American Coin-Op - August 2022

FROM A TO Z

(Cover image: iStock.com/Dean Mitchell)

VIEWPOINT

MANAGER MATERIAL?

After you purchased or built your first self-service laundry, you probably handled many responsibilities yourself—scheduled and supervised attendants, made collections, bought supplies, you name it—to see that your business ran smoothly and made money.

But it’s a natural transition for a small-business owner to hire a manager responsible for handling the day-to-day duties so the owner can focus on “big picture” items and get away when he/ she wants to.

So what makes someone manager material? And what are the keys for finding, hiring and training your next manager? I asked this of an HR expert with a focus on hiring, along with five laundromat owners from around the country, and the result was our cover story, “Managerial Selection & Training,” starting on page 12.

Also this month, I conclude our three-part series on “Incorporating Pickup & Delivery in Today’s Laundry” by polling several other store owners who offer the service on how they decided to position their PUD service and trumpet its availability. That article opens on page 6.

This August issue also includes an article examining wash/dry/ fold operations from A to Z and a column by retired multi-store owner Paul Russo on what it means to be the boss.

Finally, as this edition was going to press, we were still a few weeks away from heading to Atlanta for The 2022 Clean Show. Because of the show’s timing and our production schedule, you can expect to see my “First from the Floor” account in the September issue and my full “Clean Show Report” in October.

I hope to be able to share tales of fervent attendee interest, positive chatter, and a textile care industry excited for the future.

Bruce Beggs Editorial Director

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

Douglas Pratt Tony Regan

Andy Wray

OFFICE INFORMATION

Main: 312-361-1700

American Coin-Op (ISSN 0092-2811) is published monthly. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $50.00; 2 years $100.00. Foreign, 1 year $120.00; 2 years $240.00. Single copies $10.00 for U.S., $20.00 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., 125 Schelter Rd., #350, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3666. Volume 63, number 8. 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, 2022. 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.

Sharon Sager Michael Schantz

Bruce Beggs

Incorporating

Marketing & Promotion

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Earlier this year, we introduced “Incorporating Pickup and Delivery,” a three-part series exploring the hot service trend. Part 1 in the February issue examined the labor and workflow considerations tied to a PUD service through a trio of laundry owners. Part 2 in May’s edition featured several more owners who assessed the use of delivery vehicles, computer software and potential add-ons the new service can require.

As our series concludes this month, laundry owners who contributed earlier return to answer our questions about marketing and promoting their service.

Q: Do you market or promote your laundry pickup and delivery service as a) part of your overall operation or b) its own thing?

Mark Vlaskamp, co-owner and managing partner of The Folde, a laundry pickup and delivery service that relies on laundromats it owns in Houston and Austin, Texas, as processing hubs: We operate the laundromats and the delivery service under different brands at the moment. It tends to be two different customer bases that hardly ever overlap. This is temporary, though; it’s simply a function of us purchasing pre-existing laundromats with existing brands. In our purchase agreements, we set a defined number of years that we can operate under the current laundromat brand.

Right now, our [return on investment] is best in two places: 1) adding more laundromats or 2) growing the PUD business. However, the time to rebrand is coming soon. It’s our plan to do a full rebrand of the laundromats, bringing them under The Folde brand. I’m excited for the rebrand when that time comes. The

opportunity to improve [search engine optimization], operating efficiencies, and brand recognition across both businesses is a lot to be excited about.

Kristyn Van Ostern, co-owner of Wash Street, a laundry services company based in Manchester, New Hampshire: We market it as part of our overall service now.

Colleen Unema, owner of Brio Laundry, Bellingham, Washington: We market it as part of our whole service package. When they need it, it is available. If they want to arrange for a loved one, it is there. Just part and parcel of our commitment to being there for them.

Lloyd Silver, owner of Sage Laundry, Woodland, California: We’re currently marketing our self-service, drop-off, and pickup and delivery laundry service under one brand. When we opened our first location in 2021, we only offered self-service and drop-off laundry service; there was no pickup and delivery. It made sense to do both under the same brand, since in both cases the overall goal was to get someone to come into the store. A secondary goal was to convert self-service customers to drop-off. Additionally, we expected to drive a lot of traffic through Google Maps, and Google guidelines would not allow us to have two related brands under the same address. Therefore, consistent branding for both services was required.

Todd Ofsink, owner of Todd Layne Cleaners & Laundromat, New York City: It’s an interesting question, because we do a little bit of both. We recognize that there is a market for PUD and nonPUD customers and that they have unique characteristics. While many of our marketing efforts are aimed at all customers, we do segment and target PUD customers with specific offers like 99-cent delivery options with a quick 30-minute window in New York City. Other offers include percentage or dollar discounts at a higher

(Image: ©creatOR76/Depositphotos)

minimum order size for PUD customers. Our non-PUD customers are a little more price-conscious and we offer additional discounts for them.

Hank Nelken, owner of three Half-Price Laundry locations in California’s San Fernando Valley: We market as part of the overall operation. That said, we target areas outside the local area around our stores specifically for pickup and delivery. We have a (website) landing page that takes customers to information about pickup and delivery. They can still access the rest of the website, but that is a good way to provide specific information to targeted customers.

Q: How has your business benefited based on your marketing choice?

Van Ostern: Actually, it was market demand that made us realize we should promote it as part of the overall service. Last year, we discovered pickup and delivery made up over 75% of our total business.

Unema: We have found that it becomes “assumed.” ‘I am having knee surgery next week. Can you set me up for pickup over the next couple weeks?’ So easy. We know how to do their laundry and now we just help them out.

Silver: We launched pickup and delivery services in mid-2021 and continued operating under the same brand. The primary benefit was that we were able to leverage the reputation we had been creating for our store with over 60 5-star reviews. Being able to promote ourselves as the highest-rated laundromat in our area made it easier to build trust with customers considering us for pickup-and-delivery laundry service.

