Stinky Drain Trough? Solution 2 Chlorine Tablets

 

The drain troughs behind your washers and inside your bulkheads are a great place for bacteria and mold to build up and leave your store with a funky smell. You would think that the amount of water that gets flushed through the trough it would keep them clean and you wouldn't have to worry.
For the most part that is true. Over time however things like floods, clogged drains causing backups, and garbage falling into them cause water to back up and get into places you wouldn't think about. 
Metal troughs also warp and rust over time causing pools of water to stand leaving deposits.

Solution number one to make sure you never have funky smells is to regularly clean your troughs of garbage and debris and sludge. The second way is to use chlorine tablets like those used to keep swimming pools clean. They are about the size of hockey pucks and can be bought wherever you get your pool supplies. After cleaning the trough toss a tablet into the trough. Over the course of a week or so the tablet will dissolve. This will help keep the drain trough free of bacteria and keep the smells away.

What do you bring to the table as an owner?
What does your store bring to the the table for customers?
What is the value you and your store bring to the community?
Whether your store is a mega 5,000 sq. ft. store or a 1,000 sq. ft. neighborhood gem, we all have a value proposition? What is yours?
Dave Menz in an issue of Planet Laundry makes this point.
Thanks Dave for the great point!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy 

whats-your-value-proposition

What’s Your Value Proposition?

by Dave Menz | Mar 11, 2021 | Feature 1, Feature 2, Feature 3, Featured Articles, Highlights | 0 comments

Understanding and Leveraging This Concept Will Elevate Your Laundromat Business to New Levels of Success and Profitability

What if I told you that you could increase your prices anywhere from 25 percent to 100 percent and end up with a stronger, healthier business.

Interested?

Think about it… what is more important in a laundromat – value or price?

I bet you said “price.”

Now, what if I challenged you and said that what you used to think, or perhaps even currently assume, is all wrong?

We all know what “price” means. But what exactly is “value,” in terms of business and the way that you operate? And which is more important?

If we always make sure that we’re the cheapest in price, isn’t that the best way to compete? For my first four years in the laundromat industry, I believed the answer was “yes,” but now I know for sure that the answer is a definitive and resounding “NO!”

It’s all about the “value proposition.” For me, learning what it is and how to use it made my laundry businesses stronger. And leveraging the value proposition can do the same for you. It will change your life, your business and, most likely, the communities you serve.

What is a Value Proposition?

The formal definition for value proposition is “an innovation, service or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to its customers.”

OK, that’s simple enough, right?

Put into practice, I’ve taken four “ZombieMats” from old, broken-down and unprofitable to near the top of our industry by doing one thing – obsessing over providing the best value proposition in my marketplace. In the end, the value proposition is how customers decide which businesses to patronize… and, believe me, every little thing matters.

Question: Are all steaks the same?

Have you ever had a tough, gristly steak at some greasy diner? What about a ridiculously high-quality filet mignon from a high-end restaurant?

Did both pieces of meat cost you the same amount of money?

No, of course not. And no one would expect them to, because we value one product and experience higher than the other.

You can get a $10 steak at a low-end restaurant, or you can enjoy a $110 steak from a fine dining establishment. Although they’re both steaks, they’re definitely not the same thing.

Are those two restaurants competitors? Absolutely not – and they both know it. So, why do so many laundry business owners not understand this principle?

Next, let’s walk through how the value proposition specifically impacts you, as well as how you can elevate your laundromat business to a completely different level by focusing on your value proposition.

How do store owners determine what their prices should be in their specific markets?

Unfortunately, it’s quite common right now for many laundromat operators to merely look at a few of their competitors to see what these other owners are charging. If they deduce that their store is better, they may charge a quarter or 50 cents more than the competition, and that’s that. In other words, they let others decide how much they can charge, rather than letting their own value proposition and the marketplace decide this.

When I’m working with fellow laundromat owners, I always encourage them to take a deep dive into the value that they bring to their particular markets and to charge accordingly, with no significant ceiling. If your value proposition is three times that of your competitor, you can easily charge double the vend prices. I know, because I do this at all four of my locations.

