American Drycleaner - September 2021

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®

SEPTEMBER 2021

First of a Three-Part Series

Dry Cleaners: Raise Your Prices!

Maximize Your Value!

Maximize Your Profits!

POINT OF SALE SYSTEMS LOOKING AHEAD PRODUCT SHOWCASE: PRESSES

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Vol. 88, No. 6

September 2021

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

Pre-Inspection Time for a New Playbook

(Photo: iStock.com/Rasi Bhadramani)

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4

Special Feature The Secrets to Building Brand Power

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Product Showcase Presses

16

Classified Ads / Ad Index Wrinkle in Time Raising Blood Pressure and Profits

22-23 24

Dry Cleaners: Raise Your Prices!

Like many small-business owners, dry cleaners are often hesitant to raise their prices for fear of angering customers and driving away business. This mindset could also drive away profit and shut their business down for good. In the first of a three-part series, we examine some of the myths around raising your prices — and why you can’t afford not to.

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Looking Ahead

The drycleaning industry is constantly evolving, but the pandemic has accelerated the pace of change. We’ve asked both experienced cleaners and those new to the field what they believe the future will hold for their companies and the industry itself.

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Getting the Best Out of Your POS

A point of sale system can be a powerful tool, allowing cleaners to learn about their customers — their patterns, their preferences and what they want from their experience.

POS industry experts weigh in on just what a properly deployed system can add to your store and your bottom line.

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American Drycleaner, September 2021

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We Speak Cleaner

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Solutions Our feature-rich software will help you run all aspects of your business more effectively. CBS includes solutions for full service cleaners, delivery & route services, racking integrations, prepay/post pay, and two-way customer messaging; all features used across the dry-cleaning industry. Ask us about more features!

Support Our support team is a group of dedicated professionals based in the US that takes pride in taking care of customers without making them wait.

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PRE-INSPECTION

Time for a New Playbook The pandemic brought changes, but many of those changes were already on the way — the lockdowns just accelerated the process. In this issue, our features might raise some questions — and could lead to valuable answers.

Starting off is “Drycleaners: Raise Your Prices!” In the first of a three-part series, we ask cleaners and industry professionals what their rebuttals are to the objection “I’ll price myself out of my market.” Raise your prices and protect your profit margins!

For our next feature, “Looking Ahead,” we’ve gathered a group of drycleaning veterans and some new to the field to ask what they expect from this industry in the future. It’s a new day, and both experience and fresh perspectives can hold great value.

Dave Davis Our final feature, “Getting the Best Out of Your POS,” examines the role of point of sale platforms in the modern dry cleaner’s business. Where they were once simple tools used to keep track of customers’ goods and get their payment, today’s POS can do far more — including telling cleaners the habits, activities, history and preferences of their customers.

I need to point out that the pages of this publication couldn’t hold all the facts and advice we received on these three topics, so we’ll be offering expanded versions of these features on our website, www.americandrycleaner.com. Check out our online home for a deeper dive.

We also have a column from industry veteran Kim Foxcroft about “The Secrets to Building Brand Power.” To stand out from the competition, cleaners must get customers to notice. Having a solid brand is the key to doing this — and for future expansion.

We’re rounding out this issue with a showcase focusing on presses this month.

Take a look and make sure your finishing equipment is up to the task of pleasing your customers.

It’s a new day in the drycleaning industry, and we’re here to make sure you are always up to date. Time to get started!

ADC American Drycleaner (ISSN 0002-8258) is published monthly except Nov/Dec combined.

Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $46.00; 2 years $92.00. Foreign, 1 year $109.00; 2 years $218.00. Single copies $9.00 for U.S., $18.00 for all other countries. Published by American Trade Magazines LLC, 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER, Send changes of address and form 3579 to American Drycleaner, Subscription Dept., 440 Quadrangle Drive, Suite E, Bolingbrook, IL 60440. Volume 88, number 6. Editorial, executive and advertising offices are at 650 West Lake Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60661. Charles Thompson, President and Publisher. American Drycleaner is distributed selectively to: qualified dry cleaning plants and distributors in the United States. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising for any reason. © Copyright AMERICAN TRADE MAGAZINES LLC, 2021. Printed in U.S.A. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher or his representative. American Drycleaner does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any article, product, service or information found within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of American Drycleaner or its staff. While precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the magazine’s contents at time of publication, neither the editors, publishers nor its agents can accept responsibility for damages or injury which may arise therefrom.

