatures? Your water temperatures? Air conditioner, boiler or heaters? Get an infrared laser thermometer.

I’m not talking about the forehead body thermometer that’s flooding the market these days. Get one that’s rated “Not for Human.” Their only downside is they are not accurate on shiny, reflective surfaces. Fixes for that is to either point the laser at a dark surface, or stick a piece of black tape on a shiny surface and wait a couple minutes for it to heat up, then point.

Cost: Around $30

Diagnosing Electrical Issues — To accurately and safely diagnose electrical issues, if you don’t already have one in your toolbox, I highly recommend getting a multimeter and learning how to use it (there are how-to videos online). I like the clamp-on multimeters, but they are pricey.

Cost: As little as $12 for a decent regular multimeter

Voltage Detector Pen — To help you safely identify which circuits are live or not, consider a non-contact AC voltage-detector pen. It only detects if AC voltage is present,

but the easy portability of having a pen handy to verify if a circuit is hot or not can save you some serious shocks. It’s very simple: it beeps and lights up when you place the tip close to a “hot” wire.

Cost: $15-$25

Computer Boards — These boards rely on micro voltages that can become disrupted because the voltage is too weak to push past slightly corroded terminals like line voltage can. Before you start swapping boards out, try removing the board’s electrical connectors to clean their terminals with a good electrical contact cleaner. Get one that doesn’t affect plastic. Always make sure you shut down the power before plugging or unplugging the connectors to avoid damaging the circuits.

Cost: Around $10

Electrical Power — Speaking of shutting down power, whenever possible, do this first. When working behind a washer, I also shut down the two adjoining machines to make a nice row, in case I accidentally hit a water hose while behind the equipment.

Do the same for dryers. Customers often are not aware you are back there, so put two BIG signs on each dryer. I know

someone who lost a finger even though he shut off the power! A customer decided to manually turn the basket of the dryer he was working on. Duct-tape the dryer door closed if you have to.

Cost: None

Diaphragms — You can save some money if you change the diaphragms, springs and plunger tips instead of buying a whole new water valve. Most valves can handle one or two diaphragm changes before you have to ditch ’em.

If one diaphragm goes bad, another one will surely fail within a few months, so change them all, including the diaphragms in the other valves, while you are there behind the washer. Nobody wants to be climbing behind the machines all the time. More work for you, but you’ll get a more immediate cure right away.

Cost: About half the price of a new valve

Motor Bearings — A noisy motor bearing is usually caused by heat and the load on the motor. This is why the bearing near the pulley always goes first in washers, and the bearing closest to the heat goes first in dryers. The head and load will cause the bearing’s grease to eventually dry out. In

washers, you’ll get a “tinkle” noise. In dryers, the main tub bearings will start seizing up and the basket will start to wobble.

You can spray washer motors with WD-40 and lithium spray grease along the motor’s axle while it’s in the machine, but keep the spray out of the windings. Only spray the bearing. Yes, bearings have shields on them, but the spray will work past them to rehydrate the grease. It’s not a permanent fix but it can buy you time to fix it.

Dryer main drum bearings are a little different. Some manufacturers put grease nipples (Zerk fittings) on the main bearings. If you pump a couple of shots in with a grease gun once a year, it will be a very long time before one fails.

Washer tub bearing jobs can be reduced by simply cutting out a rinse and spin. The extracts put a lot of stress on washer tub bearings. Plus, you save water.

Cost: Price of WD-40 and lithium spray grease, and your labor Hose Clamp Pliers — These can come in handy when working on a drain valve to squeeze the hose shut from the tub to the drain on some washers. You can also use it to shut a water hose if you fold the hose

in half and then pinch it shut. Look for “radiator hose pinch-off pliers” at the auto supply store. Also, consider getting a pair of 11-inch long reach pliers. They come in handy to grab and pull items from inside drain valves and hoses.

Cost: About $15 for either Rubber Gaskets and Lids — Make your gray rubber door gaskets and/or rubber lid doors look like new again. Soak them overnight in a 50/50 chlorine bleach solution.

Cost: Price of bleach, and your labor

In closing, before going on a wild goose chase to diagnose an equipment issue, start simple and work your way up to complicated. There were many times in my career when I spent too much time hunting down an elaborate cause, only to discover a fuse had blown. Look for a simple explanation first—clogged drains, a broken wire, etc.— before searching for the complex. ACO

Paul Russo owned and operated multiple Laundromats in New York City for more than 40 years before retiring in 2018. You’re welcome to direct any questions or comments for Russo to Editor Bruce Beggs at bbeggs@atmags.com.

Aubrey Pollesch

USING DATA TO DRIVE NEXT-LEVEL MARKETING

Marketing your Laundromat doesn’t have to be hard. And it doesn’t have to be expensive. But it does need to be targeted to be effective.

Yet the vast number of Laundromats don’t do any marketing. A 2016 Coin Laundry Association survey showed that 36% did no advertising, which was up from 30% the prior year, and of those who did, 23% used social media and 22% had a website.