I have been giving thought as to whether it makes sense to break off the pickup and delivery service into its own brand. The primary benefit would be a very focused customer experience. We’d have a website 100% dedicated to pickup and delivery, which I believe would offer a better experience and improved conversions from visitors to leads and customers.

Ofsink: Because we have a segmented approach, it has been beneficial for us to market directly to PUD customers. Over time, the percentage of our customers that use this service is becoming larger and larger. Convenience, trust, time saving, easy scheduling and quick delivery windows are the main components of what our customers are looking for.

Nelken: Since we launched the new website including pickup and delivery, there has been a steady increase in customers finding us on the internet as our domain authority has increased.

Vlaskamp: There are inefficiencies associated with managing the laundromat brand separate from the delivery laundry service. While I suspect the cus-

tomer bases won’t overlap much more than they currently do, the improved efficiency will come on the back end with our marketing, customer support, and local brand recognition.

Q: What tools, methods and/or platforms do you use in marketing your PUD service to prospects and existing customers?

Unema: Sounds crazy, but we use radio sponsorships. Usually contests and events where we get mentioned over and over. I script the mentions so they include our name and one sentence regarding services offered. We are in a rural area, so we draw from a very large geographical area for marketing. Our pickup and delivery is actually a pretty tight circle around our store, unless they are a regular customer, (because then) we will add them to our list no matter how far away.

Laura Simoes, co-owner of Wash Street: Our custom-wrapped vans act as mobile billboards in the communities we serve.

Silver: I’m a big believer in having data and being able to use that data to drive good marketing. So we adopted ActiveCampaign as not just an email platform but a full sales and marketing platform allowing for advanced lead nurturing campaigns and a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that we use especially for cultivating commercial accounts.

Our website is run on Wordpress, and we’ve added several customizations to extract more data on our visitors and their behavior on our site, keeping in mind the protection of their privacy. This data is piped into ActiveCampaign either directly or through Make (formerly Integromat) and gives us much better information on the performance of our marketing campaigns.

(Photo: © maxxyustas/Depositphotos)

In terms of marketing methods, we primarily leverage Google Maps via our Google Business Profile, along with Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads. We’re experimenting with YouTube ads currently but don’t have enough data to determine if they are providing the right return on ad spend (ROAS). We also provide a formal referral program, and word-of-mouth has been a big part of our success.

Ofsink: Our website is the main driver in marketing our PUD service to perspective customers. We also use Google Ads, email marketing, blogs, outdoor banners, and social media posts on Facebook and Instagram. Because we are located in a dense area like New York City, maintaining relationships with doorman buildings is also helpful for us.

Nelken: We have used Google Ads but they are expensive and you can easily waste your money if you don’t know what you’re doing, which I didn’t. You can call Google and they will give you guidance. Beyond that, we use Facebook and Instagram, along with Google My Business and Yelp. I use an app to make short video ads that I post regularly.

Vlaskamp: It’s our experience that marketing for home services does better with pull marketing (drawing customers’ interest in your service once they’re already looking for a solution) instead of push marketing (pushing your brand in front of audiences, usually with paid advertising or promotions). Your laundry delivery service falls in the same bucket as other home services that your customers use: plumbers, landscapers, HVAC, carpet cleaning, etc.

Have you ever clicked on an Instagram ad (push marketing) to have your carpets cleaned? It’s much more likely that carpet cleaners convert more from ranking well for relevant Google searches (pull marketing). When you have a pest problem, do you remember the ad you saw on Facebook a couple of weeks ago or do you Google it?

Van Ostern: For prospects, we have been most successful with Google Ads (paid advertising), word-of-mouth, and social media.

Q: How does the fact you may never meet your PUD

Silver: When customers come into our store, they immediately know they’ve made a good decision on their laundromat choice. It’s clean, modern, and staffed by a helpful attendant who is responsible for proactively making sure that customer has a good experience. For pickup and delivery, we need to create that same feeling virtually.

Leveraging [our sales and marketing platform], we’re able to educate and nurture a prospective customer from the time they show any interest all the way through their second pickup and delivery order. The goals of this initial nurturing campaign are to build trust, remove any barriers getting in the way of using a laundry service, allow them to schedule a pickup, solicit feedback after their first order, and get them to become a repeat customer. This is where having a professional website and great customer reviews plays a key role.

Ofsink: This is one of the most challenging aspects of marketing to potential PUD customers. We have found that establishing trust and experience on our website has been really helpful. Stressing that we have been in business since 2006, have a Laundromat onsite, and that we have a satisfaction guarantee (we will wash/dry/ fold your laundry again if you’re not happy) make potential PUD customers more likely to try us. Reviews from third-party sites and a loyalty program are also advantageous.

Nelken: It’s all about the website. It has to look sharp and professional. Also, I added a live chat feature so potential customers can ask questions. I found that current customers use it also to get quick answers. The chat goes directly to me for the time being. Once the traffic gets overwhelming, I will pay a service to answer the chat.

Vlaskamp: We’ve never met our customers, the same way most remote workers these days have never met their co-workers. Just because we haven’t met in person doesn’t mean we don’t know you. Through our software, we’re in constant communication with the customers via text, chat or email. Laundry is personal. I’d bet we know our delivery customers better than we know our self-service customers.

Van Ostern: We use social media and email to promote our FAQ videos, which explain how to use our service and answer basic questions that you might normally get a chance to share with walk-in customers.

Unema: About half of our delivery customers are only that, delivery. We have layers of marketing that we plan on but our beautifully processed, packaged, bundled fresh laundry— complete with a thank-you card—is our finest marketing message. We work very hard to make sure our orders go out and impress upon opening. We have customers call us after they have received their order to thank us, because it makes them feel special. Our driver is personable and will custom pick up or drop off depending on the request. She has the license to meet their needs (within reason) and will often chat for a minute on the porch.

customers face-to-face influence how you market the service?

Q: Are there specific promotions or enticements that are better suited for pickup and delivery customers than other kinds of laundry customers?

