American Drycleaner - June 2022

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■ BOOSTING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ■ NEW IDEAS FOR NEXT-GEN

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June 2022

Vol. 89, No. 3

FEATURES

(Photo: © Gene Phillips/ ACVB & AtlantaPhotos.com)

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DEPARTMENTS

Pre-Inspection A Matter of Perspective

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Special Feature 34 Four Digital Lead Generation Strategies that Drive Serious Results Around the Industry

36

Classified Ads / Ad Index

38-39

Wrinkle in Time 40 Marketing Strategies, Bill Support and Shooting for Profitability

Your Guide to Atlanta for Clean Show 2022

While there will be plenty to do and see at The Clean Show, don’t forget to take a look around to see what Atlanta has to offer. Our guide highlights some sights you won’t want to miss!

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Boosting the Customer Experience

Putting extra effort into pleasantly surprising your customers is a great way to make them think of you —and no one else — for their dry cleaning. We explore ways to give your customer the best experience possible.

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New Idea for the Next-Generation Workforce

Millennials are now the nation’s largest generation, and dry cleaners who are able to connect with them will find a group ready to take them to the next level. We examine what they need from you to do their best work.

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JUNE 2022

HUNG UP ON THE HIDDEN HANGER? If you need a little help finding this month’s hanger hidden on our cover, here’s a clue.

Good luck!

www.americandrycleaner.com

Yo

PRE-INSPECTION

A Matter of Perspective “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”

— Brad Meltzer, author When doing the research for the customer experience feature in this issue, a word kept coming up from my sources: empathy.

That ability to step into someone else’s shoes for just a moment and see the world through their eyes is critical, these cleaners believe, to give the best customer service possible. This is because it stops being about the cleaner and the customer — it becomes about two people achieving their goals.

A source pointed me to a short YouTube video produced by Dave Davis Chic-Fil-A he shows his team (called “Every Life Has a Story”).

It depicts a typical day at the restaurant. Captions appear over the customers and staff, however, detailing what’s really on their minds. Some are positive (“After years of fighting cancer, he is now cancer-free”), while other show the desperation many people face every day (“Fired from his job and is worried how he’ll provide for his family”).

In stressful times, an empatheic state of mind can be a game-changer for everyone.

Our first feature for this issue is the aforementioned “Boosting the Customer Experience.” We explore ways to give outstanding service, so you become the only dry cleaner your customers even consider.

Our second feature, “New Ideas for the Next-Generation Workforce,” examines some of the myths and realities of working with millennials. This group gets a lot of criticism from older generations, but they also bring valuable skills that should not be ignored.

This is also our travel guide issue for The Clean Show, taking place in Atlanta this year. There’ll be a lot to see at the show, but don’t miss what Atlanta has to offer!

Finally, “Four Digital Lead Generation Strategies that Drive Serious Results” offers tips for using inexpensive or free online tools that many owners never consider.

A walk in another’s shoes can show us a new path. We’re not in this life alone.

American Drycleaner (ISSN 0002-8258) is published monthly except Nov/Dec combined. Subscription prices, payment in advance: U.S., 1 year $50.00; 2 years $100.00. Foreign, 1 year $120.00; 2 years $240.00. Single copies $10.00 for U.S., $20.00 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., 125 Schelter Rd., #350, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3666. Volume 89, number 3. 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, 2022. 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, June 2022

Publisher Charles Thompson 312-361-1680

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Associate Publisher/ National Sales Director Donald Feinstein 312-361-1682

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Editorial Director Bruce Beggs 312-361-1683

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Editor Dave Davis

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Digital Media Director Nathan Frerichs 312-361-1681

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Production Manager Mathew Pawlak Advisory Board Jan Barlow Mike Bleier John-Claude Hallak Monika Manter Wesley Nelson Kyle Nesbit Fred Schwarzmann Vic Williams Wayne Wudyka Contributing Editors Dan Miller Diana Vollmer Martin Young Office Information Main: 312-361-1700

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BOOSTING THE CUSTOMER E

How to become your customers’ only cleaner

By Dave Davis, Editor

W

hen dry cleaning is simply transactional (“Here are your clothes.” “Here is your money.”), the dry cleaner becomes a commodity — one that’s easily replaced for any number of reasons.

Dry cleaners who have mastered the art of continuously providing outstanding customer service are the ones who can better weather storms because their customer base is loyal to them. When your dry cleaner becomes “their dry cleaner” in your customers’ minds, they don’t consider going anywhere else.

So, what steps can dry cleaners take to boost customer service to the next level?

HOLDING THE CORRECT MINDSET

One of the elements that sets an excellent drycleaning experience apart from just an acceptable one is recognizing that there is always room for improvement, and the keys to this progress often come from the customers themselves.

“We ensure we have an ongoing way to listen to our customers,” says Rita Foley, owner of Regency Dry Cleaners and White Star Laundry in Durham, North Carolina.

“We not only listen but learn from their feedback so that we can act on the ways we can implement improvements. These actions can be anything from training opportunities for employees to new ways to communicate or new services we bring to our market.”

“The biggest fundamental shift I’ve made in recent years is to make an effort to un-

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www.americandrycleaner.com

R EXPERIENCE

derstand the business from the customer’s perspective, including how every decision throughout the business affects their experience,” says David Crouse, owner of Crouse’s Cleaners in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.

“One of the biggest changes in the last decade, specifically, is how Google and other online reviews have changed things. You have to treat every customer interaction as if it could be a review. I’m always open to new information and approaches to be able to help service the customer better.”

“Our mindset has evolved tremendously over the years,” says Michael Harris, owner of Oceanside Cleaners in Jacksonville, Florida. “We’re in the people business and not the drycleaning business.”

PROVIDING YOUR TEAM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED

Harris has found particular success in satisfying customers — Oceanside Cleaners in 2020 became the first dry cleaner in North America to win the CINET 2020 Global Best Business Practices Award for Retail Dry Cleaners.

