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Circularity and the Future of Dry Cleaning
How can circularity — the practice of extending the life of garments through care, repair, reuse and then recycling — help dry cleaners build business while contributing to the care of the planet? New customers and new streams of income could be the reward for cleaners ready to take their place in the process.
One Leader, Multiple Locations
When a cleaner’s business grows to the point they can no longer use one-on-one management styles for their sta , what mindset shift must they make to ensure storefronts, plants and routes all follow the same vision and o er the same level of service?
Our Place in a Larger World
Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the walls of our own workplace. The day-to-day operations of our businesses demand that we be here, now
Dave Davis
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” –John Donne
It’s good, however, to look outside of our surroundings now and then. We not only get a better feel for the effects the outside world has on us, but we see what impact we have on it.
Our first feature this month, “Circularity and the Future of Dry Cleaning,” explores the role dry cleaners can play in extending the life of garments through care, repair, reuse and then taking part in the recycling process. Not only can the practice of circularity aid in reducing the fashion industry’s tremendous impact on the environment, but it can also introduce completely new segments of the population to the services dry cleaners can offer. It can be a win both for the planet and a dry cleaner’s bottom line.
Our next feature, “One Leader, Multiple Locations,” examines what it takes to lead a team once the dry cleaner’s business grows to the point where one-on-one management isn’t possible. Running a storefront and leading across many locations requires a different mindset. We look at what both new and seasoned leaders have found effective in building a sense of teamwork while maintaining uniformly high standards across multiple routes and locations.
This issue also offers a preview of 2024 Texcare International, to be held in Frankfurt, Germany on Nov. 6-9. Because of the pandemic, this will be the first Texcare International show in eight years, and organizers are expecting more than 300 exhibitors from 31 countries to display everything from new machinery and equipment to robotic and IT offerings for the textile care industry.
Keeping up with trends and new ideas can seem overwhelming, but American Drycleaner is here to share fresh options that you can use to build your business.
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How cleaners can build their business while protecting the environment
By Dave Davis, Editor
For dry cleaners looking to diversify their offerings, there is a field new to many that can not only provide fresh streams of income for cleaners and put them in front of new generations of customers, but can also help to improve and conserve the environment at the same time.
The concept of circularity in fashion — extending the life of garments through care, repair and reuse, and then aiding in the recycling process to create new fabrics — is one dry cleaners should explore, says Christopher White, executive director of America’s Best Cleaners (ABC), because they are uniquely well-suited to take full advantage of it.
“Our industry often doesn’t recognize the fact that (dry cleaning) is three industries in one,” he says. “We are a retail business, we are a production and repair business, and we are a logistics delivery business.”
All three facets, White believes, will help drive the future of the industry forward as circularity becomes ever more important.
THE NEED FOR CIRCULARITY
While the term has been used more in Europe — and is increasingly mandated through law there — than it has in the United States, the concept of circularity in fashion is one that is growing domestically.
The contribution that dry cleaners can make in this effort to reuse and recycle clothing is one that cannot be overestimated, says Rachel Kibbe, CEO of American Circular Textiles (ACT), a mini-trade association think tank that is part of the Circular Services Group.
“Dry cleaners are so overlooked, and they’re so critical,” says Kibbe, who has spent the last 15 years as a founder of sustainable fashion businesses. “They are almost hiding in plain sight. Dry cleaners can be the neighborhood logistics provider for a lot of this. Not only are
they caring for your garment — so if you have a stain, you don’t have to throw it away — but they also often have alteration or repair services. Both of these services make clothes more useful and extend the garment’s life.”
The need to address the problem of clothing waste is growing to the point that it can no longer be ignored, White says: “When looking at the global scale of waste, it’s so huge. This is an ‘all hands on deck’ situation, and everyone needs to be working toward this circularity effort.”
According to data compiled by the international sustainability partnership World Bank Group:
• The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water every year, which is enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people.