Because many store owners keep their prices depressed, they often determine that they “can’t afford” to make certain investments in their businesses – such as new washers and dryers or perhaps adding an ozone option – because they don’t have the revenue coming in. I propose that this is completely backwards and that, as an industry, we are all selling ourselves short when we approach the business this way.

Every month, I review my stores and try to look at them through the eyes of a new competitor. I always ask myself the same three questions:

• What is my value proposition?
• If I were a competing laundromat owner, what would I do to beat me?
• Who are my customers?

Do you think Chick-fil-A makes any money?

They are the highest-priced fast-food restaurant on the planet – and, in my opinion, their business plan is genius. While all of their competition beats each other up over price with “dollar menus” and so on, they are focused like a laser on value proposition. And they win the battle every single day!

Did you know that Chick-fil-A has the best reputation, the best facilities, the best operations and, yes, the highest prices as well?

Guess what it also has? Chick-Fil A has some of the highest profit margins in the fast-food industry.

Of course, all things being equal, who wouldn’t want to pay less, but that’s the caveat – things are never equal. If you have never had a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A, you’re missing out. They are amazing – always cooked perfectly and always served with a smiling face and a sincere “my pleasure.”

I know that many within the industry think that the laundromat business is different. But I’m here to challenge us all and to suggest that maybe we aren’t that different. If we want to elevate our businesses, it starts with letting go of that myth.

Shattering the Myth

There’s an age-old myth that the laundry industry is somehow unique and quite different from every other industry out there. Simply put, we don’t give ourselves enough credit. We are a vital resource in every market and, quite frankly, our communities want better from us.

The myth out there is that the only people who use laundromats are lower-income individuals and that the only thing they care about is price.

This is completely and totally false.

The top of our industry serves lower-income people, but these are predominantly those who appreciate cleanliness, safety, service, experience, comfort and so on.

We also serve the American middle class. Whether those customers are lower middle class, middle class or upper middle class, we serve them as well. Maybe these individuals have in-home washers and dryers, but not every type of garment or item can fit in those smaller machines. Also, when residential machines break down, service appointments must be scheduled, parts must be ordered, etc. During this downtime, those homeowners are left without washers and/or dryers.

Where do all of these people go when these issues occur? If there’s a clean, modern, quality laundromat nearby, they will go there. If there’s no such store nearby, they’ll drive 10 to 15 miles or more to find one. Trust me, I see it daily in all of our stores.

Understand that I’m not talking in theory. I’ve successfully run most types of laundromat models out there. I started out with “plain Jane,” unattended laundromats with limited expenses. Over time, I built a staff to partially attend my business and then eventually invested in a fully attended operation – and all were very profitable.

At one point, my laundromats were nothing special to look at, but everything worked and was clean. Then, I slowly reinvested in the business as I could. I increased employee salaries so that I could hire better quality staff members. I invested in training, management and repeatable systems – along with such amenities as Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, immaculate restrooms, soothing background music, ozone systems, children’s areas, wider aisles, new equipment, excess folding tables, modern payment systems, air conditioning, televisions with more than 200 cable channels, new flooring and LED lighting.

And, when I made these investments, my business increased in both gross sales and profits.

As my costs increased through these reinvestments, I raised my prices aggressively at times. Although you may be thinking my volume went down, it didn’t – it also increased, along with my margins. Over approximately five years of heavy reinvestment, the dividends were enormous. My margins went from 20 percent to nearly 40 percent, and my gross sales increased anywhere from 50 percent to 120 percent over a few years.

The same thing happened with my wash-dry-fold business as I improved my operations. We hired and trained a stronger, more professional staff. We improved our sorting, washing, drying, folding and packaging processes. We added a high-quality POS system so that we could run a truly professional drop-off service, rather than relying on outdated three-part tickets to keep track of the WDF orders.

We evolved from using generic products and providing just one way of processing orders to using all high-end products and offering a fully customizable service. That means we do the customers’ laundry the same way they would do it – no questions asked. Our new POS system enables us to easily and professionally manage and track every customers’ preferences without having to ask them over and over.