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American Drycleaner, September 2021

Publisher Charles Thompson 312-361-1680

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(PART 1 OF A THREE-PART SERIES)

Dry Cleaners:

Raise Your Prices!

Maximize your value and maximize your profits!

By Dave Davis, Editor

L

ike many owners of small- to mid-sized business, dry cleaners are often reluctant to upset the status quo when it comes to raising prices. The thought of angry customers leaving their store and giving their business to lower-priced competitors is enough to convince them to keep their rates steady.

Some continue to hold them low even though their own supplies are costing more than ever before, especially in the aftermath of the continuing pandemic — experts forecasting that the global supply chain will remain snarled for months to come.

They keep them low even though, in a tight labor market like the one we’re seeing, it costs more to hire and retain good people.

They keep them low even though it might cost them their profitability and, ultimately, their business.

In this first part of a three-part series, American Drycleaner has asked industry experts, along with some dry cleaners who have embraced a more aggressive pricing strategy, to dispel some of the myths that keep many cleaners from raising their rates. The first?

MYTH NO. 1: “I’LL PRICE MYSELF OUT OF MY MARKET”

For dry cleaners reluctant to raise prices, this is the reason that keeps them up at night. However, when viewed objectively, some of this fear evaporates under the light of reason, says Kermit Engh, managing partner of the drycleaning consulting group Methods for Management 6

American Drycleaner, September 2021

and the owner of Fashion Cleaners in Omaha, Nebraska.

“If a cleaner is fearful that a competitor will take their customer away, they are not providing value to their customer,” he says. “They’re just selling price. If that’s all you have to sell, then you probably are not going to be around very long. The race to the bottom is won by nobody.”

Clients are often willing to spend more if they believe the value they’re getting is worth the cost. David Dawson, an industry veteran and principal of the Clean Expertise consulting group, has found that clear communication is one of the dry cleaner’s best tools.

“I would ask if you think you really should be competing on price, or should you be competing on perceived value?” he says. “If you provide a better set of features and benefits, then make sure customers know why you are worth more. Differentiate your product and communicate that well. Be a brand, not a commodity.”

Engh agrees that dry cleaners shouldn’t be afraid to let their customers know how much they do for them.

“It should be part of an overall marketing plan,” he says. “Let them know what services you are providing, because a lot of times customers really don’t know what you do for them. We have a tendency not to toot our own horns. For example, we pride ourselves in replacing broken shirt buttons, but if we don’t tell the customer that we did it, they just assume that it was magic.

There’s no value put there because we’re not letting them know something was actually done.”

(Continued on page 20)

www.americandrycleaner.com

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(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Ahead Industry Veterans and Newcomers Share their Views about the Future of Dry Cleaning

By Dave Davis, Editor

W

hile there’s no substitute for experience, the drycleaning industry has entered into an era when past lessons might not apply to future decisions as well as they once did. Shifting demographics and evolving consumer behaviors — supercharged by the changes brought by the pandemic — have clouded the crystal balls of both industry veterans and those new to dry cleaning.

EXPERIENCED EYES

“To put it bluntly, the pandemic weeded out a lot of the weaker cleaners,” says Joe Gagliostro, president of Muldoon Dry Cleaners in Auburn, New York, and a third-generation cleaner. “If you were a mom-and-pop cleaner barely hanging on to begin with, or you were on the border of retiring, COVID either put you out, or you said, ‘The heck with this — I’m taking my money, and I’m running.’”

Gagliostro believes that this change could actually be good for those who survived the challenges of the past few months. “The pie is going to be smaller, but for those of us who survived, the piece is going to be bigger.

This jump-started a lot of the fallout that might have happened over the next two or three years.”

Casey Walker, who grew up in the industry and is now director of retail operations for Max I. Walker Dry Cleaners & Launderers in Omaha, Nebraska, agrees that the pandemic quickened the evolution of dry cleaning.

“COVID certainly accelerated the already-existing trends of the strong surviving and a consumer-driven demand for convenience,” he says. “Other service-based businesses started offering curbside service, so our customers came to expect that from us; they still do and likely will forever. That’s something that’s permanently changed, and now it’s a thing you have to be able and willing to do to compete.”

Rob Walker, Casey Walker’s father and president of 8

American Drycleaner, September 2021

Walker’s Inc., also believes that understanding the needs and desires of clients is critical for survival.