Ofsink: Offering a heavily subsidized delivery fee, or sometimes free for customers that live close to our store, has been very helpful for PUD customers. A first-time free $10 in services is also a great way to stimulate a PUD customer to use you for the first time. At times, we will offer PUD customers $10 in free services for their first four times using us. This builds a routine for them and makes it more likely that they will use us in the future.

Nelken: We offer a discount on the first order and 100% moneyback guarantee. I think that helps new customers get over their resistance and actually place an order. That and I make sure to show a lot of reviews. Social validation is important, especially since they are not speaking to anyone directly.

Vlaskamp: I’ve noticed that PUD ordering habits are impulsive. Something happens and you decide to get help with laundry. Our best ability is our availability. In our testing, customers that can’t get laundry picked up within 24 hours tend to fall out of the funnel, likely opting to handle the laundry themselves. Also, knowing that laundry service orders are impulsive, we try to keep a constant reminder to our customers that we’re here to help.

When route density is low, you’d be shocked how many orders you can get by simply texting the customers asking if they want to schedule a pickup. We’ve found text marketing and automation converts around 25%, which is about triple what our best marketing email converts. It’s a handy tool in our tool belt to make sure route density stays optimal.

Van Ostern: Pickup and delivery customers are more likely to be online, so they are more interested in coupon codes and specials that incentivize certain pickup or delivery days.

Unema: Yes, we feel they don’t need discounts, they need service. So we simply offer additional services that our route drivers pick up on: dog beds, bedding, baby stuff. This suggestion is usually on the thank-you card or additional note written by the driver: “Did you know we do dog blankets and beds? Let me know if you want me to take them in next week.”

Simoes: Having an app allows us to update offers frequently, and time discounts for slower days.

Silver: I’m a big fan of guarantees. You need to place some parameters around your guarantee to protect yourself from abuse, but for many people this might be their first time using a laundry service and they are nervous. The more we can assure them that their laundry is in good hands, the easier it’ll be for us to get them as a customer.

The real secret of guarantees is that hardly anybody will take you up on it. There have been plenty of research studies that show this to be true. So far, I haven’t had a single customer raise the guarantee issue although there have been a couple of cases where I’ve reached out with our guarantee in mind when I read feedback

that I wasn’t 100% happy about (it wasn’t bad, but didn’t meet my personal expectations).

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add about marketing or promoting a laundry pickup and delivery service?

Nelken: Do anything you can do to entice a customer to place that first order. Then win them over with excellent service and you’ll have them for life.

Vlaskamp: Marketing to delivery laundry service customers is a different game than marketing to traditional laundromat customers. You’re not competing against local laundromats, you’re competing with digital-first laundry apps. These digital-first laundry apps do not process any of the cleaning, instead pairing the customer with a cleaning partner (whether laundromat or freelance contractor) to do the laundry. With no laundry to worry about, these apps hone their focus on marketing. Traditional coin-op marketing typically doesn’t cut it when it comes to PUD.

Van Ostern: Our pickup and delivery service didn’t start to really take off until we added paid advertising (Google Ads). For us, Google Ads have been much more effective than social media ads and marketing.

Unema: Follow up on requests! Do not leave them hanging for a callback. Start to keep track (of) where/what type of requests you are getting and create a plan to serve them. Then call them back and offer it. Second, stay focused on the prize! Self-serve laundry is No. 1, in-store laundry No. 2, and No. 3 is PUD service. So don’t convert your self-serve laundry customers into PUD customers! Let them be, and focus on expanding your reach with PUD; get new PUD customers and convert them to self-serve customers.

Silver: It’s critical that you understand the value of a customer. Once you have that in mind, you can determine how much you can spend to acquire that customer and still achieve your desired ROI. To understand that value and the costs associated with your marketing, you need good data and a way to process and analyze that data.

Ofsink: We are located in New York City and have many new “competitors” that don’t have a storefront, laundromat, or anything else. They are simply technology platforms that use drivers to pick up/deliver laundry and outsource all work to other laundromats. It is essential in a metro area where these services operate to let potential PUD customers know your large competitive advantage—that you do your own work, and emphasize your high quality standards. When you bring this to the attention of potential PUD customers, they will almost always stick with you.

Laundromat owners should post this information on their website, Google Dashboard, review sites and all other social media platforms. We have found that PUD customers are very attached to their garments and some of their most important concerns are related to potential loss and damage. Letting them know that you do your own work just emphasizes that you can be trusted.

Managerial Selection & Training

Identifying, choosing the right candidate to run the show in your absence

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Whether you own a single self-service laundry or a handful, the time will likely come when you’ll want to entrust someone to supervise your front-line workers and handle day-to-day operations, freeing you to focus on your company’s future or even get away from things for a while.

But how do you go about identifying, choosing and training the right person to run the show in your stead?

To answer that, we sought the counsel of a human relations expert and an accomplished speaker/author with a focus on hiring, Ira Wolfe of Success Performance Solutions. Plus, we asked the same questions of five laundromat owners from around the country.

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A GOOD CANDIDATE?

What makes a great candidate for one laundromat could be another owner’s nightmare, Wolfe warns.

“The very first step in selecting your next manager would be to simply imagine yourself 12 months from now, sitting down with the manager, and congratulating him/her on two or three goals achieved,” he says. “Once identified, then ask yourself, what skills, abilities or experiences would be required to achieve these goals.”

Are the goals focused on things like fewer machine breakdowns or higher customer satisfaction, growing the business, or reducing turnover?

“The accuracy of management and leadership testing has improved

significantly over the years but only if you’re assessing what’s important for your business success.”

“The hardest thing to teach, if not impossible, is to teach drive, ambition and openness to learn,” says Logan Wuethrich, who’s responsible for operations and facilities for Ladybug Cleaners, a 10-store northern Indiana laundry chain. “These are the three biggest traits I look for when building my management team.”

“(I would look for) someone who has high energy and has had experience in the cleaning field, whether in food service or hospitality,” says Michael Finkelstein, whose Associated Services Corp. operates a large chain of laundries in the Southeast.