Then, guess what we did next?

Yep, we raised our prices. In three years, we raised wash-dry-fold prices from $1.10 per pound to $1.25, then to $1.50, and just recently raised them to $1.80. And our volume has exploded every step of the way.

Lastly, we upped our game a third – with our laundry pickup-and-delivery business. As we’ve improved and reinvested in taking our delivery business to another level, our value proposition skyrocketed, and we now do nearly double the revenue in pickup and delivery that we do in the self-service segment of the business.

Can you imagine adding another revenue stream to your self-service laundry that isn’t “ancillary” – another revenue stream that generates nearly twice the revenue of your self-service business… without one interfering with the other?

So, when someone tells you that the laundromat industry is “OK” but that it’s just really a job and not a true business, don’t listen to them, because they’re selling “a $10 steak.” When they tell you they can’t afford to do this or do that, remember that they’re verbalizing their limitations, not yours. The truth is that, with the right value proposition, the laundromat business is the best business in America, hands down!

Here is my challenge to you: What can you do differently within your laundry business to raise your value proposition?

The truth is that most of society appreciates and will pay more for the best value proposition. So, look at your business through the eyes of potential customers – not the customers you already have, but the consumers who you wish to attract.

Ask yourself the same three questions on a regular basis. Make it your mantra:

• What is my value proposition?
• If I were my competitors, what would I do or change to exceed this value?
• Who are my customers?

After asking yourself those three questions, you’ll know where you are in your laundry business, as well as where you need to go and exactly what types of customers you’re trying to attract.

One final point: Don’t forget to charge for your services. Charge for the value that you bring to the table. Of course, this means completely and totally ignoring that “competitor” who isn’t really even a competitor at all.

Related posts:

Required Instructions for Washer Usage

Some people say we humans don't read as much as we used to.
As an owner of a laundromat you know that you can hang as many signs as you want and it is amazing how many people will not see them. The one thing I have learned about signs in a laundromat is that someone will get bored and read them while they are sitting waiting for their laundry to finish.
Unfortunately most of the things you want them to know they read after the fact, however that doesn't mean you shouldn't post the information. They may miss it the first time, however they will read it and know the information for the next time...you hope.
Patrick, the manager of a local laundromat, posted the rules below in several places around his laundromat. He has noticed a change in the behavior of many of the customers as they have taken to heart his advice and rules. His staff receives fewer questions and his customers seem happier that they know how to do their laundry faster and more efficiently.
Thanks Patrick for sharing!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Required Instructions for Washer Usage.

1) DO NOT OVER STUFF THE WASHERS. The machines are not designed to take excessive loads.

2) No Blankets, Spreads or Sheets permitted in White Washers. The White Machines are not designed to wash or spin out those items. Only use those items in the Silver Machines.

3) Limit the amount of big towels & sweatshirts put in Washers. Those items retain much water and frequently cause the machine to become unbalanced and not spin out the excessive water.

4) Always check pockets for items such as change, jewelry, gum, candy, lighters, metal, glass, etc. These items consistently clog drains, cut and ruin the rubber housing & hoses and bearings.

5) Gently 0pen & close the Washer Door and Soap Tray. Never force open the Washer Door when locked. Ask for assistance.

6) Put detergent in Soap Tray & Close Soap Tray before starting Wash Cycle.

7) Take your time to correctly set your desired Wash Cycle. Once the wash begins, the machine cannot be stopped or cycle changed.

8) Do not use too much detergent. Most detergent is highly concentrated and 90% of getting your clothes clean is completed just by the wash cycle, and when the machine is not over stuffed to allow water flow and spin.

9) Watch your wash, you need to monitor your clothes and immediately remove upon completion. Management at their discretion may remove your clothes so other customers have access to use machine.

10) Always put Tide-pod’s directly inside the washer, never put Tide-pod’s in the detergent area as they will not work and clog the dispenser flow.

11) Always ask for assistance if you have questions on how the machines work or for helpful tips.