“It made everyone look inwardly at how they can best serve their customers,” he says. “Does that mean fewer store locations and more routes? Does it mean the permanent addition of new services like curbside pickup?

Does it mean lockers? It’s different for every business, but everyone’s habits and expectations of service businesses have rapidly changed. It’s up to dry cleaners to adapt to changing consumer preferences.” “(The pandemic) changed me in a profound way,” says Kurt Lucero, owner of The Cleanery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “I appreciate what I have more. I appreciate my customer base and my team a lot more.”

This new appreciation, Lucero says, can only make his business stronger. “I think it’s really important to listen to my customer base, now more than ever,” he says. “I’ve had to hustle a lot more, but I’ve also slowed down and started to tune into my customers’ needs and wants. I now ask myself what problems are they experiencing right now? What do I need to do to not only keep this client but get more of their business?”

NEW FACES, NEW IDEAS

Chris and Chheavy Lema, the owners of Martinizing Dry Cleaning in Elk Grove, California, bought their store in 2019. The couple, who also own a financial planning practice, were looking for a way to diversify their income stream when they got into the drycleaning field.

They believe their status as people familiar with, but not a part of, the industry has helped them.

“We’ve always worn dry-clean clothes and business attire, so we were familiar with the consumer side,” Chheavy Lema says. “We knew some of the things that we would want, from a consumer perspective, that no other drycleaning store around here was offering.”

One of the things the Lemas believe they understand (Continued on page 21)

www.americandrycleaner.com

Getting the Best Out of Your POS Modern point of sale systems teach cleaners about their clients — and their business

M

ost dry cleaners have a point of sale (POS) system already in their store — but are they using it to its fullest advantage? Once a tool used to simply keep track of the goods being cleaned, modern POS systems can now help cleaners keep track of their entire company.

THE POS EVOLUTION

“From the day-to-day aspect of running things, a modern POS means there’s going to be an increased amount of efficiency, accuracy and profitability for the drycleaning operator,” says Tom Beidle, CEO of SPOT by Xplor.

“The system has evolved from managing parts of the business to managing the entire business,” he says, “from employee productivity to route optimization to customer interaction.”

“A POS system is like oxygen to the brain,” says Ali Khan, president of Dajisoft. “The POS system gives you a chance to customize your services and cater them to a particular group of customers who bring in more business because of the services you provide. All this is possible with the data you collect.”

It can also help business owners make smart decisions, notes Rohan Bedi, head of sales and business development at CleanCloud.

“You can see within your business what services have been good and it can point you to invest properly,” he says, “so you don’t need to buy, for example, unnecessary 10

American Drycleaner, September 2021

(Photo: © SergeyNivens/Depositphotos)

machinery, which is a huge capital saving potentially.”

Customers value dry cleaners who make their lives easier, and developers believe that a modern POS system can help them do just that.

“A drycleaning POS is specifically tailored to help run each unique store at maximum efficiency,” says Cleaner Business Systems Sales Executive Jared Epstein. “A versatile POS will provide the most value by making quick work of tagging and invoicing, creating a simple trail to follow every piece through the process. It can also hold cards on file to make a customer’s journey quick.”

But, while efficiency is necessary, customers also want to be treated as individuals — an area where POS designers say their systems can help a dry cleaner shine.

“A POS system keeps track of each customer’s preference during the intake process at the counter or online,” says Ee Sef Lee, director of sales for UP Solution. “For example, business owners can look up information such as the preferred starch level, creases and other detailed information for customers that are already in the system. Also, the POS can identify both active and inactive customers to target special promotions or discounts to ensure customers come back for repeat business.”

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS

With the days of simply waiting for customers to come through the front door long gone, dry cleaners who

▼

By Dave Davis, Editor

www.americandrycleaner.com

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know the most about their clients will have the best chance of getting and keeping their business.

“The right POS system will help you build trust, foster an easy exchange of information and seamlessly connect you to your customers’ lives,” says Bill Alber, inventor and the CEO at SMRT Systems.

“A system that is smart enough to help predict the outcome of any customer interaction — whether it’s a basic transaction like creating an order or scheduling a delivery or a more complex issue like addressing a damaged item – will speed up that exchange and allow your employees to focus on expanding that specific relationship,” he says.

Data is the lifeblood of any POS system, and developers say that the more data collected, the more intelligently — and more individually — the cleaner can connect with the customer.