One of the foundational blocks for this achievement, Harris says, is having a well-trained staff.

“Due to the extensive nature of our program, we have a full-time trainer on staff,” he says. “It takes four weeks to understand the production systems, detailing, and our point-of-sale system. The next two weeks focus on understanding why we do things the way we do. They shadow our office staff, and our dry-clean, laundry and household departments. They ride on a route and then shadow a fellow customer care representative. It’s six to eight weeks before they touch a customer.”

Kyle Matthews, director of operations for Janet Davis Cleaners in Detroit,

www.americandrycleaner.com

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“Being nice and striving to do what you say you’re going to do doesn’t cost anything — mindset is free,” says Kyle Matthews, director of operations for Janet Davis Cleaners. “There are some efforts that cost money, but it’s also expensive to attract new customers. I’d much rather spend 50 cents to keep a customer than spend $2 to get a new one.” (Photo: Janet Davis Cleaners)

mindset who are open to becoming better. We emphasize friendliness, crystal-clear communication, transparent pricing, and other values, but they have to be coachable.”

TRAINING NEVER STOPS

agrees with Harris on the need to have a fully trained staff to serve customers.

“I think what a lot of places do when they’re down a CSR is have a person they’re still training answer the phone and help the customers who come in,” Matthews says. “It’s easy to do because they’re just taking and handing out clothes, right? What’s the harm? What we’ve learned is that’s where the biggest source of misinformation and mistakes comes from — and that’s where you can upset customers the most, by screwing that up. So, our CSRs learn all the different tasks they need to do, and then, once they know a few things about a few things, they’re helping customers.”

Monika Manter, co-owner of Balfurd Dry Cleaners in State College, Pennsylvania, believes that providing that extra level of customer service begins even before training commences.

“I think that it actually starts with hiring,” she says.

“Our whole goal is to hire coachable people. It’s one of our core values. We look for people with that growth 8

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Manter’s team gives new hires a few weeks of training by a lead CSR, which includes frequently asked questions they receive from customers. Ongoing training, however, is also a facet of this educational process.

“We have an online portal where we keep training material,” she says. “It’s searchable, and they can look up various topics, and it’s helpful for uncommon situations they might experience. We’re trying to move away from paper — our CSRs are getting younger, and paper manuals are kind of antiquated.”

David Meyer, owner of Elite Cleaners in Phoenix, Arizona, trains his people that service doesn’t stop at the front counter after the transaction is complete.

“A lot of dry cleaners put the clothes on the rack, the customer pays, and then they walk away and go back to what they’re doing,” he says. “My staff is required to stay with the customer for the entire time they are in the store and, if at all possible, carry the clothes out for them.”

Part of this practice is to ensure the customer has a great experience. Another element is to look for signs that it might not have been.

“They are trained to watch the customer’s eyes and look for body language,” Meyer says. “If they see something that might not be to the customer’s satisfaction, they are trained to ask, ‘Is everything okay?’ Then they open a dialog. If there’s a problem, the words we use are, ‘What can I do to make it right?’”

Harris also makes sure that Oceanside’s entire staff — not just the customer-facing team members — is on the same page when it comes to customer service.

“We have formed a steering committee, led by Flair Consulting Group,” he says. “I believe this is the most important part of our business. It addresses educating all of our employees. This committee analyzes all areas of interaction and stresses the fact that all departments have customers — the front staff are the plant’s customers. The steering committee is the most important thing we do. It’s also the hardest thing we do, but it’s incredibly worth it.”

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MEETING — AND EXCEEDING — EXPECTATIONS

While successful dry cleaners make sure all their customers receive excellent service, different customers may measure this with different expectations. The service older customers desire might not be what younger customers want.

“We meet our customers in the channel for which they want our service and/or communications,” Foley says.

“Some are avid users of our app, some are long-time customers who know the staff by their first name, and some desire that everything be brought to them. There’s something for everyone, which allows us to be nimble and accommodate all demographics and expectations.”

By giving personalized attention in the way they want it, Foley and her team gain something all dry cleaners desire: positive word-of-mouth.

“Word-of-mouth is extremely important to us — it can make or break obtaining new customers and the loyalty of current customers,” she says.

While word-of-mouth isn’t the only marketing Foley’s companies rely on, it’s a powerful building block.

“Our marketing campaigns run across different channels, from social media posts to magazine ads,” she says.

“If someone sees a mention of our company for the first time and asks someone about their experiences with us, we want that word-of-mouth to be positive and influential every time.”

Crouse agrees with Foley’s focus: “Word-of-mouth in the drycleaning industry is one of the most important things. Our job is to build trust with the customer so that they feel confident in the time and money they’ve invested in us. The more confidence they have in our ability to clean, the more they’ll bring to us.”

GATHERING FEEDBACK

Ensuring customers receive excellent service is hard to determine in a vacuum. Gaining clients’ honest feedback is invaluable to building successful customer experiences.

“We use a service called ‘Review My Drycleaner’ by (industry marketing company) BeCreative360,” Manter says. “The software package is tied to the store’s POS, so that right after a customer has picked up their goods, they are sent an email and text message asking them about their experience. If I had to cut everything out of my marketing budget, I would not cut that. It’s been a game-changer.”

Whether it’s good or bad feedback, Manter’s team is quick to put it into action.

“It’s nice to read the happy stuff and share it with the team, but when someone’s unhappy, it’s a quick, easy outlet to let us know,” she says. “We’ve been able to manage client complaints before they get on Yelp! and Google.”

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Meyer pays close attention to the online chatter about his business: “Social media made us better. A lot of people are afraid of it — they don’t like the reviews.

They get angry. I love social media because it gives me a temperature of what my business is doing. My customers are my livelihood, and it helps me understand whether I am actually meeting their needs.”

Meyer says Elite Cleaners has embraced social media because, like it or not, it’s a factor in modern business, and those who harness it will find more success.

