Everet's Laundry Newsletter July 2023

 

Everet's Laundry Newsletter July 2023 Keep the warm weather here!!! Tidbits from the Washtub Huebsch had relaunched their rebate program for the summer. These rebates ended on October 15, 2023, however for reference they are listed below. Huebsch is made by Alliance in Rippon and Manitowoc (same as Speed Queen, UniMac, Primus, Ipso).    Size       Rebate HU Vend Cabinet Hardmount Washer-Extractors 30LB      $300 rebate 40LB      $400 rebate 60LB      $800 rebate 80LB      $900 rebate 100LB    $1200 rebate HU Vend Tumblers Stack 30LB     $300 rebate Stack 45LB     $400 rebate 75LB               $200 rebate   Unfortunately there is not a rebate on small chassis washers or single dryers smaller than 75lb. Everet A Heck of A Nice Guy Featured Articles this Month   What is your most disgusting laundromat story? Here are some of mine: 3-disgusting-laundromat-stories   Understanding the model and serial numbers on Huebsch and Speed Queen equipment: Huebsch & Speed Queen -model-number-definitions.html   Need to change price on Huebsch or Speed Queen washers? This should help: change-price-on-huebsch-galaxy-600 washers

Everet's Laundry Newsletter June 2023

 

Everet's Laundry Newsletter June 2023 Wisconsin Summer!

Tidbits from the Washtub Do you have older equipment that you can't find parts, or maybe need to replace one machine but don't want to replace a whole row with new...just yet. I might have a possible solution. Details will come in the JULY newsletter. I don't have all of the details yet, but I hope to soon. Keep an eye on your email. When I was in radio that was called a "tease." Everet A Heck of A Nice Guy Featured Articles this Month   If you don't know how to change the price on Huebsch Galaxy 600 machines here is how. Speed Queen Quantum is almost exactly the same: Change-price-on-huebsch-galaxy-600   Lint Traps! Lint Traps! You-have-to-clean-lint-traps   My blog has always been work related. Since it is a personal blog, once a quarter I allow myself to publish something non-work related. This is an example. If you like racing or photography I hope you can appreciate this: Racing-photo-challenge

Hack #342 Fix Small Washer Door Handle

 

Have you come across a missing or broken door handle on one of your small chassis washers?
They break usually for two reasons:
1. clothes got locked inside and the customer pulled on the door to get them out
2. after many thousands of turns and people pulling on them they break

The screws that hold the handles on are not very long and don't go very far into the plastic cam or nut that holds the handle to the door. An easy solution is to use a longer screw. I personally like using a wood or drywall screw. It anchors the handle to the door and gives it more strength. Just don't get too long of a screw so the tip pokes out of the front of the handle. A person can really yank on it and get the door open without breaking the handle.

In this example I'm showing a Maytag door, but you can try this same solution with similar doors.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

What Do You Collect?

 

At the end of WWI there was a sarcastic saying that English soldiers fought the war for honor. French soldiers fight for glory, and American soldiers fight for souvenirs. This was because American soldiers brought back a lot of "war trophies" likes guns, flags, helmets, etc.
It is only natural for people to want souvenirs.
We as human beings I think like to collect things.
They remind us of  experiences, are interesting, or just fun.
I've known a lot of laundry room managers, staff, and laundromat owners. The majority collect SOMETHING related to laundry careers, even if it is only while they are working there and then throw it away when done.

The original owner of my first laundromat collected zipper pulls. He said he gave them to his brother for Christmas. He also kept a few for the times he found a jacket he wanted to keep that needed a zipper pull, or for customers who needed a zipper pull because theirs had been lost in the washer. He had a bunch. 

Other laundry staff I know collect keys.
Sometimes they group them by brands, shapes, colors, or designs.

How many Kwikset keys you have found over the years?

Other laundry staff save all of the stick pin earrings they find. One laundromat owner told me, "haven't found a real diamond yet, but I'll keep looking for that giant karat that will allow me to retire!"

I don't collect rings, but I've saved a bunch of the rings that no one has claimed.
All are cubic zirconia. One my wife wears as a back up wedding ring if we are out someplace that she doesn't want to risk losing her real ring.

I joke I'll make her the biggest bling ring ever using all the other stones as a celebration of when we retire.

As for me...I collect all the little cars that get left behind or lost under the machines.

They're not worth anything but they are fun to look at. Some I've gotten out from drain pipes or drain troughs that were in there for quite a long time. It is interesting to see what that sludge will do to a Matchbox car (Hey! New idea for a blog article!)!

