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January 22, 2013
The Elements of Being Customer-Friendly (Part 5)

CHICAGO — There are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness

CHICAGO — How would your customers describe your coin laundry? Would they say it’s dependable? Clean? Secure? Comfortable? How about customer-friendly?

It stands to reason that customer-friendly stores—those that are welcoming, bright and offer a sense of security, for example—have a better chance of drawing business than the store down the block that’s dark, dirty and run-down.

But there are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness. American Coin-Op reached out to some store owners, manufacturers and distributors this month and asked them for their analysis of the elements of being customer-friendly.

Q: PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW A STORE CAN BE MADE CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY BY ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING:

Seating

Craig Kirchner, vice president of sales, marketing and customer service for Dexter Laundry: Your Laundromat customers are going to be spending plenty of time in your store and you’ll want to keep them comfortable so they’ll consider coming back. It’s important to have ample enough seating for your busiest times.

Dave Phillips, national sales manager, IPSO: It is important to provide just enough seating for the customers to be comfortable. But, it is about revenue per square foot — seating does not make owners money.

Dan Bowe, national sales manager, Speed Queen: Be sure to provide ample seating for customers. Most customers spend at least an hour in a Laundromat, so offering space where they can sit comfortably and conduct other business, like checking e-mails or reading, will be greatly appreciated.

Jose Fernandez, owner, Mily’s Place Laundromat, Coral Gables, Fla.: Seating should be in close proximity to the front of the store so customers can keep an eye on their car in the parking lot if so desired. If TVs are part of the customer experience, seating should be in close enough that programs are easily seen and heard throughout the store.

Children’s Area

Ken Hebert, Deep South Laundry Systems: A children’s area will be welcomed and appreciated by your customers, and it will likely reduce unnecessary wear on your equipment.

Bowe: Some newer stores offer a children’s play area that is equipped with televisions, books, arcade games and computers. While this isn’t necessary, it may give you an edge over the competition for those customers with small children.

Kirchner: While it might not work for all store layouts or customer demographics, a children’s play area can make your store more inviting to mothers and families. It can also help keep children occupied while their parents do laundry.

Dawn Nagle, marketing director and VP of creative services, Laundrylux: Parents need help when doing laundry. If you have an area where their children can watch movies or play, this goes a long way in showing how much you care about your customers. Parents will come back to a laundry where their children are occupied and that they can get their laundry done without being pestered.

Phillips: Dedicated children’s areas are nice if the store is large enough to provide them. Areas dedicated to children need to be situated toward the back of the store for safety and security reasons (assuming there is no rear ingress and egress), and it is important that the parents have good visibility of the areas.

Availability of Extra Services

Bowe: If you have an attended store, you have the ability to offer “Fluff and Fold” services. Customers will greatly appreciate this service, especially if they have extremely busy work or school schedules. It allows them to drop their laundry off, get it cleaned and pick up at a later time. In addition to being a customer-friendly component, it’s also a revenue enhancer.

David Cabral, vice president, New England Coin Laundry: Depending on the market demographics, additional services can enhance the overall business – but it is very important to look at the specific demographics of the area before offering any additional service. Examples include alterations, check cashing, receipt of utility payments, tanning, nail salon, café, cell phone sales, etc.

Fernandez: We do have drop-off service, which accounts for a substantial portion of the store’s revenue. We are currently working out the details to provide drop-off dry cleaning service and in-store ironing to increase revenues and attract new customers.

January 15, 2013
The Elements of Being Customer-Friendly (Part 4)

CHICAGO — There are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness

CHICAGO — How would your customers describe your coin laundry? Would they say it’s dependable? Clean? Secure? Comfortable? How about customer-friendly?

It stands to reason that customer-friendly stores—those that are welcoming, bright and offer a sense of security, for example—have a better chance of drawing business than the store down the block that’s dark, dirty and run-down.

But there are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness. American Coin-Op reached out to some store owners, manufacturers and distributors this month and asked them for their analysis of the elements of being customer-friendly.

Q: Does an attended store automatically have an advantage over an unattended store in being customer-friendly?

Karl Hinrichs, president, HK Laundry Equipment: Definitely – there’s no doubt about it. If you have a good attendant, they’ll be an asset to the store because they can immediately address any issues or problems. Some of the better-managed stores have attendants who are trained to really help the store. For example, some Laundromats offer a feature called “Mother’s Little Helper,” where the attendant will move the laundry from the washer to dryer. This allows the customer to take longer shopping errands and complete shopping and laundry at the same time. This is a huge, customer-friendly benefit that only takes a little bit of the attendant’s time.

Craig Kirchner, vice president of sales, marketing and customer service for Dexter Laundry: Both attended and unattended stores can be successful and customer-friendly if owners take care of the basics and make sure their stores are well-maintained.

Jose Fernandez, owner, Mily’s Place Laundromat, Coral Gables, Fla.: Absolutely. An attended store has a distinct advantage in being customer-friendly. In addition to 24/7 attendance, we have security cameras throughout, and I’ve arranged for the local police department to have patrol cars drive through the parking lot several times between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. These extra measures bring more and more customers from other laundries near and far.

Ken Hebert, Deep South Laundry Systems: Attended stores are generally kept cleaner and therefore are more inviting.

Q: Should a store owner poll his or her customers to determine what they like or don’t like about the store? If yes, how often should they approach customers, and how should it be handled?

Kirchner: Not sure what your customers are looking for? Ask them! Offer a suggestion box and hold a contest where submissions can enter to win a prize like free detergent, free washes, etc. You might just get some great ideas!