“Every single customer coming into the store has a phone,” he says, “and if we don’t solve an issue before they get to their car, we have a chance of getting a bad review. So, what it did for us was really hone our customer service skills.”

MAKING IT RIGHT

No matter how much training a staff has or how careful the production workers are, customers will become upset from time to time. Harris believes that the key to making sure this damage is limited is to act quickly and give the front staff the autonomy to make decisions.

“We use the philosophy of ‘Fail Forward Fast’,” he says. “We’re always going to take care of the customer — whatever you have to do. Our counter staff has full autonomy to take care of a customer.”

Even if the solution the staff comes to might be more expensive than necessary, Harris says that it’s not the end of the world; rather, it’s a teaching moment. “If something is over-promised, we stand behind the promise and use it as a training opportunity,” he says. “If we think what the team member did was right, great. If we think it was wrong, we’re going to educate them on what we thought was wrong and what to do next time. But we never get mad at them.”

Crouse has opened more options for his staff, not only to increase their autonomy but to speed up resolutions with customers.

“I’ve tried to remove myself as much as possible from the interaction,” he says. “I’ve given our team members all the tools possible to be able to deal with these difficult situations.”

When a customer believes that they’ve brought in items they now think are missing, for instance, Crouse’s camera system can quickly resolve the issue. To use it to its fullest, though, his processes had to change.

“I used to be the only one who had access to the camera footage,” he says, “and I’d constantly be getting people coming to me. Then, I’d have to call the customer back. Now, our entire team has access to the camera system, and then they can resolve that right away.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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The staff at Oceanside Cleaners are trained to be empathic to their customers, even if they are upset. “Be a good listener and have patience,” owner Michael Harris says. “You just never know what people are facing at that moment.” (Photo: Oceanside Cleaners)

While replacing garments, offering “no charge” solutions and other damage-control options can be an extra cost, Matthews believes it’s just the cost of doing business.

“Being nice and striving to do what you say you’re going to do doesn’t cost anything — mindset is free,” he says.

“There are some efforts that cost money, but it’s also expensive to attract new customers. I’d much rather spend 50 cents to keep a customer than spend $2 to get a new one.”

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

While every business is unique, learning from those who are successful in reaching their customer service goals can provide valuable insight.

“We’ve taken a bit of an unconventional approach by limiting the services that we offer,” Crouse says.

“Many dry cleaners try to offer as much as they can for the additional revenue, but one of the business practices that we’ve taken is that we have our five main services, and we try not to go outside of that. That’s allowed us to streamline operations and make consistent systems around those services. Consistency is what’s going to lead to driving that long-term consumer behavior. It removes the question entirely of them needing to go elsewhere.”

Being thought of in a different light from other dry cleaners will build customer loyalty, Matthews believes.

“Teach people to interact with customers the same way they would build a relationship with someone,” he says.

“You don’t make it all about yourself — you figure out what their needs are, and you work to learn about them.

By working to build that relationship instead of treating everything as a transaction, it changes your mindset.”

Meyer knows the most valuable asset he has is his team.

Making sure they know they are important to their leader makes providing great customer service much easier.

“My store is 23 years old, and there’s only one piece of equipment that’s over 3 years old — that’s the 12

American Drycleaner, June 2022

drycleaning machine, and it’s being changed in the next few weeks,” he says. “I don’t expect them to give me the best product when they have a machine that’s not working correctly.”

A recent experience allowed Meyer to test this mindset: “I had a manager challenge me about bringing in a mechanic to fix one press. It wasn’t working properly, and I didn’t want the worker to struggle. I’d rather have a mechanic come in, do 10 minutes of work and be paid for an hour, and make sure that lady feels happy.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

For Harris, the secret to providing outstanding service can be distilled into one word: empathy.

“Be a good listener and have patience,” he says. “You never know what they’re going through. When they come in and they chew you out over that broken button?

You don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Maybe they’ve lost a wife. Maybe they’ve lost a mom. Maybe their dog is sick. Maybe they’re sick. You just never know what people are facing at that moment.”

“It starts with listening to your customers and putting the methods in place to obtain their feedback,” Foley says. “Once you’ve listened, learn from this. Let your customers know you are putting their feedback to use with specific examples of actions you are taking ” Foley cites an example of a change she made that was simple but added to the customer experience: “We made the shift from twist ties to rubber bands to group hangers together for easier transport based upon an observation and comment from a customer. The key, again, is to actually do something about their feedback and make the needed improvements and advancements.”

Learning from your own experience dealing with businesses — both good and bad — can generate ideas.

“Look at where you’re creating friction in your business,” Manter says. “Is there only one way to contact you? Is it a phone call? Can your clients only sign up for delivery service by talking to one person, and then they have to wait for a callback? It’s looking at those little things that frustrate the heck out of people. Speed is so key in the customer experience.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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New Ideas Next-Generation Workforce FOR THE

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Understanding the pitfalls and potential of hiring younger workers

By Dave Davis, Editor

A

ccording to the Pew Research Center, as of 2019, millennials overtook baby boomers as America’s largest generation. In the U.S., there were 72.1 million millennials and 71.6 million boomers.

So, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this younger generation, and how can dry cleaners best connect with this often-misunderstood demographic of workers and team members?

These were the questions answered by Jennifer Whitmarsh in her presentation, “Attracting and Managing the New Generation of Workforce.” Whitmarsh, a member of the drycleaning consulting firm The Route Pros, spoke at an event co-sponsored by The Northeast Fabricare

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Association (NEFA), the Pennsylvania and Delaware Cleaners Association (PDCA) and the South Eastern Fabricare Association (SEFA) in cooperation with the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI).

UNDERSTANDING THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Before understanding what motivates millennials, it’s essential to understand who they are and to define the term. For instance, many millennials are older than the image that label brings to mind.

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liam Strauss in their book Generations. They used this label based on the fact that older millennials would be graduating high school in 2000.