“First and foremost, I would say integrity,” says Peter Mayberry, who owns six Anytime Laundries in Omaha, Nebraska, and has four more stores in development elsewhere. “They also have to be selfmotivated, because I can’t be there to tell them what to do every day. Ideally, an individual is going to run it like it’s their own business.”

SHOULD YOU LOOK WITHIN FIRST?

It’s always wise to promote from within, according to Wolfe, as it’s great for morale and it helps retain your best people.

“When looking for your next manager, observation and results are the best assessments,” he says. “Who are the employees who showed initiative, took responsibility, aspired to be better? Which employees went out of their way to help not only ▼

(Photo: iStock.com/Dean Mitchell)

customers but support their co-workers? Which employees coached or mentored others outside the business?”

An internal candidate such as an attendant would have an advantage only if they are qualified and prepared, he adds.

“But promoting someone who isn’t ready typically ends up badly … and now you have two openings to fill.”

“I will pick from my company, which does more than laun dry,” says Joe Jepsen, whose Diamond J Management company is best known for acquiring, renovating and managing apart ment buildings in Utah. He owns six O-Town Laundry stores in Ogden, Salt Lake City and other locations. “For me, it’s about trust, and loyalty. So when I seek a new manager, it’s all about time in my company more than anything else.”

“Our company hiring process is to always promote from within,” says Wuethrich. “I want our employees to know they have the opportunity to grow within our company. We always start with offering positions of management to those with senior ity, as long as they have a positive track record. Our three district managers all started as entry-level attendants, and each of our nine store managers started that way as well.”

“I believe that someone with attendant experience would be considered a candidate,” says James (Clark) Sowers, who owns four laundromats in and around Rapid City, South Dakota. “And it would be an advantage (for them) but mitigating factors may neutralize that advantage.”

While your attendants may excel at handling the tasks you give them, not everyone is built to be a manager, according to Mayberry: “I would say definitely look from within but from my experience, if it’s not there, don’t force it.”

Hiring an external managerial candidate requires that you assess cultural fit, according to Wolfe. Do they share similar business values? How will they fit with your team?

“Avoid the mistake of expecting that someone with X years of experience running a laundromat or laundry services business is an automatic qualifier,” he says. “The majority of hiring mis takes are not the result of incompetence, but incompatibility.”

“Searching from outside the company is much harder,” Jepsen says. “This isn’t an attendant, after all. This is a full-blown man ager that will have access to a lot of stuff. We tend to interview a lot of people if we end up choosing from outside the company, and I have found that they almost never work out.”

“For us, everyone hired outside of our current employment was head-hunted,” Wuethrich says. “Through a fairly vast relational network of business, family, friends, and church members where I attend, I am able to find someone who first and foremost fits in with our company’s culture, is also trustworthy with good references, and also has the right previous experiences to fulfill the role.”

WHICH AREAS SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED DURING TRAINING?

Once the managerial selection is made, the laundry owner must differentiate between training, coaching and mentoring, according to Wolfe.

“Are you exposing the manager to new skills, improving exist ing ones, or unlearning bad habits?” he says. “What are the indi vidual strengths vs. weaknesses or vulnerabilities that might put their future success at risk? … Some candidates might need help managing relationships and conflict, while others need new skills to plan, organize and solve problems.”

“Because our laundry manager is over staffing and making sure

the stores remain attended during all approved schedules, we have staffing and training as the No. 1 priority for our laundry manager position,” Jepsen says. “Everything else is subordinate.”

Points of training emphasis for Wuethrich’s company are how to manage others, following established guidelines, and not being afraid to suggest areas of operation where growth and change may be needed: “They are the ‘boots on the ground’ and may see many things differently than we see them, and their input is extremely valuable.”

Sowers counts scheduling, HR, labor law, management classes and customer service as training areas for his company’s manag ers, “just to name a few.”

“Develop a manual and make the new hire sign a paper say ing they read and understand these policies and responsibilities,” suggests Finkelstein. “Post the daily requirements by the time clock and ‘pop in’ at various times and days to inspect that the tasks assigned are being performed.”

WHERE CAN MISTAKES BE MADE?

Wolfe believes a laundromat owner may be prone to make a hiring mistake by 1) assuming experience and education qualifies the manager, or 2) making hiring decisions based on gut instinct: “The data proves all of the above are unreliable and expensive!”

Wuethrich thinks mistakes can be made if you don’t give your current employees the chance to manage, by thinking that offer ing higher pay automatically means you’ll attract higher-quality candidates, and by failing to lay out expectations.

“(Basing the hiring) only on an interview, and not constantly checking on the progress” are the hiring mistakes Finkelstein sees.

“Trusting them before they earn it,” says Sowers. “We don’t want potential managers chasing employees off with power strug gles. We believe we serve our managers by giving them the tools to succeed. We feel they then serve their employees to remove any obstacles from our employees so they can serve our customers.”

“People can make mistakes by promoting someone [to a manage ment role] that doesn’t want it,” says Mayberry. “You need to find someone who actually wants to do it and wants the responsibilities.”

“(Being) too quick to make a choice, and in the situations where you employ someone from outside your own company, you don’t interview enough candidates, thus settling for some one less than what you set out to find,” Jepsen says. “The other mistake I have personally made is my unwillingness to terminate employment of managers who aren’t as good as they once were … owners or upper management staff tend to get lazy about managers who are mediocre at their job because training a new laundry manager is a monumental task.”

SOME PARTING THOUGHTS

“We have some very good managers,” Sowers says. “‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.’ This is one of our mottos and they work hard to keep the main thing the main thing. … We would be lost without them.”

“In most cases, if an employee directly under my supervision fails, I personally take the blame for their failure the first time around,” says Wuethrich. “It means I did not take the proper time, organization, or care to make sure the employee had all the tools and support needed to succeed.

“Some people need more training than others. Some people need more affirmations than others. Some people just take longer than others. Patience and persistence is key.”

There’s more: We’re just two members of NIE’s team of experts. NIE has been handling fabricare insurance since 1915!