• Around 20% of wastewater worldwide comes from fabric dyeing and treatment.
• Of the total fiber used for clothing, 87% is incinerated or disposed of in a landfill.
• The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
A large part of this waste is from “fast fashion” — cheap clothing, often marketed online quickly to profit on constantly shifting style trends. These clothes are often worn only a few times, if that, and then discarded.
To combat this trend in “disposable clothing,” Kibbe believes education is key.
“Knowledge is power,” she says. “A lot of people don’t know what ‘fast fashion’ even means, or what ‘circularity’ means. But they do know they have a bag of clothes in their closet that they don’t know what to do with. Should they be buying that much? How should they be handling the clothes that they own? How should they be dealing with the clothes that they want to get rid of? Those are fundamental questions we need to start to answer for people.”
BUILDING UP BUSINESS
While the need for circularity might be apparent, how a dry cleaner can use this movement to improve its bottom line might not be.
White believes that circularity can provide an answer to many problems that cleaners face.
“You hear the complaints about piece counts being down,” he says, “and Gen Zs and Gen Alphas don’t even know that our business exists. They might not even know that things can be fixed — many have a ‘throw away, use-and-abuse and just get rid of it’ mentality. There’s an opportunity here.” ▼
While fast fashion is a factor, there is also a growing trend of younger people moving in the opposite direction. Buying high-quality used clothing, through thrifting, resale shops or websites such as ThreadUP.com or TheRealReal.com, is increasingly coming into vogue.
According to ThreadUP’s most recent resale report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market reached $43 billion in 2023, up from about $23 billion in 2018, and is predicted to hit $73 billion by 2028. Year over year, the U.S. secondhand market grew 11% in 2023, which was seven times faster than the broader U.S. clothing market.
“Young consumers see better goods as not just a depreciable purchase,” White says. “Now, it’s an asset. I could buy it, and because of the markets like ThreadUP and TheRealReal, I can resell it. But can I get the maximum value when it has a stain or if it’s missing something? No. Dry cleaners could prep that garment, however, so that it can be described better on those platforms. The reseller can get maximum value — and perhaps even make a profit on it — and the garment gets more life out of it.”
While this movement might be driven more by younger people, Kibbe says they are not the only ones jumping on to the trend.
“Every generation alive today is weighing in on it,” she says. “Grandmothers are saying, ‘This is how we always shopped. I’m glad you caught up.’ I met a woman who was a mother of three older teenagers on a plane recently, and she said, ‘Oh, I use TheRealReal constantly. I’m always reselling my bags and buying on there. That’s the way I consume luxury.’”
CONNECTING WITH CUSTOMERS
So, how can dry cleaners take advantage of this growing change in consumer behavior?
“It’s really about messaging to these younger generations that taking care of better-quality clothes can make them last longer,” White says. “And now, using these markets and being able to resell your clothes, you can still be stylish and know your closet is not frozen in time anymore. It can be diversified. On any day, you could just put a garment up on the market, sell it and bring down what you want.”
White believes that offering specialized services such as delicate restoration methods, spot treatment, dyeing, upcycling and repairs for vintage and secondhand clothing can attract customers interested in preserving these unique items.
Tailoring is also a critical service to offer in the space, because many of the items will need extensive repairs or replacement of embellishments and to be altered to fit.
“These skills can differentiate a dry cleaner from competitors,” White says. “Collaborating with fashion retailers and resale shops can also create synergies where dry cleaners offer exclusive discounts or services tailored for vintage and secondhand garments. Participating in clothing swap events can also demonstrate a dry cleaner’s commitment to sustainability and introduce their services to a community-focused audience.”
This is a unique opportunity, he believes, to connect with buyers and sellers of clothing.
“Dry cleaners can enhance the value of items to be resold by removing stains and making small repairs,” White says. “On the buyer’s side, we can sanitize and make the alterations needed for a proper fit, all while maintaining the value of the investment.”