Fernandez: The best way to obtain honest feedback is via a suggestion box. Provide customers with the opportunity to anonymously make recommendations or respond to a specific question. This ensures more honest feedback, and it also serves as an incentive to keep the attendants alert knowing that their performance and attitude are being evaluated.

Hinrichs: Yes. There’s no downside to surveying your customers. It gives the owner an opportunity to correct any issues that might be occurring and enhance customer satisfaction. Customers like to be asked their opinion.

Dave Phillips, national sales manager, IPSO: Feedback from customers is always good, and I would suggest a personal approach. It offers the owner an opportunity to get to know the customers and to perhaps instill a sense of community. I am of the opinion that an owner should be constantly reaching out to the customers for feedback.

Check back next Tuesday for the final installment of The Elements of Being Customer-Friendly!

January 8, 2013
The Elements of Being Customer-Friendly (Part 2)

CHICAGO — There are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness

CHICAGO — How would your customers describe your coin laundry? Would they say it’s dependable? Clean? Secure? Comfortable? How about customer-friendly?

It stands to reason that customer-friendly stores—those that are welcoming, bright and offer a sense of security, for example—have a better chance of drawing business than the store down the block that’s dark, dirty and run-down.

But there are many levels of customer service, and thus customer friendliness. American Coin-Op reached out to some store owners, manufacturers and distributors this month and asked them for their analysis of the elements of being customer-friendly.

Q: PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW A STORE CAN BE MADE CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY BY ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING:

Exterior Appearance and Signage

Dave Phillips, national sales manager, IPSO: A store with glass frontage is more customer-friendly than one without. Customers appreciate being able to see through the windows before entering the store, especially at night – a glass front offers a sense of security.

It is important that the ingress/egress area and even the parking lot receive the same attention as the interior of the store. It should be clean, well-lit and provide ample parking spaces. As for signage, it should be lighted, simple and easy to read from a distance with no obstructions, and have colors that attract potential customers’ eyes to it.

Craig Kirchner, vice president of sales, marketing and customer service for Dexter Laundry: Having an external sign that features services your location offers can be a great asset to encourage new and potential customers to come inside.

Karl Hinrichs, president, HK Laundry Equipment: The Laundromat’s exterior and signage is where owners will advertise the store’s identity, strengths, and serve as a consistent reminder to the community that the Laundromat is available for their use. The outside of a Laundromat should be well-lit, clean and welcoming. Make the most of the store’s “street appeal” because it is a permanent billboard for the business.

David Cabral, vice president, New England Coin Laundry: The exterior of the store should convey a clean, safe and inviting laundry. If the interior is the best in the industry but the exterior looks less than safe or inviting, it will never matter how well maintained the interior is. Signage should be in working order and well-lit.

Days and Hours of Operation

Jose Fernandez, owner, Mily’s Place Laundromat, Coral Gables, Fla.: A store’s hours of operation should be determined based on customers’ needs. To be the most successful, a store needs to be open when its customers have time to do their laundry, which isn’t necessarily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Initially, Mily’s Place was open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. After watching traffic patterns, I noticed a need to be open later and so we opted to extend the store hours. Now, we are a 24/7 operation, and the response has been extremely favorable.

Dawn Nagle, marketing director and VP of creative services, Laundrylux: Know your market. If your customers work shifts or need to come in early or late, make sure you are open to meet the needs of your community. Also, program special pricing and offers for slow days of the week and odd times to encourage customers to come when it’s not busy.

Dan Bowe, national sales manager, Speed Queen: This really depends on your demographics and market; however, the average Laundromat is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. But if the store is located in a college market, it should be open 24 hours a day, which will cater to the demographic.

Parking and Access

Kirchner: When you’re planning parking for a new retail location, make sure that you have ample parking to accommodate customers on the busiest day. If your parking lot is full, customers may pass by your location to go to another store that has available parking. Parking needs to be clean and free of trash, and also needs to be well lit so that customers feel safe visiting your business at night. Store entrances not only need to be handicapped-accessible, but they need to allow for large laundry carts to move in and out of facility without struggling.

Phillips: A dedicated parking lot or spaces, preferably off-street, are very important. No owner wants their customers to have trouble finding a parking space or fighting traffic to access the parking lot.

Fernandez: Ample parking is one of the most important aspects for a store. In addition to parking, a clean store front should be free of trash and wide enough for laundry carts and baskets to easily enter and exit. This simplifies a customer’s experience (and) helps reiterate the owner’s focus on customer satisfaction.

Cleanliness and Décor

Hinrichs: A Laundromat can never be too clean. Make sure the store is cleaned at least twice a day, which should include sweeping, mopping floors, cleaning out lint traps and washing windows if there are fingerprints on them. Bathrooms should be well maintained and stocked full of necessities such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels or a working electric hand dryer. The store should also be spruced up at least once a year, especially if it has white walls. A fresh coat of paint or replacing carpet or tiles and worn furniture can make a significant positive impression to customers.

Nagle: A clean, comfortable store is critical. If your store is dirty, not maintained, has old rusty machines, soap on the floor or machines don’t shine – your customers will go somewhere else.

Ken Hebert, Deep South Laundry Systems: Again, cleanliness is important. The décor should be clean and simple. The color of the walls needs to be soothing and inviting – repaint if necessary. Indoor signage needs to be limited, simply stated and not negative. If all your customers see is NO or DON’T, they WON’T use your Laundromat in the future.

Kirchner: For store décor, simple things like updating lighting, adding mirrors or pictures, or a fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference with a small expense. Decorating for upcoming seasons or holidays can also be a fun and festive way to spice up your store’s décor on a budget; just be sure to change out the decorations as the season ends.

Check back Thursday for more on The Elements of Being Customer-Friendly!