Wash/Dry/Fold Operations: From A to Z

What to know before you expand beyond self-serve

by Bruce Beggs, Editorial Director

Two store owners who run successful wash/dry/fold (WDF) businesses within their laundromats offered cautionary tales along with tips for expanding beyond self-serve during a recent Coin Laundry Association webinar.

In “Wash/Dry/Fold Operations: From A to Z,” California’s Ross Dodds, who owns several Luxe Laundries in the Los Angeles area, and Washington state’s Colleen Unema, who owns Brio Laundry near the Canada border, described their strategies for finding customers, staffing, tracking, and other criteria that goes into offering WDF.

WEIGHING WDF WITH EVERYTHING ELSE

Dodds’ entry into laundry services was not an easy one, as the first store he purchased in 2014 burned down five days later in a fire unrelated to the business. Undaunted, he went about rebuilding the first store while purchasing a second and opened both in January 2017. His husband joined the laundry business full-time in 2021.

There are currently eight Luxe Laundries open 6 a.m. to midnight daily (two offer fluff-and-fold services), plus a facility dedicated to pickup and delivery. Luxe employs roughly 40 people across all its locations. Combined, his operation processes 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of walk-in WDF business per month and 80,000 pounds of commercial/residential WDF delivery business per month.

Unema opened Brio Laundry, a 3,000-square-foot self-service laundromat with WDF service available, in 2013. It’s consistently had eight employees, either full- or part-time, since opening. The store is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

In 2019, she rebuilt and opened a plant for commercial laundry and wet cleaning. Each segment has a couple full-timers and a handful of part-timers, she says.

There is a dedicated box truck with a full-time driver for commercial laundry making rounds six days a week, and a minivan and part-time driver covering residential WDF routes five mornings a week. The latter service was added after the COVID pandemic began, Unema adds.

Brio processes about 4,000 pounds of WDF work a month.

Dodds’ business offers standard 24-hour turnaround on drop-off WDF, and same-day pickup for a premium charge. Operations are fully staffed daily using three shifts (shifts sometimes overlap an hour or two).

WDF customer clothes are tagged by bag (a disposable wristband that is difficult to remove without using scissors identifies each soiled-laundry bag), an order ticket is generated, and staff uses an erasable marker to write the customer’s name right on the machine(s) being used to wash/dry their clothes. Once cleaned, the clothes are folded, bagged in plastic and stored in a reusable tote awaiting pickup. Incoming and outgoing orders are weighed to help track possible losses.

Pickup and delivery across four zones in a large service area adds a few more steps, says Dodds. Two drivers handle commercial accounts each morning seven days a week, and two more drivers address residential accounts each afternoon or evening seven days a week. Route operations are managed using computer software, and drivers use iPhones for routing. Drivers take photos at each

(Photo: iStock.com/Romi Georgiadis)

stop to document successful pickup/delivery, as well as failure (clothes not left where customer said, etc.).

Dodds estimates his operation’s WDF customer base is 70% women, 30% men. An average customer is in their early 30s to early 40s and active.

“In Los Angeles, everybody lives in apartments or condos,” he says. “New buildings tend to have washers and dryers available but that’s not something the average customer is going to bother with.”

Where Dodds’ operation is serving a large metropolitan area, Unema’s is located in Bellingham, a coastal city surrounded by agriculture, mountains and ocean bays. The region about 100 miles north of Seattle is home to roughly 200,000 people.

WDF customer clothes are weighed and the customer pre-pays based on that soiled weight, Unema says. A ticket is issued that states the number of pounds, the price, and when the customer should return to pick up their order. At the time of payment, customers are asked if they’d like their card stored on file with Brio to ease WDF ordering in the future.

Orders receive unique numbers and are placed in bins to await processing. All bags are tracked via software. Anyone working on an order must input their ID because work continues across shifts. Once an order is processed, it’s wrapped in paper and a thank-you note is added. Packages are staged behind the counter for customer pickup.

“There really is not a demographic change between our self-serve customer and our pickup and delivery, or wash/dry/fold, customer,” Unema says. “I’ll bet at least half of my regular customers in the store have tried wash/dry/fold and will use it by circumstances.”

Maybe an elderly person has had knee surgery, or a family is going out of town on a trip and the parents want everyone’s clothes cleaned before leaving.

“We kind of joke that if they carry a Visa (card), they’re our customer,” Unema says. “That’s really true. I had the whole study done of who [our customers] are and it’s basically a Visa. That’s my customer. That demographic, homeowners that have their own laundry, it’s convenience, convenience, convenience.”

WHAT’S NEEDED TO GET STARTED?

Besides the obvious WDF service needs of fully operational equipment and adequate staff, both business owners stressed the importance of having enough storage space.

After Dodds’ first store was destroyed by fire, his business took over a small space next door during the rebuild, and that became a designated fluff-and-fold area. His other fluff-and-fold store has a dedicated area that’s smaller than an office.

“You do have to get creative sometimes when you’re in a smaller store that you’re adding fluff and fold into,” Dodds says. “It may be different in other markets but keeping it out of hand’s reach from customers is important. You don’t think anybody’s going to steal, then they do.”

“We vastly underestimated how much WDF space would take, and how secure it needed to be,” Unema says. “Especially if you’re going to do [both] at the same time.”

Brio uses rolling metal racks with zippered canvas covers that can be locked to keep delivery orders separate from walk-ins. They’re easy to maneuver back and forth but customers can’t see or reach what’s inside, she adds.

Both say to be sure to research and try out point-of-sale systems.

“There are a lot of options,” Dodds says. “Definitely look at what’s available and talk to people … to kind of get some suggestions. Do multiple meetings to get how the software works.”

“Use what works for you and what you find easy to train your attendants to use,” Unema adds.

Another area of importance is facility cleanliness, she says. Brio has separate processing areas: no clean goods in the soiled area, no dirty laundry on the clean side. But not every operation has that separation ability, which makes cleaning all that more important.

“If you’re using the same space, you’ve got to build into your protocols how to disinfect and clean,” she advises. “I think some of our customers have become very aware of that. They want to know what we do to protect their laundry.”

