CHICAGO — Customer expectations of self-service laundries continue to evolve, prompting owners to invest in cleaner stores, upgraded equipment and new technology while maintaining a focus on customer service.

Results from this quarter’s American Coin-Op Your Views survey suggest that convenience and cleanliness remain at the center of what today’s laundry customers value most.

Among survey respondents, 35.1% identified convenience as the top customer priority, closely followed by cleanliness at 32.4%. Customer service ranked third at 16.2%, while speed and technology each received 5.4% of responses. The minority of 2.7% pointed to around-the-clock availability, noting that being open 24/7 remains a key advantage.

Operators report that customer expectations have risen across multiple business areas. More than half of respondents (55.6%) say customers increasingly expect cleaner stores, making it the most commonly cited area of change (our poll invited respondents to select up to three suggested choices from a list of eight). Better customer service followed at 41.7%, while more payment choices was selected by 38.9%. Extended operating hours also remain important, cited by 30.6% of respondents.

Technology is becoming a larger part of the customer experience as well. More than three-quarters of respondents (76.5%) say customers now expect mobile payment options. Tap-to-pay systems were selected by 44.1% of respondents, while text notifications (32.4%), loyalty programs (26.5%) and pickup-and-delivery apps (20.6%) also received significant support.

Despite the growing demand for technology, survey comments suggest that customer preferences can vary considerably by market. While some operators report strong acceptance of app-based payments and other digital tools, others say parts of their customer base remain hesitant to adopt new tech.

Meeting these expectations often requires increased attention from staff. Cleaning was identified as the operational area requiring the most employee focus, selected by 36.1% of respondents. Wash-dry-fold processing followed at 30.6%, while customer service and technology assistance each received 13.9%.

For many owners, equipment upgrades have been the biggest financial commitment. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62.2%) say they have required their greatest investment to satisfy customer expectations. Tech upgrades are a distant second at 13.5%.

Even with the associated costs, most operators view rising expectations positively. Nearly half of respondents (47.2%) believe customer expectations are creating major opportunities for their businesses, while another 50% describe them as manageable. Only 2.8% say keeping up with customer expectations is becoming too costly.

Several respondents offered some general comments about meeting customer expectations:

• “It’s now obvious that if you build a large, well-run, clean store with good customer service, you will outpace all of your competition. Gone are the days of dark, dank, dirty stores that people will tolerate. And that's the good news for this industry.”
• “I have an old community laundromat. We are open 24/7, totally coin-operated, and it is only attended when I am there (I live there, too). I cannot afford any of the new tech/payment systems or many upgrades. I will never recoup the investment. My people like the 24/7, so that is all I got.”
• “It is no doubt customer expectations are costly, from cleaning to equipment upgrades to payment choices. However, I want to look at this in a positive light as an opportunity to be competitive.”
• “You need to know your competition’s strengths and weaknesses. You need to be at least as good as what they’re great at, and much better at what they struggle with.”
• “I have found that, overall, my self-service customers have been receptive to the tech upgrades I have added to my laundromat. However, having friendly, helpful staff on-site seems to make the biggest positive impact with meeting customer expectations.”

American Coin-Op’s Your Views survey provides a snapshot of owner perspectives but should not be considered scientific. Subscribers to American Coin-Op email blasts are invited to participate anonymously in the industry poll.