“Any interaction that a customer has with your company can be tracked and reported,” says Nick Chapleau, CEO and founder of Starchup. “How many orders have they placed on your website? How many times have they walked in your store? How many shirts versus how many pairs of pants versus how many pounds of wash and fold have they brought in? What’s their favorite color clothing? You can track any of that.”

Chapleau believes that having this type of information about individual clients is key to reaching out with attractive offers.

“You can market based on that data,” he says. “If a customer comes in twice a month and hasn’t come in for two months, we know something’s up. Let’s reach out to them.”

This personal touch is one of the best ways cleaners can forge a relationship with their clients, turning what could be an impersonal exchange into something closer to a friendship.

“POS provides a highly diverse and manageable customer database that allows for customization for each customer,” says Epstein. “You can track their cleaning preferences, discount information, offer VIP services, promotions, and coupons and easy to deploy loyalty programs. You can also communicate through direct messaging for easy one-on-one exchanges.”

Bedi believes being able to track the natural ebb and flow of your business is also a strong asset.

“A POS system can push you to make good decisions in your marketing,” he says. “If you know that Monday mornings are a very lax time with your business, modern systems give you the ability to put specific discounts in automatically on Mondays, for example. You can market to your customers and make more revenue out of that.”

WINS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

When a cleaner adds a modern POS system or updates

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their existing one, they can expect both immediate benefits and long-term advantages, says Pete Peterson, vice president of sales for iDryclean.

“In the short term, you can get control of your pricing, overrides, voids and discounts immediately,” he says.

“We hear from cleaners all the time who tell us they lost thousands of dollars because a clerk was stealing from them. You can get control now with a good POS system and check for exceptions to normal workflow and dollar amounts weekly, if not daily.”

In addition to being more powerful and capable, Beidle says a state-of-the-art system can help flatten the learning curve for employees and for the store’s customers.

“Antiquated systems can be difficult to train on,” he says.

“If you don’t understand how they work, it’s difficult to interact with them. A modern system will give an improved experience to both the employee and the customer.”

Having such a system can also help with the everyday tasks that, if not handled properly, can hurt a drycleaner’s business.

One of the benefits of modern POS systems, Lee believes, is that the technology has advanced to the point where powerful tools are as available to smaller business as they are to large corporations.

“In the general marketplace, the majority of POS software is transitioning from legacy to cloud-based models,” he says. “With these changes, businesses can now add new services such as online pickup, delivery scheduling and tighter website integrations to the cloudbased POS system. It enables mom-and-pop stores to effectively compete with larger multiple locations or national brands.”

TIME TO UPDATE?

A POS system needs to be assessed regularly to ensure it is still meeting the cleaner’s needs.When it comes time to make a change, Beidle says a couple of simple steps can avoid a potentially costly mistake.

“First, make sure to get a demo of the system,” he says. “Spend an hour with the company you’re considering and get a demo of that product. Second, talk with other cleaners who use that system and get their opinion.

Data conversion is also a massive concern, especially if you’ve been in business for 20 or 30 years and have thousands of customers in your current system.”

Considering how the POS fits in holistically into your company is good place to start, Alber says.

“Think of your POS as an operating system for your business,” he says. “What is the most valuable asset for your business? What are the risks? You want a system that helps you create and expand the assets you have and minimize the risks you might face.”

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The Secrets to

Building

Brand Power Establishing your identity is essential for standing out from your competition

By Kim Foxcroft

I

f a brand is the key to business success, then what’s the best way to establish a brand and build its identity?

Moreover, as your business grows, how do you expand the brand into new services and revenue streams? In this column, we’ll examine why a brand is important, along with steps to create a brand identity that will resonate with your current and future customers.

BUILDING YOUR BRAND

1. Brand and Brand Identity — Not only is your brand the foundation of your business, but it’s also the cornerstone of its future expansion. Brand identity, however, is how you want your target market to perceive your company, product, services and brand. Much like a value proposition, brand identity is continuously built upon as your business grows and expands. By continuously living your brand identity — internally and externally — your staff, procedures and communications stay aligned. This strengthens your brand and distinguishes it from the competition in the minds of your customers and team members.

2. Spreading the Word — Once established, communicate your brand consistently — both verbally and graphically — to your target markets. All aspects of your marketing and public relations (website, news releases, social media, direct mail, advertising, etc.) should link back to your brand and brand identity.

3. Expanding your Brand into New Revenue Streams — As your business grows, you might start

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new complementing companies or services, such as residential pick-up and delivery. One option is to use multi-branding, in which a different brand name is used for every service you offer targeting a different market.