Scales that are compliant with weights and measures are a must. Get a scale with USB connectivity so that it can connect directly with your point of sale system.

“We use a scale that has to be inspected annually,” Unema says. “It displays toward the customer and attendant. The attendant is trained to state the next whole number when the order is weighed.”

“We round up also,” Dodds says. “We have to be weights and measures-compliant.” Amazon or Uline is probably your best bet for sourcing, he adds. Prices start at $200-250, and if you find one for $50, “it’s probably not approved.”

He calls WDF staffing the “largest challenge.”

“We try to build a team, not just employees,” Dodds says. “We want them to stay, and to have advancement opportunities for them. Spend time determining that they’re a good fit for your culture and that they want to grow with you.”

Unema says a fellow laundromat owner suggested she look for people who have been working in the hotel or hospitality industry because “they know how to move through systems quickly, follow protocols, and keep moving from one thing to the next.” And odd as it may sound, people who have played team sports make better teammates.

“It’s all about the group endeavor. We’re all in it together,” she says. “Even though they work alone and … work the store meeting customers and doing laundry, they still are part of a team.”

But despite having what was described as successful WDF operations, both Dodds and Unema say they move cautiously where that service is concerned and advise others to do the same.

Dodds isn’t putting fluff and fold service in any new stores he’s buying, saying that it changes the entire business model and what’s needed of your time and what’s needed of staff time.

“I actually don’t suggest most people do WDF … especially if you’re not already a fully attended laundry,” he says. “You think you’re going to add WDF and make money. You’re actually probably going to lose money, because even in our busy stores … we’re barely breaking even with payroll.”

When Brio’s WDF business gets to be too much, Unema raises prices to “squelch” it. She wants her business focus to be on its self-service customers.

“We have benchmarks of what we’re looking for per day for WDF,” she says. “That’s a happy number, about 120 pounds a day, 200 pounds max per day, is what we’re after so that my attendants can actually take care of all the customers in the store.”

WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE ‘THE BOSS’

What exactly is a boss? A dictionary definition is a “person who exercises control or authority. Specifically, one who directs or supervises workers.”

This leads me to the word, “supervision.” Does a boss really have a “super” vision? Some do, and some don’t.

Experience is a great teacher, but only if you rec ognize the pluses and minuses from your experiences and learn from them.

That said, the reality of being a boss is a lot more than a simplistic dictionary definition.

BEING A BOSS VS. BEING A LEADER

In my mind, there’s a difference between being a

boss and being a leader. It’s easy to be a boss. Just bark orders, intimidate your crew without even realizing it, and fire anyone who doesn’t get it. Anyone who owns a business is technically a boss if they have employees working for them.

Every business owner at one time was an employee. Some were employees for many years before they pulled the trigger on buying a mat, and some people were bosses in another industry before they bought their first mat. They have an edge since there is a learning curve when one switches from employee to employer.

Being a leader requires more effort, wisdom, experi ence and skill, I believe.

If you behave like a boss, your crew will begrudgingly do what you want them to do … and no more. A barking boss can cause resentment and destroy morale.

If you behave like a leader, your crew will do what you want and then some. A leader inspires teamwork, creates a positive “can-do” atmosphere, values input, and gener ally has a lot of positive energy. This is what wins trust, admiration, and a willingness to do better.

Similar to that of a landlord and tenant, the relation ship between boss and employee is naturally opposition al at best due to some conflicting interests and desires.

At worst, there can be battles involving employees. Sometimes they will battle with the boss, other times with fellow workers. And yes, maybe even with custom ers, too.

There will be disagreements, resentments, hurt feel ings, jealousy, skimming, back-stabbing. I’ve even expe rienced employees sabotaging each other’s work.

It’s up to you, the boss, to minimize your crew’s nega tive behavior and maximize their positive behavior.

YOU’RE A ROLE MODEL

Because you are in charge, your behavior is magnified. If you’re in a bad mood, the crew picks it right up. Bad for morale. However, the reverse is also true. You can also lift morale. This is why leading by example can be so useful.

Once I realized how to lead people rather than bossing them, everyone’s life got better, including my own.

I learned some lessons about my role as a boss over the years. Let me share the best ones.

Even before I started my first job at 14 years old, I wanted to own my own business. I wanted the chance to make something of myself without having a boss

Paul Russo

(Photo: © SimpleFoto/Depositphotos)

hanging over my head, not to mention the chance to earn more money.

I had quite a few jobs before I bought my first mat 10 years later. Had some great bosses and some terrible ones, and always wanted to be the “captain of my own ship.”

But do you know what surprised me? After all those years of wanting my own business, when I finally bought a mat, there was a downside to being a boss that I didn’t expect: I now had no one to tell me what to do, or how to do it! I got exactly what I wanted.

I quickly realized that the success or fail ure of my business rested squarely on my shoulders, so I had better get off my butt and make the right decisions. There were some days that I wished there was someone to show me what to do. Advice for laun dromats was scarce back in 1976; there were no forums to ask questions.

I had to think of everything! While the

challenge was exciting and motivating, there were times I wished that I wasn’t the boss! Why? Because all problems filter up to the boss. Employees can solve a lot of day-to-day issues for you, but not the big ones. The ones they couldn’t handle would be up to me alone.

I remember a high school teacher of mine saying, “Necessity is the mother of inven tion.” Turns out I learned critical thinking out of necessity, even though I didn’t know what it was back then.

IT’S LONELY AT THE TOP

I also felt a little alone as the boss. Employees were almost always nice to me. Respectful. Rarely talked bad to me. However, was that because I was the boss? Were they too frightened to tell me some thing bad? If so, how would I ever get the truth about things that went on in my mats when I wasn’t there?

Well, I discovered that while employees

giving the boss respect is important, a good boss also gives his/her employees respect. Being respected is never automatic. Real respect is earned. Respect comes from wowing people with behavior that goes above and beyond what’s expected. This goes for both the boss and employee.