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the washers become damaged from customers not adhering to the first 5 points listed above. Once a machine is damaged, it is very costly to fix and can take several weeks to be repaired. An average repair expense comprises several hundred dollars in Labor Expense, Replacement Parts and Lost Revenue.

It is imperative to follow the above instructions so that the machines will function correctly and efficiently for your use, as well as other customers.

Thank you for your cooperation, sincerely, ------------- Laundry.

Cardboard Job Ad: Effective? Yes or No

 

I've written several articles on how to write effective job ads.

The above picture was drawn on cardboard and hung on a billboard at a laundromat.

While there is certainly a "cheesy factor" and it definitely isn't professional looking, does it work?

Lets answer the question by looking at job posting basics:

1. Did it grab my attention?
Yes! I took a picture of it and am writing about it.

2. Does it try to reach a targeted audience?

I would argue that it does target a specific audience but not necessarily in a medium that the target uses.

The benefit of putting it in a laundromat is that people using a laundromat will often read anything while they are waiting for their wash.

3. Who is it trying to reach?

Class A drivers who want to be home each night. Men and women are welcome to apply.

4. Does it list salary?

$600-$1,100 per week paid on Fridays.

5. Where is it located?

Northwest side.

6. How to apply?

Mr. Feed and he leaves a number

I wonder if the ad worked?

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Salespeople: Entrepeneurs, the Bad

As a salesperson you've decided to jump off the big company train and go find a small company to sell for. There are lots of advantages for doing this, and a few pitfalls that you may not have considered. I'd start by reading my articles about why a small business is hiring salespeople to begin with:

https://everetShould-you-hire-your-first-salesperson

You-decided-to-hire-salesperson-other.html

What to Pay Your First Salesperson

Besides the owner, you might be the first or second person in the company and maybe even the only one besides themselves to sell their business.
What should you expect? I've written about the good things. Here are some of the bad:

1. There will be resistance to change from the way they sold/presented to the way you sell. They will place a lot of trust in you to represent them and sell their product in a professional and upstanding way. You'll have your own style. There will be clashes. My advice, learn their presentation and selling styles. They will know their current clients better than you and you might learn something new. Then incorporate their best elements and your best elements into a great pitch. Your style isn't perfect and neither is theirs, but keep an open mind that they know their product and clients and try what they tell you. You'll learn something that you can use with other prospects. I guarantee it!

2. If you want to keep a secret, don't tell the boss.

3. Be prepared to start projects and have them be dropped or forgotten. 

Entrepreneurs are usually people with a vision for themselves and what they want their company to be. As a result when they see an idea someone else is doing, they will often try to incorporate it into their business. The project will start with good intentions, but don't be surprised if it gets dropped when they see the next idea. You might know this as "shiny key syndrome."
Bigger companies that have too wide of a command structure suffer the same problem.
Lack of focus.

This can be maddening because you think the company will be doing something and it will never get off the ground and you might not even know it. Unless it was something mission critical, just put the notes aside and move on. If it is worth fighting for, then make your case. Sometimes people just need to be reminded why they started the project to begin with. Sometimes the projects come back.

4. If the boss says they are not a micro manager they probably are.
Sometimes this starts out as a good thing. When starting you need to learn their business and what made them successful. You need to reinforce your good sales habits. Proving you can live up to their matrix of how many calls, appointments, etc. is good. If all they live by is numbers and can't see the forest through the trees then you have a choice to make. At some point you either have to always give them what they want, or eventually put your foot down in a professional way and tell them no.

When working for a small company I was asked to do at least 25 cold calls per day to decision makers. This isn't a lot and was accomplished along with the other duties I had to do. At first at the end of the day I would have to turn in a spreadsheet with who I called.
No problem.
Then I was asked to indicate when I called them so we could see what time was most effective reaching these decision makers.
No problem. Good idea.
Then I had to keep track if I reached their voicemail and if they returned my call.
Again a good thing to track.
I was also asked to keep track what side of town they were on.
There was never a good answer to that since I already had their address before calling them.
The data and what I was asked to track kept getting more and more minute.
He never did anything with the data.
Finally I asked again what ALL the points were to what I was being asked to do.
He didn't have an answer so I politely told him I would continue to keep track of all pertinent information and if he ever wanted it to look it up in our CRM database.