“Most of us don’t think of the word ‘millennial’ as a good thing,” Whitmarsh says, pointing out that she, too, is part of this generation. “It’s often used in a negative way. We don’t often hear people say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’ve got the best millennial on my team.’ Instead, we often hear, ‘They’re just not getting this done — I mean, they’re a millennial.’”

Whitmarsh’s first piece of advice is to stop using the word “millennial” — or at least stop using it in a negative, catch-all, dismissive way.

“That’s how everyone’s using that word right now,” she says. “If you are calling people ‘millennials,’ you’re often showing that you’re lacking confidence in them.

And if you’re lacking confidence in them, they’re going to lack confidence in you — and you don’t want that, especially when you’re trying to build a team.”

Since millennials are now the largest age demographic in the country, this is a mindset change dry cleaners need to make, she points out.

“The people you want on your team will take offense to (the negative use of) that word, so I highly suggest you stop using it,” she says.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS AND IMPROVEMENTS

As with any generation, there are many stereotypes associated with millennials, Whitmarsh says, and some of them are more true than others. While the accuracy of this, of course, varies from individual to individual, there are some behaviors an employer can keep an eye out for, as well as some ways to counterbalance their reaction so a good working relationship can develop.

“Once we can understand who they are, we can help fix things, mold things and change things,” she says.

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They Act Overly Entitled — Another name given to this age group, Whitmarsh says, is the “Me generation.”

Counterbalance: Treat them the same as your other employees.

“Sometimes we tend to put a spotlight on someone in this scenario,” she says, “and then we want to micromanage them, and this will burn them out. Treat them the same as your other employees, put a welcoming hug around them, so to speak, and they will rise to the standards of your company. They will end up succeeding and doing what you need them to do if you’re encouraging them and treating them the same.”

They Lack Focus — “A lot of their life, they’ve been overstimulated,” Whitmarsh says, and they’ve become accustomed to multitasking to a degree that older generations would find confusing.

Counterbalance: Give them a clear vision of what is needed and expected from them, instead of leaving it up to them to guess.

“Sometimes it can be us who is creating what looks like their lack of focus,” Whitmarsh says. “We don’t need to babysit them, but we certainly don’t want to treat them like they’re on an island by themselves.”

They Talk More than They Listen — “They like to talk, but they don’t have the communication skills that older generations have,” Whitmarsh says. “It’s no fault of their own — they grew up with a phone in their hand.”

Counterbalance: Keep your meetings engaging.

“We’ve all done it, whether it’s on Zoom or in person,” she says. “We’re watching something, and it’s just the same thing over and over again. Keep things conversational.

Have specific questions. Physically change positions. Let them sit in your chair while you’re sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk and ask, ‘What would you do if you were in my shoes?’ Get them thinking and have questions prepared for them. They will start listening to you.”

They Expect Too Many Perks — “They don’t necessarily have a sense of reality when it comes to perks,” Whitmarsh says. “They want to climb faster, and they don’t have that ‘real-world’ philosophy.”

Counterbalance: Get creative.

“It’s OK to want to be rewarded,” she says. “We all like it when we’re rewarded. We often think that our perks have to be big and elaborate, and then they’re too expensive to do. That’s not the case.”

They are Impatient Learners — “They don’t take the time to learn,” Whitmarsh says. “The things they learned in school are a lot different than when you’re in a real-world scenario.”

Counterbalance: Communicate your reality, especially when it comes to their projected career path at your company. www.americandrycleaner.com

™

“Don’t say things you think they want to hear,” she says. “We often sugarcoat what the reality is, especially now when we’re so desperate for employees. That will not ultimately help you; it will hurt you. Communicate the reality of what their progression can be, and share success stories that you have.”

YOUNG MINDS, NEW TALENTS

While their potential drawbacks get the most attention, the younger generation of workers also brings many strengths, in part shaped by the time in which they grew up. Dry cleaners who paint this demographic with too broad a brush might miss out on some of the truly powerful talents and ideas these workers bring with them, Whitmarsh believes.

Some of these strengths include: They Love to Read — “They read more than any of the generations before them,” Whitmarsh says. “Now, of course, not every single person working for you is a book lover, but if they are, start suggesting some books that are easy reads that are inspiring. Find books that can help them become better versions of themselves as co-workers.” One book she suggests is The Heart of a Leader by Ken Blanchard because it has a wide appeal.

“You could give this to your entry-level employee, you could give this to somebody who’s your retail manager, you can literally give it to anybody. It will start to help them recognize things about themselves, about their coworkers, and about what they would like to do.”

They Think About the Future — Whitmarsh says that 82% of younger generations contribute to retirement 18

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(Photo: © GaudiLab/Depositphotos)

when it’s offered, and this fact speaks to more than just retirement, but to their worldview.

“That shows you they are forward thinkers,” she says, “that they’re not just thinking about what’s happening in their lives right now and what work position they’re doing at this moment. They’re thinking about down the road, and that’s what you want for your business, as well.”

They’re Well Educated — “About 40% of our younger generation have bachelor’s degrees or greater,” Whitmarsh says, “and not every single one of them is able to get out of school and go find their career job. I know many people who have gone from college to our industry. They didn’t necessarily expect to make a career in our industry, but they have.” Whitmarsh points out that she counts herself in this group, and many who take this career track thrive. “We need them to accomplish things,” she says.

“We need them to grow with our company.”

They’re Tech Savvy — This is, on the surface, one of the traits that older generations often see as a negative.

“We think of them with their phones in their face,” Whitmarsh says. But today’s businesses need team members who are comfortable with technology, especially as automation and other equipment become more complex.

Even their phone “obsession” can be a positive if harnessed. “They can start doing some of your marketing,” she says. “They might start taking pictures of unique pieces that you got in that you then end up wanting to share with your potential customers. You can utilize their talent, and it’ll show that you’re investing in them.

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They Want to Improve — Whitmarsh says that 94% plan for personal improvement.