After everyone knows that the boss is a straight shooter, calm during crises, and makes decisions that are fair and reason able, they will begin to trust you. Kindness and humor help, but employees also have to know that there are things that you will never tolerate, such as dishonesty. This is all leadership.

Being a business owner automatically brings with it preconceived perceptions, some positive, some not. If you manage your people well, you will enhance their positive perceptions of you, the boss, and melt away some of the bad ones. This in turn will help them work harder and smarter.

Let their creative juices flow. Be open to ideas and suggestions. And never chastise an employee in front of others.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

I absolutely hated to fold laundry myself. Boring! However, I made myself do some drop-offs from time to time so my crew would know that I understood their work, and maybe I’d get some insights into the cleaning process.

More importantly, I wanted them to know that I wasn’t above any of their work. Yes, I mumbled and complained, just like them … and they loved it.

Be kind, generous and funny. Lift them up, but don’t take any crap. Some employ ees will definitely test your limits to see what they can get away with.

You’re doing good if your crew looks up to you, if they come to you for advice. If you have created an atmosphere where they want to do a great job not only to gain your

recognition, but for their own satisfaction, then you are doing something right.

Watch Your Mood — The mood of the boss is quickly picked up by the crew, so try to maintain a good mood when you are with them (you can always scream in your car on the way home). Coming to work angry or upset will frighten some workers and cause resentments.

By contrast, the boss’ good mood can really help raise a crew’s mood, which in turn will raise the moods of customers. Happy employees mean happy customers, and happy customers mean more business for you. So everybody wins.

Be Honest — If you lie to your employees and they find out, you will have destroyed any trust you may have built.

When Employees are Right, Stand Up for Them — I had a wonderful woman who worked for me for years. She was honest, worked hard, came in early every day, and even addressed me as “Sir.” She was one

of my top workers, but she was also very timid and became frightened easily if a cus tomer was hard on her.

One drop-off customer frequently and deliberately tried to intimidate her. I think he was simply an unhappy, angry man. This went on for months until he screamed at her one day when I was there. I walked over to see what was going on, and he had her in tears because she didn’t write up his ticket quickly enough.

From his spot on the sidewalk in front of our drop-off window, he screamed that I should fire her. My response: “I have documented all of your bad behavior on camera, and I am firing you. Never come back here again.”

Correct Your Employees, but the Right Way — When your employees are wrong, correct them. But do it privately, and docu ment the incident for their employee file.

If you employ someone who you’ve warned a few times about a serious

infraction of your rules, I think you must fire them. Just make sure you have every thing spelled out in their file first, so you have facts—times, dates, video clips, state ments from people involved, etc.—to back you up. Producing a timeline of events that has brought you to the point of letting this person go will help protect you if there’s pushback.

Maintain Standards — Your standards are what set you aside from competitors. It’s not just standards for employees, but for suppliers and vendors as well. I knew a hardware store owner who bragged about waiting as long as possible to pay his credi tors. I thought, “Why is he bragging about squeezing his suppliers? Won’t they resent that?”

Be a good payer, and suppliers will do some surprising favors for you. So, the way you treat everyone else is also an important standard.

A good boss will always have backups

for any emergency, so split your purchases among more than one supplier to keep them competitive.

Use Your Power Sparingly — You have power. It’s inherent in your role as boss. But use it sparingly, because when you do, it’s more effective.

Motivating is Better than Supervising — Isn’t it better to employ people who know the job well, and to let them shine, than to be critiquing every move they make?

A Leader Teaches While a Boss Orders — Be a fixer, not a micromanager. When your workers come to you to solve a prob lem they can’t solve, demonstrate how to do it while you solve it, so they know for next time. (That’s your “super” vision.)

Cultivate a Good Public Image — As the boss, you have a new role. You need to look at yourself a little differently because others surely will. You are now someone who people will seek out.

You’re a target for money, from sales

reps wanting to sell you things and employ ees looking for raises to customers looking for discounts or a robber hoping to score.

You’ll start to build an image in your neighborhood, so make sure it’s a good one. If you do right by your customers, suppliers and employees, your stature will grow in people’s minds. This is the good part. You’ll get compliments as to how much they like your mat.

In closing, as a business owner, you’re the boss, but you’ll also want to be the leader. So, stay positive, remain calm, be fair, show confidence (but not too much), make thoughtful decisions, and encourage cooperation and teamwork.

Paul Russo owned and operated mul tiple 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.

•

•

•

•

•

COLUMNISTS/FEATURES

•

From AmericanLaundryNews.com:

•

•

• Where There’s Laundry, There’s Art

• UNX Industries, Christeyns USA Sign Merger Agreement From AmericanDrycleaner.com:

• Boosting the Customer Experience

• Tide Cleaners Names McCane as VP of Franchise Development (WE)

CALIFORNIA CITY OFFICIALS TOUR NEW SPEED QUEEN LAUNDRY

Though open just a couple of months, California’s first Speed Queen Laundry franchise location is already attracting attention with recent visits from a pair of VIPs.

The Long Beach Store on East 4th Street played host to visits by Mayor Robert Garcia and Councilwoman Cindy Allen. Both offi cials thanked owners Saba Safiari and Robert Rafia for bringing an exceptional customer-focused business to the neighborhood as well as adding job opportunities to residents.

Safiari says he was excited to walk the city officials through the store and share how Speed Queen Laundry stores are changing perceptions of what laundromats can be.

“Our facilities are super clean, we do more than any other brand to promote safety, and this is where folks come and can expect a nice place for their family to be,” Safiari says. “We are always attended, and our staff are always willing to help.”

More than that, Rafia says he’s proud of their giving back to the community.

“I love all the many things we do for our communities, globally, but also right here in our neighborhood,” he explains. “We’re pio neering a literacy program that will provide free new books, as well as opportunities for students of local teaching programs to come and get live experience as guest readers.”