5. Don't sign a non-compete.
They might be worried that you'll walk off with their financial statements or sales numbers. Perfectly logical. Problem is you will be one of a few people in the company. If they go belly up you don't want to be tied down about where you can look for a job or who you can call on. They have to remember you are building THEIR business and they get 80% of your take at any time. Offer to sign a non-disclosure agreement instead. Then keep quiet about the information you see.

6. If you are working for an owner who always has to be in control of the meeting, prospect, sales situation, prepare to sit back and be reduced to the level of their sales assistant. Some sales people like having someone else take the lead and be out front. If that is your personality type (I'm not referring to sales drive) then stay in the position and thrive by cranking out great appointments and hitting all of your metrics in terms of calls, appointments, etc. Be a good Robin to the owners Batman.
If you don't enjoy this role look for a new company because odds are it won't change unless business gets so good they'll have to give up control of some accounts. Depending on the company and what you are selling either of these scenarios might happen.

7. If you are working for an owner that prefers to NOT be too involved in the sales arena, then be prepared to take charge of the meetings, follow up with the customer, and constantly remind the owner of what they need to do to help you succeed.

8. Expect to get blamed when things go wrong:
Lets say There wasn't enough client meetings set in a given month. You did everything right, it was just one of those months.

In the owners eye they NEVER had a bad month, missed call goals, appointment quotas, or sales. Baloney! In their eyes they are brilliant in sales.  Arguing this point with them doesn't always work because in their mind if THEY were doing whatever it was they accuse you of not doing things would succeed. It will usually take an person not involved in the process (usually a wife or office manager) to tell them they are wrong. They won't apologize for being wrong, however you know they'll realize they were wrong because they will talk about it and say "I was thinking about ______ and I think we need to try doing it this way______"

9. Be careful about the boss meeting with long time customers who you know extremely well: They may act like the client was never yours and try to monopolize the client and cut you out completely. I'm not saying you can never have the boss meet these people, however I'm saying if your boss is the controlling type this could happen.

I once had a vice president meet with a long term client of mine without telling me.
The client bought a new package from the VP (that plan wasn't presented to the sales staff yet). When I confronted the VP his response was "you introduced me to him awhile ago so I called him, and what are you worried about you'll get your commission." I explained that in this case he was right, but he could have also said something that ruined the relationship, caused confusion on who the client should call with questions, and said he wouldn't like it if I just started calling his clients without asking him. He admitted I was right and I called my client and explained that I would be able to handle all calls regarding the new package and apologized for the VP not bringing me to the meeting and blindsiding him.

10. Be prepared for your reputation to take a hit in some way from a bad owner who wants revenge because they will think you ruined their company or at least wasted a bunch of time:

If you work for an entrepreneur that has a good reputation and you help them build their business you'll get some of the reflected glory from the owners circle of contacts. 

If that entrepreneur sucks at building relationships or sales, you'll hear about that too.
If you get some of the credit just thank them and accept it. Don't let it go to your ego. If you get some tarnish because you were working for a bad individual, listen and move on.
If you move to another job don't argue for your former boss either way and don't join in blasting the person. Both are traps. Plus your client has already made up their mind what they think of the former boss and that is water under the bridge. Work on building the current relationship.

11. Until the money really starts rolling in, or there has been a change in their lifestyle because of your success (being able to take a vacation for the first time is an example), entrepreneurs will question their decision to hire their first salesperson. You may get a few comments in the "things were easier around here before I hired you" vein. Don't take it personal. Remember it is one thing to be responsible for yourself, it is another to now have someone else depending on you. It is a tough lesson for some entrepreneurs to learn. Your ultimate job is to make them say "I'm glad I hired a salesperson!"  .

Thanks!

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Front Dryer Panel Treasure

I took off the front panel to one of my dryers recently and to my surprise was a symphony of coins hitting the floor. Dollars fell too!
$58

Not a bad haul for just opening the front panel on a dryer.

Now before you say, duh! You should be cleaning your dryers more often.

I do.

Daily. Multiple times even.

I even weekly reach under the basket and pull lint out with a special scrapper I fashioned. I usually get a dollar or two in coins each time I clean.

I thought I was doing a good job.

Like many owners I admit I got a little lazy and didn't pull the fronts off as often as I used to.

Lesson learned.

There is nothing like actually pulling the panel off.
Money was everywhere!
Coins were in places that I thought lint would have a hard time getting into!
The vacuum cleaner got a work out.
The customers clothes dried a little faster.
The dryer doesn't have to work as hard, and I got a few bucks! 

These lint drawers are not from my store, but just posting this here as a reminder that even if you have lint drawers that customers can open, you still need to check them daily at minimum and you'll still need to pull the panels on those dryers too.

Ev

A Heck of A Nice Guy

Interview Questions for Laundromat Attendants

Hiring any employee is tough. In todays job world, employers from every industry are screaming for good people. Laundromats are in the same position.
I've witnessed many laundromat owners and managers struggle to find the right people for their store because they didn't know what questions to ask.
Nick from WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems asks his potential employees the following.
Feel free to try them out.
Thanks Nick for sharing these with us!

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Money Saving Tip: Burning Drain Screens

 Do you use metal drain screens in your drain troughs to keep items from going down the drain like socks and bottle caps? If so you know how much of a pain it can be to clean them. Usually you need a power washer or just need to scrub them for a time.
Here is another method: burn them clean!
Let your screens get as dirty as you normally do. Rather than throw them out or waste time trying to scrub them clean, let them sit out of the water in the trough for about a week. Maybe less depending on how big the screen is and how much lint is on it. Make sure you have a second drain screen already in place so one screen can dry and the other protects your drain.
Once the screen is dry, throw it into your fire pit or burn it wherever it is legal, The lint is dry and it ignites easily. Be sure to be ready with something to extinguish the fire as lint can be blown around easily by the wind. After a few minutes of burning your screen will be clean and ready for use again.
The draw back is you can only burn the screen a few times before they get too flimsy and fatigued and you need to replace them. That being said, if you normally buy a new roll of screen every month, this should at least double the life of that roll of screen and save you half the money you would spend on screen rolls! I will warn you, they sometimes put off a funky odor when they burn.

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Drain Trough Pennies

 

These are pennies that I scrapped off the floor of the drain trough. 

Normally I clean the troughs on a  regular basis. 

The concrete is clean and free of residue from soaps and fabric softener. 

I was injured for a time and unable to climb into the trough. 

A mix of dirt and sludge built up on one end and formed a mound a few inches deep and wide. I scrapped it off with a shovel and rinsed off all the coins.

This is what the pennies looked like after sitting in the sludge for about a month. 

If the soap residue and fabric softener made pennies look like this, imagine what the sludge looks like in your drain traps and troughs if you don't clean them and have filters on your drains! 

Ev

A Heck of A Nice Guy

Broken Chairs Need Replacing

 

The older style bucket chairs eventually break off the base. Sometimes the edges crack or break off. It is easy to ignore these seats, especially if you usually don't see people sitting in them when you are in your store. You might sit in them and they "seem fine." They are expensive and as an owner you want to get your monies worth, so you ignore the cracks and chips. 

What do your customers see?
They see old.
They see cracks and chips.
They see a chair they don't want to sit in.
They question if the chairs are broken, what else is broken in the laundromat...the machines?
If they can't trust the machines then they will take their laundry someplace else.
Is that a stretch to get that impression from a broken chair?
Maybe, however I bet there are some of your customers that make that leap.

While you are checking the seats, check the legs of the chairs too. 

Bolts loosen and welds break.

Customers falling off your chairs because of of legs collapsing or the bucket seats breaking off are not ways to endear your store to your customers.
Fix your chairs.
In these times at least remove the broken shells.
If you have a frame that is missing a seat or two, that might be okay for now.
You can say it is for people to keep their distance.
Ev

A Heck of A Nice Guy