“Whether they’re writing down their goals, thinking about their future, or they’re saving for their house, they’re planning for personal improvement,” she says. “This just shows that they care about themselves, so they’ll want to care about your company, as well. You don’t want to get ‘one-hit wonders’ on your delivery route, because then you (have) to restart the cycle all over again. Because they’re planning for personal improvement, you’re less likely to get those ‘one-hit wonders.’”

They Communicate — “I’m sure you’ve had the experience where somebody left the team — they just quit — and you just did not see it coming,” Whitmarsh says.

“We didn’t see it coming because they didn’t communicate to us. Our younger generation wants to share their ideas. They want to tell you what’s wrong. Sometimes they want to a little bit too much, but it’s still not a bad thing. I’d rather get too much than nothing.”

MONEY’S NOT NO. 1

When an employee leaves, Whitmarsh urges owners not to take the simple answer as to why they’re leaving at face value, but actually interview them during the exit interview.

“They might say, ‘Well, this other job offered me a dollar more per hour.’ I’m encouraging you to not just accept that answer, but to push harder,” she says. “Find out what the root issue is. It might not save this single employee from leaving, but it will help you and your future employees. Nine times out of 10, it’s not really money that bothers them — it is something else. Money is just the easy answer and the easy thing to accept.”

There are other, deeper reasons for leaving, Whitmarsh says, and the sooner owners uncover these, the better off everyone will be: There is Little or No Recognition for What the Team Members Add to the Company — “You don’t have to recognize someone every single day, to the point where it feels disingenuous,” Whitmarsh says. She believes that, when someone joins your company, you should notice their milestones — and not forget them after they settle in. Whitmarsh has found that simply writing a reminder on a calendar to check in with someone can be all it takes to keep in contact with them: “These employees want a pat on the back. Sometimes it comes in the form of a ‘thank you,’ sometimes it comes in the form of a gift certificate — whatever it is, it’s still being recognized. If you’re doing it genuinely, and you’re doing it somewhat regularly, they’re going to appreciate it.”

There is a Lack of Trust Because of Unresolved Issues — “They came to you with a problem, and it might not have been time-sensitive. So, you say to them, “OK, www.americandrycleaner.com

let me think about this, and I’ll get back to you.’ And you never get back to them, whether it’s with a solution or just let them know, ‘This is what it is.’ If you don’t get back to them, you’re going to show them that you didn’t think more than once about the conversation they had with you, and you just didn’t care enough. That’s going to show them that you don’t trust them, and why would you work for someone you don’t trust?

“It’s just like when we’re talking with our customers — people do business with people they like, know and trust. Our employees are no different. This isn’t to say that you have to have the answer every time or implement whatever they want, but it is very important to make sure that you’re following up.”

There is Poor Communication — This is one of the biggest reasons why people leave companies, Whitmarsh says: “Our actions are speaking louder than words, and if we don’t communicate verbally, more often, we’re letting our body language speak for us.” She also believes that, since different people communicate most comfortably in various ways, a DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness) assessment can be a valuable tool to use.

While it might not be viable to give everyone on the staff this assessment, it can still be incorporated into hiring for certain positions.

“If you’re hiring a younger-generation person for a retail manager position or you’re hiring them for a higher-level job, give them a DISC assessment,” she says, because the payoff is worth the investment.

The Company has a Negative Culture — This is the biggest reason team members leave a company, Whitmarsh says, noting that the other three elements in this list could all be folded into this category. Much of a company’s culture comes down to how much leadership pays attention to their company and what they allow.

“If you have a bad seed, someone who’s always causing problems and drama, they will overshadow and infect the rest of your team,” she says. “The ones who have great talent will just leave because they know that they’re better than this kind of culture. The ones who are potential stars are more likely to get swayed into the negativity and get fed up. And then the ones who are starting this drama and causing it, they’re just feeding off each other and going crazy.”

If the culture of a company is unhealthy, it can’t be corrected overnight, Whitmarsh says, but it’s imperative that steps be taken immediately to create an atmosphere that attracts rather than repels good workers.

“Again, the No. 1 reason why people are going to leave is that you have a negative culture, and you want to make sure that you turn that around.”

American Drycleaner, June 2022

23

Your Guide to

Atlanta for

Clean Show

2022

Take in the sights of the Empire City of the South

24

American Drycleaner, June 2022

Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park. (Photo: © Gene Phillips/ ACVB & AtlantaPhotos.com)

A

fter being delayed a year thanks to the pandemic, The 2022 Clean Show will take place July 30 through August 30 in downtown Atlanta.

While dry cleaners, suppliers, manufacturers and other industry professionals are there to see the latest technology, learn from each other and — finally — catch up with their peers, it would be a shame to visit Atlanta and not experience some of what the city has to offer.

To help you find your way around what has been called the “Empire City of the South,” we’ve compiled a list of attractions, restaurants, clubs, museums and other stops you won’t want to miss, along with tips for getting around The Big Peach and some local recommendations.

(Special thanks to Messe Frankfurt and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau for information provided for this guide.)

LEFT: The Roof at Ponce City Market offers a boardwalk of games on its Skyline Park, as well as food, drink, shopping, and some of the best views of the skyline, especially at sunset. (Photo: Silei Li/ACVB Marketing) BELOW: The Atlanta BeltLine offers trails through some of the city’s historic neighborhoods, as well as vibrant outdoor art to enjoy along the way. (Photo: © Gene Phillips/ ACVB & AtlantaPhotos.com )

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ATTRACTIONS Truist Park Tours — Want to explore the field the Atlanta Braves call home? Tours of Truist Park (formerly Turner Field) take guests around the facility, including many places normally off-limits during games. The tours take about an hour and a half and will take you from the press box to the dugout and many places in-between.

from around the world, learn about the secret formula and get a behind-thescenes view of the Coca-Cola bottling process from start to finish.