Some laundry folks collect lighters, pens, video game cartridges, and of course we all collect the money we find in the washers and dryers!

What do you collect?

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Recruiting Salespeople? You Have to Overcome These Ideas

So if you are looking to hire your first salesperson (or 2nd, 3rd, or 15th) you've probably read one of the many articles I've written about that topic (i.e. the one below)

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

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

What to Pay Your First Salesperson

If you are the person that will manage these salespeople you will have to overcome some important mindsets in the head of the prospective salesperson.
Some of these are below. I've written them as if I was giving that advice to someone LOOKING for a sales job. It is YOUR job to make sure you have counterpoints to these things so if they are brought up in an interview you know how to handle them to get them to come and work for YOU. What worries do your sales position recruits have? Here are some of the bad ones:

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 if you ever do leave.

6. If you are working for an owner who always has to be in control of the meeting with a customer, prospect, or any other sales situation, prepare to sit back and be reduced to the level of their sales assistant. Some sales people like having the owner 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 and ALWAYS have to be in charge in a meeting with a new or current customer, 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. They never mention that is was THEIR fault for lack of training, CRM tool, marketing materials, or anything else that is a basic sales tool for salespeople to be successful.

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

Fixing Front Loading Washer Leak

 

"Your washer is leaking," the customer said.
"See the water is coming right out of the bottom of the door."
Immediate questions to ask:

Did you lock the door? Check
Door completely closed? Check

Did you fill the soap tray BEFORE starting the machine? Check
Not overstuffed so that laundry is pushing the door outwards? Check

No cracks in the door or window? Check

So where is the water coming from?
Watch this six minute video to find out and how to fix it.
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Broken Speed Queen, Ipso, Primus & Huebsch Door Fix

 

If you have a Speed Queen, Ipso, Primus, or Huebsch small chassis high efficiency front load washer in your laundromat or laundry room you might have had a door crack or break.
Typically this is caused by someone leaning on the door or using the top of the door to push themselves off the ground when they are loading or unloading the washer.
Alliance, the parent company of Speed Queen and Huebsch (among others) have come up with a reinforcement kit that can be placed in between the plastic bezels and attach to the hinge. The stress points are now metal on metal rather than plastic on metal and so far have been a great solution to this problem according to WASH route service technicians who say once they install this reinforcement kit the amount of door breaks goes down dramatically.
The second part of solving this problem is to break the habits of your staff of leaning or pushing on the door. You'll never train ALL of your customers to not lean or push up on the door, but you can try and that should help some of the problems. Below is what the parts kit looks like and how to install it. Typical cost is under $50 as of this writing. 
Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

UPDATE on 12/20/2023:

A big THANK YOU to reader N.L. for sending me an email letting me know that there is a further update from Alliance. His email quote:

"They made another upgrade on that inner door bezel. It’s glass filled.

808097 - Kit Inner Door Bezel White Glass Filled - Alliance.

The CLS service tech recommended it."

To Carry or Not To Carry: An Opinion

The author firing a .44 Magnum for the first time

What the author would like sometimes in certain circumstances

Recently an owner told me they had been robbed in their own driveway by someone that followed them from their store.
A question that I am often asked is whether or not I think people should carry guns in their store.

My answer to that question is very simple; it is up to you as the owner.
Now that might sound like I’m putting off the question, however, it is very much an individuals choice.
I know owners that carry open, owners that carry concealed, and owners that don't carry at all.
Whatever your belief is, there are six points that I believe every owner has to consider before answering this question:

One: Knowledge
If you have proper training and respect for a weapon, especially a firearm, you won’t ever have a problem with it. A responsible firearm owner knows how to handle their weapon, how to store it, how to carry it, and how to keep it safe. While accidents sometimes happen, responsible gun owners are generally not the ones that usually have problems with accidental shootings.
My father was a WWII veteran.
He taught all nine of us kids, and some of his grandkids, how to handle a gun. It didn't matter to him if we owned a gun, hunted, or even shot for sport. All of his kids learned proper firearm safety based on this belief. I've seen a lot of people do dumb things with guns. They all have two things in common, lack of training and lack of respect for what that tool can do. People that don't have those two things are often more dangerous with a gun than a responsible gun owner with proper training. 
Take a Hunters Safety class.
You might have no interest in hunting, however the fundamentals of the class are gun safety, gun safety, gun safety, how to handle a gun of any type, gun safety, types of guns, gun safety. 