You need to brand because your brand becomes your business-enterprise foundation.

Whatever you decide needs to work for you and your company. Your brand should come from who you are, who you want to be, and who your customers perceive you to be. It should also distinguish your company and services from your competition’s and create a customer expectation of quality.

WHEN CREATING A BRAND:

• Carry out research to reveal how you fit into the competitive marketplace.

• Learn the needs and wants of your current and future customers.

• Determine what customers and prospects already think of your company.

• Write down the benefits and features of your products or services.

• Define your specialty. What do you do best?

• Define the qualities/values you want customers to associate with your company, products and services.

• Define your brand.

ADC

Kim Foxcroft is a 20-year marketing veteran and manages Continental Creative Services in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. www.americandrycleaner.com

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

DRYCLEANING MACHINERY: PRESSES

Sankosha Sankosha says that its SDP-880U model provides a perfect match of high productivity and high quality in a double legger press. The model’s unique flat profile, the company says, allows for both quality creasing and ease of use. The unit’s true middle press is equipped with a vacuum along with the lower buck, and two different pressure settings allow for quality creasing on both pant legs regardless of material.

Able to deliver both air and steam pressure at 85 psi, Sankosha says that this press can also be used for touch-up work as well as for skirt finishing. It also has built-in features to keep cleaners and their teams safe and productive. The company says that this unit carries on its tradition of building machines to be sophisticatedly simple for the garment care industry.

When paired with Sankosha’s DF-740U-V3 pant topper unit, the company says, this press makes a valuable addition to any dry cleaner’s machine lineup. www.sankosha-inc.com | 847-427-9120

Trevil America

www.trevilamerica.com | 877-873-8451 16

American Drycleaner, September 2021

▼

Trevil America has introduced the latest version of its automatic pants finishing station, the Pantastar model 5354. The machine can finish the entire pair of pants — up to 40 pairs an hour, including the crease, the company says — without the need for a skilled, experienced worker.

Superior quality is achieved without seam impressions, pocket impressions, leave-off marks, and other typical pressing machine faults, Trevil America says.

Combining the features of a tensioning pants topper along with a vertically positioned vacuum press, the Pantastar combines productivity, high-quality finishing, consistency, and labor savings, all in a space-saving design, according to the company. It adds that the Pantastar 5354 takes up less space and uses fewer utilities than a standard pants topper and legger.

Videos are presented on the company’s website.

www.americandrycleaner.com

Customer Service is everyone’s job!

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Reliable Corporation Reliable’s 5000IS is an ironing station built for commercial use.

Inclusive of a steam iron and boiler, the company states that this dependable, heavy-duty unit will drastically reduce the amount of time spent ironing while still delivering impeccable results.

Operating at 3.5 bar pressure, the 5000IS generates significant amounts of steam — an essential component in creating the clean, crisp finish that professionals demand. Reliable says that its fast heat-up times, heavy-duty construction, built-in safety features and warranty have made the 5000IS an industry standard. www.reliablecorporation.com | 800-268-1649

Colmac Colmac 3-CPU and Triple Connie Turbo II shirt presses provide the ideal solution for pressing doctor’s coats, lab coats, nurse’s pull overs, chef coats, frocks, and uniform shirts, the company states.

A proprietary vacuum system is designed to hold shirts securely while the single cylinder pressing system provides even pressing and a superior finish, the company says, adding that a single operator can press up to 240 pieces per hour.

A PLC control system integrates a user-friendly color touch screen, Colmac says. This screen includes six built-in languages and a picture-based alarm with troubleshooting. www.colmacindustries.com | 800-926-5622

Forenta Forenta has recently introduced an improved line of drycleaning scissor and clear buck presses, such as the 471SA legger with vacuum (pictured).

The 471SA offers multiple buck sizes and configurations, and patented controls allow for head closing with either hand. The unit has an optional integrated vacuum (120- or 230-volt single phase), and offers fast head closing and opening for maximum operator efficiency, the company says. It also states that the easily accessible pressure selector switch allows for a firm or soft press. ▼

www.forentausa.com | 423-586-5370 18

American Drycleaner, September 2021

www.americandrycleaner.com

TRAINING YOUR WAY IN-PERSON COURSES

VIRTUAL COURSES

DLI’s School of Drycleaning Technology (est. 1927) is open for business and taking registrations for courses this October.