Speed Queen Laundry franchises feature cutting-edge technology such as touchscreen controls, app-based payment and rewards pro grams for frequent customers, says manufacturer Alliance Laundry Systems. Fast, efficient washer-extractors and tumble dryers offer customers flexibility to tailor cycles, while getting them in and out in an hour, all in a clean, well-lit environment with vibrant colors.

REMODELED LAUNDROMAX STORE HOSTS GRAND OPENING

Following an extensive remodel, the Laundromax laundromat on Cranston Street in Providence, Rhode Island, recently hosted its official grand opening. The extended celebration included a DJ, refreshments, and prizes each Saturday, and a “double your money” promotion and a chance to win cash.

The fully renovated 5,000-square-foot laundromat features a new interior layout, lighting, flooring and ceiling; high-speed Electrolux laundry equipment; 80-pound-capacity washers and dryers for family-sized laundry loads and bulky items; full-service drop-off wash/dry/fold for residential customers and area busi nesses; a state-of-the-art security system; and amenities that include free Wi-Fi, over-the-counter soap and laundry bag sales, massage chairs, and flatscreen TVs.

Laundromax District Manager Gina Griffin says the store is the first of 29 New England-based Laundromax locations to feature high-speed Series 6000 Electrolux Washers and Dryers.

“Our washers generate water extract speeds up to 450 G-force. This high spin speed removes more moisture from each load and shortens drying time,” she explains. “This allows customers to get

Speed Queen Laundry owners Saba Safiari (left) and Robert Rafia (middle) talk about their new Long Beach, California, store with visiting Mayor Robert Garcia. (Photo: Alliance Laundry Systems)

This fully renovated Laundromax laundromat features a new interior layout, lighting, floor ing and ceiling; high-speed Electrolux laundry equipment; special amenities and more. (Photo: Laundromax)

through their laundry day much more quickly — saving them time and money.”

All told, the laundromat is equipped with 50 washers and 56 dryers with capacities ranging from 20 to 83 pounds. Multiple cycle options include special programs for sanitizing laundry, or washing comforters and shoes.

To take advantage of the “double your money” promotion dur ing the grand opening, customers simply loaded cash value onto their loyalty cards. Attendants showed customers how to use the ESD SmartCard system, which automatically doubled the cus tomer’s value. The loyalty cards are used to operate the self-service washers and dryers or to pay for full-service wash/dry/fold.

“It’s a great way for residential customers and businesses to get started with our wash/dry/fold service,” Griffin adds.

The fully attended laundromat is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

critical for children’s future success and learning.

“When children and families come to do laundry, we want them to engage in literacy-rich activities that facilitate learning for a lifetime,” says Felicia Galitsky, chief of staff for Laundry Capital, parent company of Clean Rite.

Librarians from six NYPL branches are invested in the story time effort, adds Eva Shapiro, NYPL senior manager of Early Childhood Education.

“The joy of reading can be discovered anywhere,” she says. “This partnership with Clean Rite is an invitation for children to explore realms of imagination in their everyday communities and see read ing as joyous, essential and most importantly — accessible to all.”

ALLIANCE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS LAUNCHES CHARITABLE GIVING INITIATIVE Alliance Laundry Systems (ALS) recently launched a charitable giv ing initiative, Alliance Laundry Cares, which enables it to address the basic need for cleanliness, comfort and dignity for those most vulnerable in the global communities where its team members live and work.

“Most of us give little thought to clean clothes. We wake up, grab fresh clothing and go about our day. It’s a routine that can easily be taken for granted,” says Amanda Kopetsky, vice president of Global Human Resources at ALS. “There are people right now in our communities who don’t have that same access and we want to help fill that need and provide the dignity that comes with it.”

The commercial laundry equipment manufacturer has a long his tory of charitable giving, going back to its founding in 1908, but Alliance Laundry Cares takes this giving to a new level.

Through its equipment and expertise, ALS is “uniquely posi tioned to support the organizations that help people with this necessity when they need it most,” Kopetsky adds.

With donations of laundry equipment, expertise and financial support, Alliance Laundry Cares primarily focuses on four key areas of community need: domestic abuse shelters, homeless shel ters, animal rescue and shelters, and schools and education.

BRONX CLEAN RITE CENTERS HOST SUMMER STORY TIMES

Throughout the summer, six Bronx-area Clean Rite Centers have been hosting family story times led by the New York Public Library (NYPL).

The partnership between Clean Rite and NYPL is part of a nationwide movement to bring learning to local public laundries and, in this case, to specifically impact early childhood literacy throughout the Bronx.

The remaining story times are free and open to Clean Rite cus tomers at the following locations (all times are Eastern Daylight Time):

• 3533 Boston Rd., 11 a.m.-noon August 6;

• 2451 White Plains Rd., 11 a.m. -noon August 6;

• 1578 E. 233 St., 10-11 a.m. August 13;

• 1812 Westchester Ave., 11 a.m.-noon August 20, and

• 1240 E. Tremont Ave., 10-11 a.m. August 27.

Research shows that 60% of American children start kindergar ten underprepared, according to the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative Too Small To Fail. Additionally, 80% of brain development occurs before the age of 5, which makes this time

For its first donation, Alliance Laundry Cares partnered with Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Alliance is based in nearby Ripon. Christine Ann provides domes tic violence emergency shelter and abuse programs in Winnebago and Green Lake counties. Alliance gifted the shelter with four sets of washers and dryers, including delivery and installation, for the shelter clients and staff.

“The families and individuals we serve often need to quickly leave their homes with few possessions,” says Beth Oswald, execu tive director, Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services. “We supply bedding, towels, and clothing and that means a lot of laundry. Having these brand-new washers and dryers means so much to our facility. Clean laundry helps our clients feel comfortable and cared for during their stay with us.”

Organizations seeking assistance from Alliance Laundry Cares can visit https://alliancelaundry.com/how-we-care for more infor mation and to fill out a donation request. SHARE YOUR COMPANY’S LATEST NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY WITH EDITOR BRUCE BEGGS AT BBEGGS@ATMAGS.COM!

An example of a children’s learning area in a Clean Rite Center. (Photo: Laundry Capital)

Do