121 Baker St NW www.worldofcoca-cola.com

Atlanta Botanical Garden — Looking for a chance to recharge from 755 Battery Avenue SE The Clean Show floor? The Atlanta www.mlb.com/braves/ballpark/tours Botanical Garden, known as the “emerald jewel in the crown of Atlanta Delta Flight Museum — Delta culture,” might be just the thing. The Airlines is headquartered in Atlanta, garden offers 30 acres of outdoor garand this attraction offers visitors a dens, as well as a children’s garden, a chance to explore both aviation hiscanopy walk and a skyline garden. tory and the future of flight. Located 1345 Piedmont Ave. just one mile from Hartsfield-Jackson www.atlantabg.org Atlanta International Airport, the museum highlights the history of Delta College Football Hall of Fame — dating back to the 1920s and includes When The Clean Show opens, it’ll interactive exhibits, restored aircraft almost be time for college athletes to from past decades and much more. hit the gridiron for the 2022-23 foot1060 Delta Blvd. ball season, and the College Football www.deltamuseum.org Hall of Fame is sure to get you into the mood. This attraction offers a 45World Coca-Cola — First served yard indoor football field and interacin Atlanta in 1886, more than 1.9 biltive exhibits to celebrate the athletes, lion servings of Coca-Cola drinks are coaches and other people who make served around the world each day. college football a highlight of the World Coca-Cola gives visitors the sporting world. chance to explore the iconic brand, 250 Marietta St. NW sample different types of the soft drink www.cfbhall.com

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American Drycleaner, June 2022

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

SkyView — Want to see Atlanta from a different perspective? The SkyView Ferris wheel in Centennial Park takes riders nearly 20 stories in the air, giving them panoramic views of downtown Atlanta and the surrounding area. From the comfort of one of the 42 climate-controlled gondolas, visitors receive an amazing view during the day and a breathtaking experience at night.

168 Luckie Street NW www.skyviewatlanta.com

Georgia Aquarium — Atlanta can get warm in the summer, so a trip under the sea might be in order. The Georgia Aquarium is the nation’s largest, boasting more than 10 million gallons of fresh and saltwater for its exhibits. With animals ranging from penguins and sea lions to whales and sharks, something is sure to grab your attention here.

225 Baker Street NW www.georgiaaquarium.org

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Atlanta Truist Park (formerly Turner Field), home field of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo, ACVB Marketing)

Getting To — and Around — Atlanta

The Clean Show will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), located in the downtown area. This puts the event near several

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hotels, as well as many Atlanta tourist destinations, making it a convenient place from which to launch into some sightseeing adventures after The Clean Show’s day is done.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is one of the nation’s largest — and busiest

— airports, so finding flights headed into and out of the city shouldn’t be difficult. Delta Air Lines is headquartered in Atlanta and is one of the company’s hubs. Other airlines flying into Atlanta are Southwest, Frontier, Spirit, American, United, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada.

There are plenty of options for those wanting to rent a car after arriving. Rental car companies at ATL include ACE Rent a Car, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt Rent a Car and Thrifty. There are also off-airport options in the downtown area.

If you’d rather leave the driving to others, Atlanta offers many choices.

(For reference, the airport is about 14 miles from the GWCC and the many hotels situated around it in the downtown area.)

Atlanta has more than 1,500 taxis available for passengers and offers preset rates for trips to and from the

American Drycleaner, June 2022

27

airport. To travel downtown via cab, the flat rate is $30, with a $2 additional charge for each additional person.

Atlanta’s public transportation system — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) — is another option. The system is made up of a bus and rail system that travels throughout Atlanta. A single $2.50 fare covers one-way bus or train trips, including transfers. At ATL, MARTA has a rail station located near baggage claim at the north end of the airport.

Ridesharing options are also available for visitors. Uber and Lyft are available for airport pickup — you can expect fares of between $60 to $80. Once in Atlanta, there are other options for those wanting some added luxury, Blacklane offers services for one to five passengers per vehicle, and Limos.com has reservation options for 1-50 passengers. Lyft Lux, Lyft Lux Black and Uber Black are also aimed at passengers who want a

more extravagant experience.

When you’ve settled in and want to see some of the downtown sights, the Atlanta Streetcar provides tram services, with 12 stops along its route.

Vending machines at the stops allow passengers to purchase rechargeable ride cards for the tram system.

The Clean Show has arranged for complimentary shuttle buses for attendees at various downtown hotels both to and from the show. In the mornings, shuttle services will leave every 15-20 minutes, starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday and 7:30 a.m. on the remaining days of the show and ending at 11 a.m. each day. The shuttles will leave from the GWCC back to hotels every 20-30 minutes from 3 until 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday and from 1:30 until 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Pickup locations and the most updated schedule can be found in the “Planning & Preparation” section of the-cleanshow.us.messefrankfurt.com.

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Also, a weather word of warning: When visiting Atlanta in late July and early August, expect it to be warm — and then some. According to AccuWeather.com, the projected high temperatures are expected to be in the low 90s during the four days of the Clean Show, falling to the low 70s at night.

Dress accordingly for trips away from the air-conditioned GWCC.

GET TO KNOW ATLANTA

When you’re not at The Clean Show, you can learn about Atlanta with the help of guided tours, such as those offered by ATL-Cruzers. On this tour, you’ll learn some of the history of the city, as well as information about its unique architecture and hidden neighborhood spots of interest. You’ll also receive recommendations for the best local restaurants and other hot spots to make the most of your visit.

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Georgia World Congress Center, The Clean Show’s venue, is also located within easy walking distance of Centennial Olympic Park, a 22acre green space celebrating the 1996 Olympic Games. The Park has been called the crown jewel of Atlanta’s downtown entertainment district, offering gardens, lawns, and the massive SkyView Ferris wheel.

NEIGHBORHOOD VIEWS

Atlanta is made up of diverse neighborhoods, each providing the city with its unique blend of culture. Constantly evolving, Atlanta’s neighborhoods offer something for every visitor. As you would expect from a city of 400,000 people, there are dozens of areas of interest; here are some to watch for on your Clean Show downtime.

WESTSIDE — Once an industrial area, the Westside area is now known for its imagination. Buildings rich in history are getting fabulous make-

Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood. (Photo, ACVB Marketing)

a big workout, depending on the weather —Bicycle Tours of Atlanta allows you to get up close to local landmarks. On the history tour, guests explore sights such as Piedmont Park, Virginia Highland, Inman Park, Cabbagetown, Oakland Cemetery,

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Sweet Auburn, Little Five Points, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, The High Museum of Art, Ansley Park, Grant Park and many other places along the route.

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overs, and foodies know that this is the area of town that they can’t miss.

Areas of Interest in Westside include: • Atlanta BeltLine — The BeltLine delineates some of Atlanta’s most historic neighborhoods. As you navigate these areas, be sure to check out the vibrant street art, including “West End Remembers,” the first permanent mural along the BeltLine.

• Herndon Home Museum — Located in Cascade Heights, one of the city’s most affluent areas, this museum was the home of Alonzo Franklin Herndon, a

formerly enslaved person who became Atlanta’s first-ever Black millionaire. The museum explores his journey, his legacy and how his foundation is helping the next generation find success.

• Hammonds House Museum — Founded in 1988, Hammonds House Museum has a mission of providing exposure for artists of color to the mainstream art world.

The museum offers exhibitions, as well as artist talks, book signings, film screenings and more.

• Monday Night Garage — Looking for sours, barrel-aged

beers and other drinks for a warm Atlanta evening? Monday Night Garage grew out of a small Atlanta Bible study group (who met on, you guessed it, Monday nights). What began as a hobby to get to know each other in 2006 has blossomed into an awardwinning brewery with locations in three states.

EASTSIDE — If you’re looking for the hip — and in some cases eccentric — area of town, Atlanta’s Eastside will probably fit the bill.

Areas of Interest in Eastside include: • Zoo Atlanta — Home to more

SHOPPING Peachtree Center — This area, located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, offers more than 50 restaurants, shops and other businesses. With 2.3 million square feet spread across three levels, visitors can do their shopping, get something to eat, treat themselves to some spa-like pampering and still be close to everything in the downtown area.

represented in this area include Dior, Hermes, Tom Ford, Christian Louboutin and more. If you’re looking for luxury goods, the Buckhead Village District should be on your list.

3035 Peachtree Rd NW www.buckheadvillagedistrict.com

Little Five Points — If you’re in the mood for something a little off 231 Peachtree Street NE the beaten path, point your compass www.peachtreecenter.com toward Little Five Points. Located just over two miles east of downtown AmericasMart Atlanta — While Atlanta, the Little Five Points area has you’re in Atlanta, visit this global become famous in alternative culture wholesale marketplace, housing the circles and has been described as world’s single-largest collection Atlanta’s version of Haight-Ashbury. of home, gift, area rug and apparel Bookstores, vintage clothing shops, remerchandise. AmericasMart Atlanta cord stores, cafes, theaters, restaurants boasts more than 400 permanent and bars can all be found in this area, showrooms, ranging from housewares as well as a vibrant street art scene. to home décor to clothing and more.

Along the 1000 block of Euclid Ave. NE

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Phipps Plaza has more than 100 designer stores, including Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana. There are also many finedining restaurants in the area, as well as fast food if your wallet needs to recover from your shopping excursion.

3500 Peachtree Rd NE www.simon.com/mall/phipps-plaza

Atlantic Station — This open-air shopping mall features a mini-version of New York City’s Central Park, and offers shops such as Target, Vic240 Peachtree Street NW www.littlefivepoints.com toria’s Secret, IKEA, and Dillard’s, www.americasmart.com as well groceries, health and beauty Phipps Plaza — For those wishing stores, jewelry stores and other shopBuckhead Village District — to purchase something memorable to ping opportunities. Atlantic Station Nestled along a six-street enclave, the remind them of their time in Atlanta, also offers movie theaters, entertainBuckhead Village District offers more Phipps Plaza offers designer names ment, children’s activities and more. than 60 designer boutiques, restauand high-end luxury brands. Located 1380 Atlantic Dr. rants, cafes and more. Designer labels about nine miles north of downtown, www.atlanticstation.com

30

American Drycleaner, June 2022

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•

•

•

•

than 1,000 animals representing some 200 species from around the globe, visitors can observe, among other sights, giant pandas, one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes, and many endangered or critically endangered animals. Zoo Atlanta’s new African Savanna exhibit features African elephants, giraffes, zebras and more.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History — Want to stroll through millions of years of history? Take a walk around the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which offers displays documenting the lives of dinosaurs, along with live animal exhibits, cultural artifacts, handson science explorations and a 4K Giant Screen Theater. The museum also boasts 75 acres of outdoor nature adventures.

The Roof at Ponce City Market — For those looking for some family fun, The Roof at Ponce City Market offers a boardwalk of games on its Skyline Park, as well as multiple opportunities for food, drink, and shopping. All this includes some of the best views of the city’s skyline. The sunsets are particularly impressive.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum — Dedicated to the administration and history surrounding America’s 39th president, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum offers exhibitions of objects, documents, photographs, videos and other information about the native Georgian politician. This includes a life-size replica of the Oval Office as it was during Carter’s time in office, as well as interactive exhibits highlighting the events of his presidency and his life after leaving office.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park — One of

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Atlanta’s top tourist destinations, The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park provides visitors with a guided tour of MLK’s birth home, as well as attractions that highlight the civil rights leader’s life, career and legacy. The Park includes the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King was co-pastor with his father, various galleries and King’s final resting place.

DOWNTOWN — Since The Clean Show will take place in the heart of downtown Atlanta, many of the attractions will be within walking distance or a short ride away from the GWCC. Areas of Interest in Downtown include: • The Children’s Museum of Atlanta — For those looking for educational opportunities for the family, the Children’s Mu-

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seum of Atlanta is a short walk away from The Clean Show. Focusing on “The Power of Play,” the Museum offers interactive exhibits, including “Rube Goldberg: The World of Hilarious Invention,” “Fundamentally Food,” “Leaping into Learning,” and “Let Your Creativity Flow.”