FINDING THE STARTING POINT

Laundromat owners need to consider a few things when determining their marketing strategy. First, how they will meet customers’ expectations and engage with customers, keeping in mind what other retailers are doing with their marketing strategies, particularly if those retailers are where their Laundromat customers shop. Many large brands are using data to predict the needs of customers and fulfill their expectations instantaneously. They are also driving customer loyalty through rewards programs.

While most businesses spend 8-12% of their budget on marketing, most Laundromats spend less than 3%. That doesn’t mean that store owners have to spend more, but it does mean they need to spend smarter and learn from the best practices of other retailers.

Secondly, Laundromats don’t necessarily need a website, but they do need a digital presence, such as a Facebook page, so people know the business is legitimate, their business hours and what services they offer. For those Laundromats using social media, it’s important they understand their demographic and look at the age of customers they are trying to attract when determining whether to use Facebook (used by an older audience) or

Instagram (more of a millennial or younger audience).

A Laundromat owner should always search for his/her business online and see what shows up. It is important to claim Google and Yelp pages. If customers check in, Yelp will automatically create a page for the store and autofill information, often times showing wrong business owners. Owners need to claim their page, add store hours and photos, and monitor reviews. Claiming their Google business page and monitoring reviews there is equally important.

EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY

Thanks to technology like payment systems and apps, today’s store owners know who their customers are, how much they typically spend, which machines they prefer, what day of the week they usually come in and more. With all this data, store owners can send specific messaging to existing customers based on their current behaviors.

But how do you start doing that? First, define your brand. A study has shown that most customers don’t even know the name of their Laundromat, but rather just its location. Determine the promise your Laundromat is making to potential customers. In other words, what sets it apart from its competition? Why would Laundromat customers want to change their behavior and try a new store? It could be things like having air conditioning, offering free Wi-Fi, or having larger machines or rewards programs. Then keep that as consistent messaging in all marketing campaigns.

Secondly, choose your marketing goal. Is it newcustomer acquisition, engaging current customers to make them more loyal, or providing value to existing customers? Based on that goal, determine the best way to deliver that message.

Your marketing also needs a clear call to action. For instance, what do you want people to do upon seeing your ads? Do you want them to start using a different machine? Or perhaps download an app or leave a service review?

The key to a good marketing strategy is the ability to track and measure your success and track your ROI (return on investment). You need to know what marketing or advertising options are working.

It sounds time-consuming, especially for a lot of smallbusiness owners, but it isn’t. By leveraging technology that is available, you have a good way to effectively market, while not making marketing a full-time job.

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Several types of technology are tied to marketing, such as:

Consumer Apps — Customers can download consumer apps and use them to pay for their machines. But while they provide convenience for the customer, the apps also provide a store owner with a lot of customer data. You know how much customers are spending, when they are coming in to do their laundry and more. That allows you to talk to them directly through your marketing. So you could do a variety of rewards programs. Maybe offer a $10 sign-up bonus for downloading the app, or for every $20 a customer adds to his/her wallet, $5 would be added for free.

Store Owner Portals — These allow you to review store performance KPI (key performance indicators) and see trends. For instance, which days are you busiest? Slowest? If you know that you are slow 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, you can set up rewards for existing Sunday customers, for example, to come in during that time and save.

Customer Relationship Management — CRM allows you to filter your customers based on their behavior. Maybe you can get customers back in who haven’t visited in the last month, or maybe you can get your self-service customers who spend a certain dollar amount to use a different machine.

There are all sorts of different filter parameters, and based on your results, you can send targeted messages to individual customers. With CRM, you can send text, email, or use in-app applications to offer promo codes for reward credits or points. It enables you to advertise to your existing customers and see how many actually receive, open, and come in to redeem your offering. The CRM shows you how effective your marketing tactics are.

For example, when a new Laundromat opens, it may advertise through Facebook, Google and a print mailer. Based on the promo code, you can track to see which form of advertising was most effective and brings in the most new customers. You can continue to tweak your offers — $10 or a percentage off, perhaps — to see which works most effectively.

THE PAYOFF

With CRM marketing, you can also incentivize customers to change behaviors more easily. Since wash-dry-fold customers tend to be the most profitable customers, try converting your self-service customers to WDF by educating them that they can

save time using the service and offering them 10% off for trying it.

It is also easier to get your customers to spend more money if they use a payment system like an app. Studies show that people will spend more if they use a credit card vs. cash since they tend to not notice price increases as much. In fact, people with mobile wallets tend to spend 7-9% more than if they pay by cash. That’s because they are further removed from physical cash.

Yes, the perception may be that marketing is difficult and that it takes too much

time or that it doesn’t work. But technology makes it easier for store owners who have a lot to do besides marketing, allowing them to track results and their ROI, and continue to drive new and existing business. ACO

Aubrey Pollesch is a sales development manager for North American Laundromat at Alliance Laundry Systems. She’s worked as a technology sales engineer and has executed store-level and corporate-level marketing. She can be reached at aubrey. pollesch@alliancels.com.

