CHICAGO — Self-service laundry owners polled in our latest American Coin-Op Wire survey projected a largely positive tone about business-related conditions, based on the results.
With Thanksgiving coming up shortly, we asked our audience if they agreed with the following: “I’m thankful, because our operation is performing well.” A little more than 92% said they agreed, while 7.7% said they weren’t sure. No one who took the survey disagreed with the statement.
Another statement: “Our processing equipment works well and isn’t a concern.” The level of agreement was less concentrated, yet the feeling was still overwhelmingly positive. Equal shares of 42.3% “completely agree” or “somewhat agree” with the statement about equipment. The remaining 15.4% “neither agree nor disagree.” No one who took the survey disagreed with the statement.
Next: “Our (end-users or clients) appreciate our service.” Another shake-up, yet still extremely positive. Fifty percent of respondents “completely agree” with the statement, while another 38.5% “somewhat agree.” Approximately 8% “somewhat disagree,” and the remaining 3.8% “neither agree nor disagree.” No one who took the survey “completely” disagreed with the statement.
The final statement: “I’m confident that next year will be better for everyone.” This garnered the widest range of responses. The biggest share (32%) “somewhat agree,” followed by 28% who “completely agree,” 24% who “somewhat disagree,” and 16% who “neither agree nor disagree.” No one “completely” disagreed with the statement.
Who or what is your biggest “turkey”—headache-causer—in your laundry? The top picks among respondents were equipment (32%), end-users or clients (32%), and “other” (12%).
We also asked respondents to name one aspect of their business for which they are most thankful. The most popular responses related to loyal customers, good employees, and the need for coin laundry services.
While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.
Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take the industry survey anonymously online each month. All self-service laundry owners and operators are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.