He sees these new connections as ways cleaners can forge bonds with younger customers without having to redefine their business.
“This is big,” he says. “This is a generational shift. We’re talking about existing owners, along with new owners coming in, having opportunities for their business for the next 20 to 30 years by filling this need, on top of still doing their regular retail business.”
BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
In addition to working directly with customers, dry cleaners are also well-prepared to work on the businessto-business (B2B) side of the textile recycling industry.
and potentially cleaning and prepreparation — and then has logistics and delivery fleets that are already on the road. If they are currently only working 10 to 12 hours a day, these facilities are sitting idle for the rest of the day. There’s no need for an additional high-capital investment. The assets are already there.”
“The one thing we know about circularity is it works best regionally,” Kibbe says. “It works best when people have access to it, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money or create greenhouse gas emissions shipping things all over. Dry cleaners are close to where their customers live.”
Cleaning is a crucial process in circularity because, like any raw goods to be recycled, imperfections or impurities cannot be put into the future recycled textiles.
“Fundamentally, if you can reposition dry cleaning as ‘repair and care,’ the amount of foot traffic you can get in for what you already do is going to be phenomenal,” Kibbe says. “And then, dry cleaners can tap into the additional revenue streams of becoming more B2B-focused in terms of sorting, using their existing transportation fleets, and showing that we don’t need to rebuild infrastructure that we already have.”
AMERICAS ACT
To address the issue of textile recycling and waste, a bipartisan bill was introduced to Congress in March. The Americas Trade and Investment Act (Americas Act) is aimed at revitalizing the U.S. garment infrastructure and creating jobs nationwide.
Among other provisions to encourage the production of clothing made in the U.S., the bill includes more than $14 billion in incentives for supporting circularity in areas including apparel, footwear, accessories and home
(Photo: Firn /iStock.com)
linens. This includes loans and grants for reuse, recycling, repair, and rental of textiles, along with $100 million for public education programs.
Both ABC and ACT are encouraging cleaners to educate themselves and support the bill’s passage into law.
“This is the first time in federal history that textile reuse and recycling has been contemplated in a federal bill,” Kibbe says. “They have had different trade policies for textiles, but they’ve never included circularity in a bill. So, we see this as a tremendous opportunity.”
If passed, she says the bill would include a 15% federal tax break for any business operating in this circular economy, which would include dry cleaners who are repairing items or otherwise contributing to this field.
“We need to send the message to the government and other business communities that this infrastructure exists,” Kibbe says. “That unlocks a whole host of statelevel, community-level, and potentially federal-level grants and loans, as well as longer-term capital that is meant for infrastructure.”
GETTING STARTED
It might be intimidating for dry cleaners who want to get a foothold in this expanding field to know where to begin, but White believes the first step is actually simple: Start with education.
“Understand the principles of circularity and how they apply to the drycleaning industry,” he says, “and then implement changes incrementally.”
Cleaners should begin with eco-friendly cleaning solutions and customer education initiatives, and engage with professional bodies — such as Green Business Benchmark — for guidance and certification to enhance credibility and visibility. Industry trade organizations can also be a resource in helping an owner find a place to start.
“I would advise dry cleaners, just as I advise other retailers when I consult with them on circularity, that they shouldn’t try to be everything to everyone right away,” Kibbe says. “Get expertise in one area where you can add an additional revenue stream to your business, and then build from there.”
While the need — and opportunities — for circularity is growing, Kibbe also understands the need for dry cleaners to make their efforts profitable.
“It might be logistics, for example, when your vans are just sitting in parking lots and not being used,” she says. “That’s critical mobile infrastructure for getting clothes out of people’s closets and extending the garment’s life. You have to find a business proposition.”
After 8 Years, Texcare International Ready to Take the Stage Again
FRANKFURT, Germany — Due to the pandemic, it’s been eight years since Texcare International has been held, and the textile care industry is a very different place than it was in 2016.