 
Two: Education
No matter your feelings on guns, take a good concealed class or at least hunters safety.
I am not a legal expert, nor should this column be regarded as any kind of legal advice, however the second belief I have is that whether you choose to carry or not carry a weapon, everybody should go through training on how to handle a weapon and the legal ramifications.
The education portion of any training class I have taken has been great.
The concealed carry class was extremely valuable to me.
Every state, city, county, has different laws when it comes to open carry or concealed carry.
The state of Wisconsin (as of this writing), for example is not a "stand your ground state" that allows you to use deadly force just because you think you MIGHT be in danger.
Wisconsin law says that if you have to use deadly force, it has to be the last option and that includes not being able to run out of an exit door, or some other place that you can get away without using deadly force. In other words, if you are in your store and someone comes in to rob you, and there’s an exit door behind you with no obstructions, the district attorney might take a look at the door and the distance between you and the door and consider if you could have a reasonably run out of that exit door without having to use deadly force. If they think the answer is yes, it could be YOU that faces charges. 
In some areas the act of pulling a weapon out counts as deadly force in and of itself. Some areas say that all kinds of weapons from guns, knives, batons, to pepper spray and mace all require having a license to carry open or concealed. Some areas have open carry, some only have concealed carry. Take training classes to find out the particulars in your area. You need to educate and train yourself before you can completely answer the question about if and what weapon you should carry. Once you've taken training, find more training to take. There are classes on how to draw your firearm from its holster, protecting your sidearm from being taken, etc. 
The more you know the better.

Three: Practice
Whatever weapon you choose, practice practice, practice using it so if you need to use it you will be comfortable knowing how it works and what you need to do to use it. In an emergency situation you will panic and rush (because we don't use weapons everyday YOU WILL PANIC or at least GET SCATTER BRAINED) and the more training you have the more you will be successful in using the weapon and controlling your fear and emotions and thought processes.

Four: Do Something
We work in a business, where ALL people want what we have...cash. Cash cuts across all divisions in society. Since we all need cash, it only takes one goofball to ruin your day. With that in mind I think you need to do SOMETHING to protect yourself, your property, and customers. Several years ago you could make the argument that people in rural areas did not need to worry about vandalism or robbery like people in urban areas, that’s not true these days. It only takes one idiot, and that idiot can show up anywhere. Crime and drugs are not the exclusive domains of urban areas. Whatever you want to do to protect yourself I think that’s what you need to do. Cameras, on site security, extra lights, concealed or open carry, whatever you want you should do it, but you need to do SOMETHING to keep you and your store protected.  

Five: Compromise
EVERYTHING is a compromise when it comes to carrying or not carrying a weapon.
There is no such thing as a perfect defense.
For example:
If you carry a gun that is small enough to be concealed, does that gun have the stopping power, or carry enough ammo to knock someone down in case you do need to use it?
A larger gun that will have that stopping power is harder to conceal.
Carrying a taser can be a great defense, however in order for it to work you have to be physically close to that person and do you necessarily want to be that close in order to make it work? 
If you choose to open carry, how does that make your customers feel?
My guess is some will feel safe and some will feel intimidated.
Open carrying also lets the bad guys know that you are carrying a weapon and therefore they will bring a bigger or better weapon if they decide to come up against you.
It also deters potential bad guys because they KNOW you are armed and not as easy of a target. 
Not carrying a weapon compromises you because you don’t have anything and if someone comes up to attack you what method of defense do you have?
I know one owner that doesn't carry a gun but is skilled in Kali (Filipino martial arts using sticks).
He says odds are if he is in his store he is cleaning and has a broom or mop in his hands, so he better know how to use it. I've seen fighters using Kali. I'm not going to mess with them! 

Six: Try It
Before you dismiss it, try it.
I know a lot of people that say they just don't like guns.
When I ask if they have ever shot a gun they usually reply no.
Most ranges have several guns you can rent to try.
Send some lead down range and then see what you think.
I find shooting a great mind focus exercise, stress relief, and as you see in the video above; 
incredibly fun! You might have the same experience. You might not...but you can say you tried it.
Whatever you decide to do to defend yourself...try it.
If you're getting a camera system, practice pulling up video clips so you know how to look for items in case you need to give evidence to police.
Try a self defense class. No matter your physical condition there is a class and methods you can use to defend yourself. I know a story about one owner who beat up a would be robber with his cane!

These are the six things I have learned to consider when it comes to security.
Some of these opinions may be controversial, however if you haven't thought about your defense I hope it has at least started the debate in your mind.
There is no 100% perfect answer to any of those questions because it’s always a compromise.
One thing that is universal, we all want to come home safe after our shift.
I'm always happy to hear your opinions and answers.
Lets talk about it sometime.

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy