Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Everet's Laundry Newsletter May 2022

You might be asking yourself,"Why is Everet sending out the May newsletter when it is mid-June?"When I went to work on the June newsletter the May one was still in the que. Ooops!Just click on the link to read an article.

Thanks for looking.

Enjoy!EveretA Heck of A Nice Guy

Featured Articles this month:

If you have Wascomat Crossover washers and want to know how to reset errors other than pulling the electrical plug try these:

Wascomat-crossover-error-reset-shortcuts

Dryers not heating consistently?Did you do this?

Dryers-not-heating-clean-sail-switches

Ever have the little boxes of soap get stuck in your vending machine? My thanks to fellow owner Larry for letting me interview him about how he solved this issue:

Soap-fetching-stick

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Maytag Dryer Default Codes

If you have older Maytag dryers, have you ever seen something come up on the display other than the price and minuets remaining? If you have, here is what they mean and how to get rid of them. Presenting the Maytag dryer default codes!
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Why Read This Blog?

Why should you read this blog?
Instead of just writing an answer, I’ve asked my friend the motorsports journalist, Steve “The Wrench” Ratchett (SR) to do an interview of me.

Steve Ratchett (SR): So why an interview?
Everet (EK): If you write a blog it is always a good idea to tell readers once in awhile why they are coming to your blog. What is it they will read about. I’ve done those articles a few times. This is just a different way of doing that.

why-laundry-tips-on-this-blog
why-i-write-this-blog

SR: So what will readers learn from your blog?
EK: I’m trying to be a resource for anyone in the laundry business that owns or manages laundry rooms and laundromats. I’m passing on knowledge I’ve learned from my years in the business and my experience owning and running many laundromat facilities. I pass on tips about maintenance, marketing, hiring, and other issues. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I hope to point people in the right direction.

SR: Why?
EK: When I was looking to get in the business and even afterwards,
no one told me ANYTHING.
I said I wouldn’t be that way for people looking to get into or are already in the laundry business.
Plus I have to live up to my brand “A Heck of A Nice Guy” that I’ve used for the last 25 years.

SR: You have articles on Sales and Marketing, and Hiring on here too. Why?
EK: Former careers I spent a lot of time in. That knowledge still has value. Why not promote it and write about it. Not everyone in the laundry business knows how to hire people, market their stores or products. Hopefully these older articles help.

SR: You also have articles on history and jokes too. Why?
EK: Writing is fun! I used to be a journalist and sometimes I dabble in silly or serious topics for fun. Once a quarter I allow myself to write something not related to my careers. If this were strictly a work related blog I wouldn't do that. IF readers find them interesting that is fine.
The jokes are there because who can’t use a good clean joke sometimes?
I used to publish a joke column on the last day of every month. I haven’t written a joke column for many years. Maybe I’ll revive it.

SR: With the “groaner” and “dad” jokes you tell maybe you shouldn’t.
EK: Lets let the readers decide that.

SR: This blog has technical articles for old machines. Shouldn't you just have articles about the new machines you are selling in your current position?
EK: There are a lot of new owners taking over stores and inheriting equipment.
Many of these owners haven't worked on older equipment so if I can pass along a few tips that saves them the cost of a repair tech and get a machine up and running faster so they can make money with it, then I've done my job. Plus sometimes we experienced owners can forget things too if we don't have to deal with them all the time. Plus when people tell me a tip I learn form them too!

It is easy to be a "trunk salesperson" and just sell the latest and greatest and say to a customer "here you go" and take off. There are enough of those salespeople out there. In my career I've always made it a point to be a positive difference in the lives and businesses of my customers. A customer may not ever buy something from me, or agree with my advice, however my goal is for them to say,
"that Everet is a Heck of A Nice Guy."

SR: I'm sensing that phrase is more than a saying but more of a brand for you.
EK: It is indeed my brand that I've had for 25 years, and a reminder for me how to act and treat people and customers.

SR: So how about one of those jokes to end the interview?
EK: Okay. How come cannibals don't eat clowns?

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Mint Continues to Encourage the Public to ‘Get Coins Moving’

This is from Planet Laundry:
mint-continues-to-encourage
There isn't a coin shortage.
What this article hasn't explained, although it touches on, is that when the banks were closed during covid, or only open via drive thru, they didn't accept coins to change into dollars.
If people couldn't spend them they threw them into a container at home.
That drained change machines all over, and are still doing that in many areas.
People don't want to carry around a bunch of change.
One of my laundromats gained quarters because customers told me it was the only place they COULD spend change.
Plus many banks:
a. don't accept coin
b. accept coin only if you have an account at that bank
c. charge a premium for taking coin whether you have an account or not
I would argue based on the above three points that the banking industry caused this mess, or at least a big part of it. The trend of people not carrying cash is one part. The banks actions were another.
Just my two cents worth on this topic.
Thanks Bob Nieman for this article.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Mint Continues to Encourage the Public to ‘Get Coins Moving’

by Bob Nieman | Apr 5, 2022 |

The United States Mint continues to ask the public for its help in getting coins moving – through the use of exact change when making purchases or by turning them in for cash at coin-recycling kiosks.

You also may be able to redeem coins for cash at financial institutions, but first contact local branches about their coin redemption policies, as they may vary, according to a recent news release from the Mint.

The Mint is making this request because coins are not circulating through the economy as quickly as they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cash transactions have decreased significantly since 2019, as more and more individuals have turned to performing their transactions electronically, which means that sometimes coins are not readily available where they are most needed.

“This is not a coin supply problem,” the Mint stressed. “It is a circulation problem. There are many people who rely exclusively on cash and currency to pay for goods and services. There are also many businesses that rely on cash and currency for their day-to-day operations. These people and businesses feel a significant impact from the unavailability of coins.”

Since the coin circulation problem first emerged in 2020, the Mint has asked for the public’s help in solving this problem, through communications from the Mint and as a member of the U.S. Coin Task Force. The Mint has issued press releases, distributed public service announcements, conducted social media campaigns and amplified its content via the U.S. Coin Task Force website.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Everet's Laundry Newsletter April 2022

Almost each week I publish an article on my blog about some aspect of laundry room maintenance, or laundromat ownership.
It might be hiring, maintenance tips, marketing, or general knowledge. Each month I send out this simple email with links to articles I think laundry room operators and owners will find useful.
Just click on the link to read an article.

Enjoy!

Everet
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Featured Articles this month:

Funny Application Answers:
funny-application-answers

Have a Maytag MFR Washer that says "service needed?" Try this:
Resetting-Maytag MFR-Cycle-Counter

Maytag MNH30s giving you fits?
Try these tips:
Fixing-Maytag-mhn30-common-errors

Vandals break your toilet tank? Try this!
fix-for-broken-toilet-tank-lid

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Why We NEED HUMAN Salespeople

I am in sales. I have been in different sales roles throughout my life.

I know people generally hate salespeople, or at least dealing with them, however the simple truth is that
as long as there are products that are made, there needs to be salespeople.

As much as we think dealing with automation is great and avoids us having to deal with salespeople, you should WANT to deal with a real person!

This is an example why.
Below is a real conversation I had when I was trying to call a company to get an estimate for roofing and gutter work in the late summer of 2021.
I went to their website and there was NOT a phone number.
You had to open a chat window.

I changed the company name and the phone numbers given, however the rest is the actual conversation:

Company T Live Chat

25 Aug Wednesday

Welcome to COMPANY T. How can we help you?

Do you do gutters too when you do a roof?

Let me see if I can get some information on that. Which city/state is the job site located in?

Milwaukee WI

Okay. Are you the property owner?

Yes

Great. May I have your name, phone number and email in case we need to contact you later?

Only if you first tell me if you do gutters

Our Specialist can discuss this in greater detail. How soon are you looking to utilize our roofing services?

I would like to book the project in the next month. I have a couple of estimates and looking for a third because the first two are so radically different

I understand that. For further assistance, I can connect you directly to our office by phone using our Call Connect service. Would you like to speak with someone now?

sure

Perfect. One moment please, I'm attempting to connect you now (please be aware that, for routing purposes, your caller ID will show a 925 area code). Please pick up and wait to be connected. I will be here if you need anything.

Please disregard the above statement. May I please have your phone number to connect you now?

414-555-1212

Thank you. Can you please confirm your name as well?

Everet

Thank you, Justin. One moment please,

You should now be connected. Is there anything else I can help you with?

Thank you for contacting Company T.

The chat session has ended.

The chat bot or person just stopped the communication.
The company never called back. Neither did I call them. Notice they never answered my question about their service.
It was just a tool to get a lead for someone to try and call my number or put on a report about how many leads they gathered during this time.

If I had been able to speak to a REAL person, they might have had a sale.

Their loss.
If you call me, you might get my voicemail sometimes, however I will call you back and we can talk person to person.
No chat boxes.

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

A Funny Take on Hiring

Hiring is something we will all have to do at one point as a business owner.
Cleaning and customer service staff are the two areas we most hire for in the laundry industry.