Automation, energy and resources, circularity, and textile hygiene are to be the focus of the 2024 event, which will be held in Frankfurt, Germany on November 6-9.
The event’s organizer, Messe Frankfurt, held a conference recently to preview the event, which is expected to have more than 300 exhibitors from 31 countries on display.
In addition to the large, established manufacturers of machinery, chemicals, textiles and equipment, the company is also expecting new players from fields such as robotics and IT.
The trade show has changed since it last met in 2016, says Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, the director of Texcare International. “In this long stretch of time,” he says, “we conducted exhibitor and visitor surveys with quite surprising results.”
One of these changes is that the show is being held in November going forward, rather than its former time slot in June.
The survey also led to the program being cut from its former five days down to four.
THE TOP THEMES FOR 2024
The needs of texcare professionals have changed since Texcare International 2016, and the areas of focus planned by organizers reflect this.
Labor costs and increasing governmental oversight, for instance, have driven the topic of automation to the
Automation, circularity and more to be discussed at Nov. event
After an eight-year hiatus, Texcare International is set to take the stage on Nov. 6-9, 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany. Main sessions held during the event will include automation, hygiene, energy and resources and circularity in textile care. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt)
forefront of the attention of many textile professionals.
Of particular importance to dry cleaners on this topic during the event will be the session hosted by the European Research Association for Innovative Textile Care (EFIT), which will explore the question, “How can activities be simplified or automated, even in small businesses?”
Examples to be discussed include drop-off and pickup kiosks, AI in dry cleaning, advanced payment and tracking systems, marketing, delivery management and more.
“This is focused on the small family drycleaning shops,” Schmid-Wiedersheim says, “because there’s great automation potential there.”
Circularity — finding ways to recycle and increase the lifespan of fabrics to keep them out of landfills — is also a major session topic. One panel, to be hosted by the European Textile Service Association (ETSA), will focus on textile recycling, addressing topics such as policies,
outlook, innovations in the field of textile sorting, support from digital platforms, mastering the logistical challenges and the use of recycled fibers in textiles.
Another session, hosted by the German Textile Cleaning Association (DTV), will focus on new business models in the circular economy.
OTHER PROGRAMS
In addition to the main sessions and displays of equipment from major manufacturers, there will also be programs aimed at young professionals in the industry, guided tours of exhibitor displays, and the presentation of Best Practice Awards from the International Committee of Textile Care (CINET) and its World Congress, along with networking happy hour events.
For more, including registration information, visit https://texcare. messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/ en.html.
When the owner of a drycleaning business only has a single location to manage, it’s easy to keep track of the company’s personnel, processes and progress. As the business grows and adds more storefronts, plants and routes, however, leaders must learn to organize, delegate and set up systems to ensure that all customers get the same high level of service.
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Setting the overall goals in place and letting team members know what is expected — and what isn’t tolerated — is crucial in setting up systems that are necessary in operating multiple locations and routes.
Norman Way is the vice president of Puritan Cleaners in Richmond, Virginia, and has been with the company since 2004. His company has 13 stores, 14 routes, 190 team members, and serves more than 20,000 unique customers a month.
“We sum up our expectations simply as ‘Q3P’ — Quality through People, Product and Presentation,” Way says. “There’s nothing new or special about it. It just happens to be Puritan Cleaners’ package. It’s a simple temperament that we can use to coach any team member through almost any situation. Most importantly, it places our people first, and once we do that, it helps everything else fall into place a lot better.”
Mary Mills is the president of Sir Galloway Dry Cleaners, a Miami-based company that has six storefronts, one plant, four routes and two restoration centers.
Training is key when it comes to setting expectations, Mills says, followed by watching closely to see if those lessons are being implemented the way she envisioned.
“Are we doing things the Galloway way?” she asks. “We train continually, and retrain if necessary.”