“I’M

— Scott Badarak

Scott and Tina Badarak Multi-store owners San Diego,

TUCCI JOINS SUPERIOR LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT CO. STAFF

Distributor Superior Laundry Equipment Co., Brooklyn, New York, has added industry veteran Justin Tucci to its staff as regional sales manager for the company’s newly acquired territory of southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and select northern counties of Maryland.

Tucci has over 10 years of experience in commercial laundry equipment sales, developing new locations and retooling existing stores, and is looking forward to supporting the new Maytag multi-load product line.

Tucci’s experience includes serving coinand card-operated laundries, on-premise laundries, and the multi-housing sector.

“Justin is a pro when it comes to commercial laundry equipment sales,” says Michael Gekelman, president of Superior Laundry Equipment Co. “We are excited to add him to our team as we continue to grow and establish our leadership in the East Coast market.”

Tucci is based out of South Jersey and will work closely with the Brooklyn-based home office to expand the company’s reach.

GIRBAU NORTH AMERICA ADDS FLORIDA DISTRIBUTOR TO NETWORK

Equipment manufacturer Girbau North America (GNA), based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, reports it recently partnered with Commercial Laundries of West Florida Inc., a full-service equipment distributor based in Tampa, Fla. As a result, Commercial Laundries—a 40-year-old company—now provides Continental Girbau® vended laundry equipment and Express Laundry Center® turnkey stores to customers throughout most of Central Florida.

“Commercial Laundries is a company with an outstanding reputation in the vended laundry market,” says Ed Ziegler, GNA sales manager – Eastern U.S. “Their team delivers top-notch expertise and service to customers before, during and after every sale. We’re eager to see them represent the Continental and Express Laundry Center brands.”

Commercial Laundries provides the complete package to vended laundry customers, GNA says, including assistance with laundry site selection, construction, equipment mix, store layout and design, equipment installation and service, and factory warranties.

“We believe we stand apart from other distributors because of our outstanding customer service,” says its owner, Mike Albanese.

CSC SERVICEWORKS NAMES WARNER COO

CSC Serviceworks, which provides commercial laundry solutions and air vending services, reports that Lonny Warner has joined its Executive Leadership Team as chief operating officer.

Warner will report directly to CEO Mark Hjelle and be responsible for aligning and prioritizing key strategic initiatives and ensuring operational excellence across the company.

“As we lead our company’s course for the future, Lonny’s experience, leadership, and business process acumen will add to our transformation as we continue to work to set a new standard for operational excellence,” says Hjelle.

Warner brings three decades of success in a series of senior roles at several organizations. He comes to CSC ServiceWorks from The

Brinks Company, where he served as COO, senior VP and GM, directing all cash-in-transit terminal operations throughout the nation. Warner oversaw product development, lean processes, network logistics optimization and growth, and financial modeling to meet clients’ needs across multiple industries.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to join the industry-leading team at CSC – and I’m excited to help lead the next phase of its journey as the company continues to reimagine its business and the larger industry,” says Warner.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Oklahoma with additional executive management studies at Northwestern and Michigan State universities.

700TH SPEED QUEEN-BRANDED STORE OPENS IN ITALY

Speed Queen® says it has redefined the customer experience with stores around the globe. Recently, the Ripon, Wisconsinbased company claimed another milestone with the 700th Speed Queen-branded store opening in Orbassano, Italy.

“New investors and entrepreneurs continue to leverage the brand equity and our proven business model of Speed Queenbranded Laundromats to achieve exceptional return on investment,” says Marco Treggiari, director of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Speed Queen-licensed stores.

Speed Queen Laundromats are now at work in 25 European countries and more than 465 cities.

DISTRIBUTOR EVI INDUSTRIES SETS RECORDS FOR FISCAL 2020

While the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic disruption adversely impacted performance, Miami-based laundry and drycleaning distributor EVI Industries Inc. reports it achieved record revenue, gross profit and operating cash flows for fiscal year 2020 and reduced net debt 50% compared to the prior year.

Its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30 reflects its long-term focused buy-and-build growth strategy and the effectiveness of growth initiatives, offset by modernization and optimization investment and the COVID-19 impact, the company says in a press release.

At fiscal year’s end, EVI had $18 million of net debt, a 50% decrease as compared to June 30, 2019. Strengthening of its balance sheet was driven by a record $23 million of operating cash flow.

During the second half of fiscal 2020, government orders resulting in restrictions and business closures limited EVI’s access to customers’ facilities. Revenue decelerated in March and April before rebounding in May and June, resulting in a 16% drop for the quarter ended June 30 compared to the same quarter the prior year. But revenue increased 3% for the fiscal year to a record $236 million.

“While we were confronted with the turbulence and chaos caused by COVID-19 during fiscal 2020, we are pleased with the manner and speed in which we have been able to adapt,” says EVI Chairman and CEO Henry M. Nahmad. “Revenue from vended laundry customers was strong due to factors that continue to spur investment from entrepreneurs, and revenue from multi-family customers was consistent with contractual obligations.” ACO

Justin Tucci

Lonny Warner

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