Virtual Stain Removal Course: October 26 - November 16 DLI’s most popular topic offered in a convenient virtual format. No travel or lodging expenses. Topics include: • Stain removal tools and supplies • Fibers & fabrics • Bleaches • Digesters • More

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ON-DEMAND Recordings of DLI virtual training programs are archived on our website. Access nearly 100 videos (and counting) covering: • Finishing • Management • Marketing • Route services • Social media • Stain removal • Wash-Dry-Fold services Call 800-638-2627 or visit DLIonline.org/Education • More

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Unipress Corp.

Increased production and ease of training are two of the major benefits of the Unipress DC46S double legger drycleaning press, the company says, noting that customers are reporting an average production increase of about 20% when switching from a conventional automatic pants press.

A flat head and buck combine with a separating leaf, making it easy to train on and operate, and the flat buck facilitates loading and helps to eliminate double creases. A padded grid plate also prevents shine and side seam impressions, Unipress says. The operator also can see both front creases side by side, making it easy to make sure they match.

Other benefits are fast, smooth operation; microprocessor controls with self-diagnostics; fingertip pressure regulators; rapid steam distribution; and wide-angle head openings, the company says. www.unipresscorp.com | 813-623-3731 (Continued from page 6)

RAISING THE BAR, RAISING THE PRICE

Larry Fish, owner of Pier Cleaners in Wakefield, Rhode Island, says that he, too, was once reluctant to raise prices. A few years ago, however, after speaking with dry cleaners he respected and considered successful, he found that they regularly raise their prices in April and October by 2-3%. He was hesitant but decided that it could be the right move for his company.

“When we first started to increase prices, we were worried we were going to lose business,” he says. The result?

“We didn’t hear a peep from customers. Not a peep.”

That “light bulb” moment completely changed Fish’s point of view when it comes to pricing, he says. Pier Cleaners has raised prices twice a year ever since.

“I don’t care what my competitors are doing,” he says.

“I have to do what’s in the best interest of Pier Cleaners right now. We have our costs, and they have theirs, and I need to make our profit. I need to make sure the margin is there to provide for that.”

His philosophy on pricing has now evolved to the point where he doesn’t even list prices on the slips provided to customers.

“The slip from our POS system lists all the items, but no prices,” he says. “We’ve taken price right out of it. We’re not competing on price. We don’t hide our prices — if 20

American Drycleaner, September 2021

someone wants, we can print out a ticket for them — but our philosophy, our culture, is that we compete on quality and service. We don’t compete on price.”

While most customers won’t care or notice, there will be the occasional price-conscious customer who objects.

Dawson says that preparing your staff can diffuse the situation before it becomes a problem.

“It’s important to develop a communication strategy,” he says. “Effective communication builds trust and loyalty. Train your front-line people to handle the communication and provide a script to head off objections.

Your people really won’t like role-playing or rehearsing customer interactions but it’s far better to go through that discomfort during internal training sessions rather than fall on your face in front of a customer.”

And what to say to these customers? Engh recalls the quote a friend told him many years ago for this situation.

“The quote is, ‘To ensure the quality that you have come to expect, we have had to slightly increase our price.’ That’s it. It doesn’t get into the weeds that hanger prices and poly prices are up, and we’re having to pay higher wages. It glosses over all of that. I have used that line for all these years, and I have never had somebody ADC continue to press me about pricing.”

In our next installment, we’ll examine another myth: “I don’t need to raise my prices.” www.americandrycleaner.com

USA

V2

but they still want to look and feel good.”

“Shirt business is shrinking, and will continue to do so, but there are a lot of high-end casual garments out there that will look better for longer when dry cleaned,” Casey Walker says. “The challenge is communicating this to customers: ‘You’ve invested so much in these items. Why are you ruining them by washing and drying them at home?’” ADC

DU: 06.08.2021

is the mindset of today’s consumers, which will help them provide services that will grow their business.

“As more garments are manufactured that do not require dry cleaning, the obligation to use our services will decrease,” Chris Lema says. “At the same time, people are busier than ever and value what little free time they do have. Our industry has the opportunity to provide exceptional customer service and, in turn, give people a larger amount of time back by taking on all of their garment care.

The perception of what we offer has to change and, therefore, we need to be aggressive at marketing and spreading the word.”

Although the Atlanta-based Dry Cleaning Connection isn’t a new company to the industry, Glen Gould, who owns the business with his wife, Tammy, had to shift focus when the company outgrew its business model in 2019.