While Gerrayl Bryson has only been in the drycleaning industry since March 2023, he brings a wealth of leadership experience with him. Bryson served 12 years in the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of captain. After leaving the military, he spent a year as a government project
manager before becoming general manager at Tiffany Couture Cleaners in Las Vegas.
While the company has just one storefront and one plant, the 12 different routes it operates demands that he lead a decentralized team.
A quote Bryson takes to heart is that “the greatest misconception about communication is that it ever occurred.” Through clear articulation, Bryson says, a leader can ensure the team is on the same page when it comes to what is expected in terms of customer service, goals and values important to the brand.
“When I speak about our visions, our missions and our goals,” he says, “I want to make sure that it’s heard, it’s understood, and it’s felt. I’ll explain that as clearly as I can, using simple and concise language. So now you know what I’m asking of you, I’m going to set clear expectations with deadlines, milestones, and any specific guidelines.”
THE ART OF COMMUNICATION
Having two-way lines of communication, where teams are not simply spoken to but are asked for their feedback, is crucial for Mills.
“I personally make store visits almost daily at different times and at different shifts,” she says. She also uses the company’s drive-through lanes to assess the customer service, and has her CSR manager and two assistant managers meet monthly with their morning and afternoon CSR teams to review their activities and to listen to their concerns.
“It is imperative to have weekly meetings with all my managers,” she says. “In the meeting, we create an ongoing list of priorities and long-term goals. Every week, the managers are accountable for completion of their individual list and for a report on every topic.”
Way has a similar process for communicating with his team: “We hold weekly conference call sessions with our store managers and, in return, every one of those managers holds a daily huddle to convey information and affirmations with their teammates. And we try to be really clear on our values, so our team can apply them to any opportunity that arises.”
“Listening and allowing feedback builds trust, especially when you take a great idea and put it into action,” Mills says. “I always give credit to the one who suggested the new idea being applied.”
YOU CAN’T BE EVERYWHERE
As a drycleaning company grows, its leaders will find it difficult to personally watch over each store. Eventually, it becomes impossible for them. These leaders will need to cultivate new skills and raise team members to be leaders on their own.
“I tried to sum up the most important leadership skill in one word, and simply put, it’s ‘trust,’” Way says. “You can’t be everywhere, so you’ve got to communicate with your team and allow your team an opportunity to grow. Having frequent engagement with the team allows them to understand the cultural compass. You know they won’t miss the target by much if they understand the culture.”
Part of this trust factor for Bryson is seeing that his company’s mission is indeed being carried out.
“We’ve got quality checks,” he says. “Just going down there and looking at each location — the vehicles, the store and the plant — we’re checking for quality. Not only of the product, but the operation as a whole. Customer feedback is huge, as well, so we’re constantly sending out surveys, or giving customers an opportunity to provide feedback. We also have mystery shoppers who come in and assess us on a wide variety of metrics.”
For Mills, developing the necessary level of trust comes back to training.
“It really does start at the top and trickles down,” she says. “So, start training at the top with a clear set of goals and expectations, and never take your foot off the gas. Make necessary changes if the goals and expectations are not being met. Also, I have found great success in hiring and promoting from within.”
Trust is a two-way street, Way adds. If leaders are to trust those under them, the team needs to know those above them have their best interests at heart.
“I have to give credit to Gary Glover, the owner and president of Puritan Cleaners,” he says. “Gary is an
amazing example of a listener and an encourager. He’s our very best cheerleader and is always asking the team members how we can help them.”
BUILDING LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Part of leading multiple locations and routes is delegation, and that means finding the right people who can be trusted to carry out the company’s vision. Finding these people might not be easy, but Bryson believes it’s an investment that is well worth the effort.
“It comes in the form of observation,” he says. “I’m going to see how you communicate with me, with your subordinates, your peers and the customers. Then, I’m going to watch your performance and your behaviors, as well. And based on that, I can see if somebody has that potential for more responsibility.”
“We’re blessed with our support team,” Way says. “They take ownership of their respective areas, and we all communicate well and respect each other. As far as recognizing new people, we look for those who are already doing what we want to get done, and then recognize them.”
Mills also looks for this type of performance: “I recognize the employee who goes the extra mile — showing up on a Sunday when we are closed to get forgotten clothes for a customer who’s leaving town that night, for example. I look for people who make great suggestions, or who are continually being complimented by customers on reviews. Most importantly, I look for those taking pride in their position and store location. Those who do their job the Galloway way and strive for excellence.”
INDIVIDUAL PARTS OF A WHOLE
Instilling a companywide sense of unity and collaboration when teams are spread across different locations can be challenging.
Because no two people are alike, the sites will have their own personalities and ways to connect with customers. Without cohesive leadership, however, a drycleaning company with 10 different locations can start to feel like 10 different companies.
“Our stores are not copies of each other,” Way says, “but the culture is very much duplicated in each location. When I first entered the industry, I pictured a chain where every location should be cookie-cutter, and that is absolutely not what we do.”
Way likens Puritan’s location structure to fine dining.
“We say that the entrée should always be undeniably ▼
Puritan Cleaners, and the employees’ personalities provide the seasoning for the entrée,” he says. “That allows us the freedom to be ourselves while always being true to the brand of Puritan Cleaners and providing that consistently.”
“We’ve got some negotiables,” Bryson says, “and then we’ve got some non-negotiables, in the sense that our reputation and our revenue must always be intact. That’s what we’re going to prioritize. Short of that, though, I welcome ingenuity and creativity.”
Mills believes that building a team also requires social interactions.
“We celebrate every holiday and special occasion, such as long-time employee anniversaries or retirements,” she says. “We also help with voluntary collections for unfortunate situations, and the company always adds and/or at the least matches all collections. We have a family atmosphere at Sir Galloway. We respect each other and listen to suggestions. There is no silent voice in my company.”
ADVICE FOR EXPANDING DRY CLEANERS
For dry cleaners who are expanding to the point that oversight, delegation and company capacity and services are starting to become an issue, Way believes that halfmeasures are not the way forward.
“When you’re planning to expand, truly plan for success,” he says. “I know a lot of people who really want to grow their wash-dry-fold service, for example, but they’re still trying to do it with one washer and dryer and
a drop store. If you really want to scale, you’re going to need some washers and dryers, and the people to do the work. You’ve got to think big to be big.”
When doing this, Way says, addressing the human element is critical.
“Expansion has its blessings and its challenges,” he says. “My No. 1 piece of advice is that if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, take others with you. You can’t do it all.”
Way also believes in leaving room for personal leadership styles and, yes, the occasional error, especially for new leaders.
“No one is exactly like you,” he says, “and they might not do it exactly the way you would, but we learn from our mistakes, and we owe it to others to give them the opportunity to grow, as well.”
Constantly investing in her team brings benefits otherwise unattainable, Mills believes.
“You must have trust in your management,” she says. “So, training the managers with a clear vision, expectations and goals leads to those being managed following the Galloway way. It’s amazing what you will see and hear if you develop trust with your CSRs and listen to their suggestions.”
For Bryson, finding the right kind of leadership is vital.
“It’s something that we in the military call ‘mission command,’” Bryson says. “There’s ‘command and control,’ which is borderline micromanagement. I’m going to do it or stand over your shoulder. Then there’s ‘mission command,’ which is where I give you the objective, and you tell me how you’re going to get after it.”
Through his education and military experience, Bryson has found that allowing team members to think for themselves within the structure the leader has set up can be a clear path toward success.
“I have a master’s in adult education training, and that has come in so handy for this position,” he says. “I know that these are adults — they have minds and they have experiences. They have skills that just need to be fostered and brought to light. You’ll be amazed by what you’ll see.”
Hands-on owners may find this delegation and trust difficult in the beginning but Bryson says it’s worth any initial discomfort.