Right now hiring is very tough and can be very frustrating.
Have you had any applicants (assuming you've had applicants) give you strange answers, fill out applications with bizarre answers, or even hand you a resume?
There are plenty of places, including this blog, that can help you hire more effectively. Since everyone under the sun is trying to give you tips right now on how to hire people,
I thought you might need a break from advice and enjoy this humorous take on hiring in this post:

Funny Application Answers
funny-application-answers

Have a Professional Email Address:
have-professional-email

Very Bad Email Addresses for Job Seekers

very-bad-email-addresses

I publish new laundry related tips almost every week on my blog. These cover everything from hiring staff, repairs, marketing, and just any other issues your laundromat might run into. There are also past articles regarding sales, recruitment, history, and a little humor if you need it. Below the picture are links to articles I thought you might find interesting. Feel free to contact me with ideas or topics you might like to see.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

3 Things Needed in Your Job Ad to Hire Workers

3 Things Needed in Your Ad to Hire Workers?

Everyone in every industry is screaming for help.
Our supply chain in many industries is disrupted because companies can’t get people to fill jobs.
This has led to lots of advertising for companies to use certain online or mass media recruitment services to get their hiring message out to candidates. No matter what you use to recruit, your message must have three things in order to break through the clutter and appeal to job candidates:

1. 1. You have to say how much you are paying. The old days of thinking “we talk money at the time of offer” has long been gone. Candidates hear messages about $15 per hour minimum wage in the news. They know their industry and what their peers are making, don’t think they don’t because all employees let it slip how much they make at some point to someone. Candidates know where opportunities lie in their industry. Don’t insult them by saying things like “we offer competitive wages.” What they think is a competitive wage is different that what you think it is. In a negotiating situation you often try to not be the first person to throw out a number. In recruitment it is an advantage. You will get those people from a competitor that might be making less than you are offering and will love the raise. You will also turn off people making more money for doing the job you are looking for, however you combat that by reading point number two…

2. 2. List all of the unusual benefits the person gets. Health, 401K, long term disability, etc. are all great benefits, but they don’t attract the majority of the candidates. Maybe your company is near a pond that has hiking trails or is available for fishing. Maybe you offer auto oil changes by having a mobile service come to your parking lot. Perhaps you have an employee lunch program. There can be many things that you might not think would be what people are looking for, however it could be the straw that tips the balance. IF two jobs are equal but one job offers free lunch, that company will get the employee. If the candidate that is making more than the money you are advertising, but they don’t get the benefits you are talking about, they will at least call you because they figure if they can get salary equal to what they have now AND GET THE EXTRA BENEFITS they think it will be better because they are getting more than what they are getting somewhere else. This leads to point three…

3. 3. Often times people leave a job because they feel they don’t get recognition from managers and co-workers. Talk about all the ways your company does that. Is there a quarterly meting where awards are given out. Does the president have an open door policy? What kind of rewards are there for people that offer good ideas? What protections are there for candidates that are whistleblowers or offer controversial ideas? Let candidates know they will be appreciated and they will come to check out your company.

Good luck in your search! Save some good people for the rest of us!
On second thought, get all the good people you can right now and make your company strong!

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Dryers Not Heating: Clean Sail Switch

Having a problem with dryers not heating or not heating consistently?

"Sail Switch Open or Closed" errors?

If it isn't a mechanical problem, or dirty sensors
(click link to read that article: dryers-not-heating-clean-sensors.html),

then take a look at the sail switch and damper.

What is the sail switch? It is a safety feature that turns off the heat source (or the dryer itself) if insufficient airflow is detected in the dryer vent.

In short the sail switch is usually a micro mechanical switch that is connected to a metal damper over a hole. When the damper closes the gas flame comes on and heats up the air and the dryer gets hot. If there isn't enough air then the dryer doesn't operate. The trick is the sail switch needs a vacuum to pull it closed over the hole. In order to create a vacuum you need good airflow.

If the edges of the hole, or the damper, are dirty then they don't make a tight seal and no vacuum is created. The damper doesn't close, thereby not clicking the sail switch to let the dryer control board know there is proper airflow and to ignite the gas.

The dampers should be checked and cleaned on a regular basis, MINIMUM when you pull off the front panels to clean your dryers. If you don't pull the front panels off regularly you'll have to clean them more often.

The sail switch and damper can be found on several different areas on different models of dryers. Some are inside the lint compartment, others on the back of the dryer in the open, some are on the back or side of the dryer under a panel. No matter where it is located on your dryer the principal is the same. In the example I'm using an older Maytag stack dryer.

This is the damper. Some models are round, some are square or rectangle shaped. This one is located inside the front panel, in the middle of the dryer, below the top pocket, next to the lint trap.

Notice the dirt on the edge of the damper.

If you move the damper back you see the dirt around the hole the damper closes over. This much dirt is plenty for the damper to not make a tight seal around the hole and therefore no vacuum is created.

This is the same damper as seen from the inside of the lint tray holder with the lint tray removed.

Notice all the dirt and dust around the edge of the hole and on the back of the damper. I removed some dirt so you can see the contrast.

Take a rag and wipe off the dust around the edge of the damper and the inside of the damper. You can use a damp cloth with water or whatever cleaner you prefer, however make sure the damper is COMEPLETELY DRY before starting the dryer, otherwise you will have dirt sticking to the clean areas and have to start all over again because you will have created the very problem you are trying to solve!