“We’re a marketing company with a drycleaning problem,” Gould says.

His company used to outsource the actual cleaning of materials while it concentrated on pickup, delivery and marketing. Then, in 2019, as the business outgrew its cleaning supplier, the Goulds decided to build a plant and bring all the business in-house.

While he might not have the experience that multi-generational operators enjoy, this perspective has allowed Gould to take a fresh look at the business model with an outsider’s eye.

“A lot of dry cleaners don’t talk to their customers,” he says. “They don’t have a proactive, ongoing system where they find out the daily things the customers are doing. They don’t respond quickly enough to see changes in fashion, for example.”

of dry cleaning will go back to pre-pandemic conditions, or are we looking at a “new normal”?

“I think it’s changed for good,” Lucero says. “Consolidation has already taken effect in the industry, but I think there are a lot of opportunities, as well. There’s much more casual dress, but there are a lot of household items, and many of our upper-tier clients don’t want to deal with that. They may be home more,

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American Drycleaner, September 2021

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THE

WIRE

The latest news, straight to your inbox, 2X a week

A.L. Wilson Chemical Co. . . . . . . . . .1

NIE Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

CleanCloud-Tailor Made London . . . .9

Newhouse Specialty Co. . . . . . . . . . .22

Cleaner Business Systems . . . . . . . . . .3

Parker Boiler Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

Cleaner’s Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Patriot Business Advisors . . . . . . . . .22

Drycleaning & Laundry Institute . . . .19

Poseidon Textile Care Systems . . . . .11

EzProducts International . . . . . . . . . .23

Realstar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Garment Management Systems . . . . .13

SPOT Business Systems . . . . . . . . IFC

GreenEarth Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

Texcare International . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Iowa Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Union Drycleaning Products . . . . . . . .7

Luetzow Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

www.americandrycleaner.com

2021 RATES: One- to five-time rate: $2.20 per word, boldface $2.30 per word. Minimum charge: $25.00 per ad. Call or write for our three- and 11-time rates. If box number is used, add cost of 5 words. Display classified rates are available on request. All major credit cards are accepted.

DEADLINE: Ads must be received by the 1st of the preceding month.

For example, for a June ad, the closing date is May 1st.

PAYMENT FOR CLASSIFIED ADS: Must accompany order.

www.AmericanDrycleaner.com

American Drycleaner, September 2021

23

WRINKLE IN TIME

Raising Blood Pressure and Profits 10 YEARS AGO. What Raises Your Blood Pressure? — As part of American Drycleaner’s Wire survey, dry cleaners were asked how certain events affected their stress levels.

The respondents said that the failure of a drycleaning machine during a busy time was the most stressful, with 76% reporting that this event causes their blood pressure to “soar” (27.5%) or “rise a bit” (48.8%). Fifty percent said they become stressed when a new dry cleaner opens nearby, and 41.3% reported that they feel the pressure when they have to renegotiate with their landlord.

25 YEARS AGO. Barton Bill Set for Hearing — H.R. 2552, the Small Remediation Act, better known as the Baron bill to set a new, more reasonable standard for the cleanup of drycleaning solvents, was scheduled for a Sept. 13, 1996 hearing before the House subcommittee chaired by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), the congressman who introduced the bill in 1995 on behalf of the drycleaning industry. The purpose of the hearing was to present testimony on real problems that drycleaners were facing in connection with widespread remediation liability.

50 YEARS AGO. Causes of Unionization — A new report, “Is Your Company Vulnerable to Unionization?” written by A. A. Imberman,

24

was released, covering major items that normally influence employees for or against unionization. This information was based on research at several hundred companies with which Imberman had consulted. Topics covered included the relation of plant size to unionization; the effect of geographic location; how new equipment affects employee attitudes; layoffs and union promises; how foremen can cause unionization; the effectiveness of suggestion boxes and more.

85 YEARS AGO. Making Reel Profits — The editors of American

American Drycleaner, September 2021

Drycleaner announced that they were collaborating with the Modern Display Film Company of Chicago to produce the first of a projected series of talking motion picture advertisements in theaters for dry cleaners. “Advertising is most effective,” a phycologist associated with the project said, “when the prospective customer is most receptive. The customer is most receptive when he is being entertained.” A film print of the personalized advertisement for dry cleaners would cost $5.

ADC — Compiled by Dave Davis, Editor

www.americandrycleaner.com

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