“I can understand an owner’s hesitation in that,” he says, “but I’ve seen it in action, time and time again. It’s always beautiful to see people start to take on that ownership on their own.”
Agreement to expand Mulberrys brand into new markets
SAVAGE, Md. — Value Drycleaners of America LLC (VDA), the company that operates and franchises the ZIPS Cleaners brand of garment care centers, recently announced it is now the exclusive developer of Mulberrys Garment Care franchise locations throughout the United States.
Mulberrys has 13 locations across San Francisco and Minneapolis and this agreement will expand the brand into new markets, initially in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. region, ZIPS says.
“I am delighted to have found a good home for Mulberrys in ZIPS and its parent, VDA,” says Mulberrys founder Dan Miller. “Both of these brands meet a need in the market and combined, provide excellent options for both con-
sumers and franchisees. ZIPS was founded by a group of ambitious entrepreneurs who, like me, saw an opportunity to capture a specific consumer segment and create value for those customers.”
Mulberrys currently has seven locations in the Twin Cities and another six in Northern California. Miller is continuing as an advisor to VDA and the operator of existing Mulberrys locations in San Francisco.
VDA has established a new entity, Gemini Cleaners LLC, to serve as master franchisor of Mulberrys locations nationwide. In addition, the company announced it will explore opening and operating Mulberrys locations itself under separate business entities.
“The garment care industry is growing and changing as consumer preferences, demographics and lifestyles are shifting,” says Bob Barry, president/CEO of VDA, Gemini Brands and ZIPS. “This partnership allows us to offer franchise opportunities that can be customized for each geographic area to meet the needs and preferences of consumers in these regions.”
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Hot Times, Low Productivity and Lost Customers
10 YEARS AGO. Hot Times — In the hot summer months, many dry cleaners were adding cooling equipment to keep their employees comfortable, with the majority (67.7%) of respondents to the American Drycleaner Your Views survey believing their investment in these fans and cooling systems had paid off in terms of employee morale and productivity. Only 21.5% said they were unsure if their investment paid off, while 10.8% said it had not paid off. Equipment used for cooling included portable fans (66.2%), swamp coolers (47.9%), air conditioning (19.7%) and portable evaporative coolers (16.9%). When asked if they adjusted their production schedule/set ups during hot weather periods, results were almost evenly split, with 52.1% answering “no,” and 47.9% answering “yes.”
25 YEARS AGO. Office Casual = Low Productivity? — A study revealed that casual dress in the workplace often lead to a casual attitude toward work and lower productivity — findings that could bolster dry cleaners’ marketing messages to dress up. In a survey of executives and personnel at 500 companies large and small, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based research firm Jeff Magee International found that ethics, morality, productivity and quality were likely to suffer when casual dress went unchecked. More than a third (35.5%) felt casual clothing was in part to blame for an increase in tardiness, provocative antics and foul language, and a decrease in hygiene.
50 YEARS AGO. Getting His Money
American Drycleaner reported a new plant policy introduced by Ralph Black, owner of Port Plaza Cleaners in Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he started requiring prepayment for drycleaning services. The new policy required customers to pay for all orders under $2 in advance, and one-half deposit for orders over $2. “I expected to get a lot of flack or static from my customers, but instead, I’ve been getting my money — either in whole or in part,” Black said. “I give customers a copy of the card I had printed [stating the new policy] and then I explain that I need the cash to pay my bills and stay in business. My customers have been very understanding. I also feel the pre-payment policy will keep
uncalled for garments from accumulating.”
75 YEARS AGO. Why They Switched
— Former customers of 1,483 stores were asked for a survey why they had switched to other stores. A summary of the answers showed that 30% of the customers had been lost because of personnel, and 33% because of poor service. C. O. Miller of the National Cash Register Co., after citing these figures, concluded: “The human element is the basic reason for the loss of all customers. This indicates that the first step to be taken in working toward customer control should be sales training for your present employees.”