• The National Center for Civil and Human Rights — Atlanta

has been one of the historical centers of the struggle for equal rights in the United States, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights highlights these efforts. The Center highlights artifacts, touch-screen exhibits, videos and original recordings by people who were there on the front lines of the struggle.

Be sure to check out our “Attrac-

tions” section for other stops of interest to make while you’re downtown.

Local Picks

When you want to make the most of your time in an unfamiliar city, one of the best things to do is to get the guidance of a local. We asked some Atlanta drycleaning professionals where they’d take friends visiting their city.

DINING & NIGHTLIFE Krog Street Market — Have a group and can’t agree on where to go for dinner? The Krog Street Market is the answer. Internationally featured as one of the best food halls in the world, Krog Street Market has everything from award-winning BBQ to Asian cuisine to Southern recipes to candies and other desserts. Seriously, if you can’t find something here, you just weren’t that hungry.

ern might be your ticket. Winner of several readers’ choice awards as the best place in Atlanta to hear the blues, Northside has evolved from the neighborhood grocery store and gas station is started out as in the 1940s into a destination for people looking for good food and good music — to the point where it has been featured in film and television several times as a cool place for characters to plot 99 Krog St NE their next move.

krogstreetmarket.com

Bold Monk Brewing Co. — Looking for a place to relax and reflect after a busy day at The Clean Show? The Bold Monk Brewing Co. probably has what you’re looking for. Offering both indoor and outdoor dining, Bold Monk has award-winning brewers creating different types of draft beers to choose from, along with wines and cocktails. Sandwiches, pizza, mussels, salads and other menu items fill out the experience.

You can also explore the Beer Cellar, the Cask Room and other areas, and enjoy live events.

The Complex, 1737 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. NW www.boldmonkbrewingco.com

Northside Tavern — If you want dinner and a show, Northside Tav-

32

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

look to Bulla Gastrobar for their next meal. Inspired by gastrobars in Spain, this establishment offers a bar and open kitchen design with an exten1058 Howell Mill Rd NW sive menu of small and large plates to www.northsidetavern.com choose from, as well as hand-crafted cocktails and an impressive wine list.

STATS Brewpub — For those 60 11th Street NE craving a classic American menu www.bullagastrobar.com and a robust beer, wine and cocktail menu, STATS Brewpub fits the bill.

White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails With more than 70 high-definition — While you’re in the South, you televisions across almost 16,000 might want to check out White Oak square feet of space, STATS is a Kitchen & Cocktails, a restaurant great place to catch a game while en- that embraces its Southern roots with joying food that aims to please every a bar that focuses on wine, whisky, palate. It’s also one of the few bars in bourbon and, yes, cocktails. The food the U.S. to feature a beer tap system is a mix of contemporary with tradion certain tables, which allow guest tional, prepared with precision but to pour their own beer with no server resulting in plants that appear simple or bartender. and familiar. White Oak’s Barrel Bar 300 Marietta Street NW was named the top Whiskey Bar in www.statsatl.com Georgia by Thrillist Magazine and designated by the Bourbon Society as Bulla Gastrobar — Visitors to a Great Bourbon Bar of America.

Atlanta with more adventurous pal270 Peachtree St NW, 100 lets and desiring a Spanish flare can www.whiteoakkitchen.com

American Drycleaner, June 2022

www.americandrycleaner.com

Atlanta Krog Street Market entrance. (Photo, ACVB Marketing)

Looking for a meal after landing or before takeoff? “There is a great restaurant by the Atlanta international airport called Louisiana bistro,” says Larry Kirk, Jr. of McDowell Cleaners.

“I ate there last night with my family, six of us, and it was excellent.”

Realstar USA Western Sales Manager Steve Henley has his own favorite pick: “Chops Lobster Bar – They offer outstanding service and atmo-

sphere with great steaks and seafood.”

“For those looking for a few things to do in our great city, we have several suggestions,” says Jack Burnett, president of Union Dry Cleaning, headquartered in nearby McDonough, Georgia. “This includes visiting the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the U.S, or heading over to the World of Coca-Cola, a museum detailing the history of

the Coca-Cola company and offering taste tests of Coke flavors from around the world.

“For avid sports fans, the College Football Hall of Fame — Go Dawgs!

— features more than 50 interactive exhibits and is just around the corner from the Clean Show.”

Burnett points out that, for those wanting some live sports excitement, there’s another opportunity to be had: “The World Series Champion Atlanta Braves will be in town Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday of the show, facing the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies,” he says.

And, if you’re tired from the show and need a break, Burnett says Atlanta still has you covered: “For those looking to unwind and relax, nearby Centennial Olympic Park offers expanses of green space, views of the city, and a 20-story tall Ferris wheel.

There’s plenty to do, see, and eat in Atlanta!”

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33

E

ven for dry cleaners comfortable with technology and marketing, going online to find new customers and communicate with existing ones can seem daunting. Still, there are online tools available that, with a bit of effort, could lead to exciting outcomes.

Generating these digital leads was the focus of a recent online webinar conducted by the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute. Presenting “Four Digital Lead Generation Strategies that Drive Serious Results,” Cohen Wills, founder and CEO of Cleaner Marketing, and owner of Tampa, Florida-based Sage Cleaners, offered the following steps cleaners can take to connect with today’s consumers:

NO. 1: GOOGLE BUSINESS PROFILE OPTIMIZATION

“The best thing that you can do, the lowest-hanging fruit that anyone can do, is having a fully optimized Google Business Profile,” Wills says, noting that the majority of this effort costs little or nothing.

One of the reasons Wills believes this is so vital to a drycleaning business is that the Google Business Profile gets, on average, three to four times the traffic as the company’s website. “So, if you’re not giving three to four times the effort to your Business Profile, you’re sell34

ing your opportunity short.”

The first step for business owners optimizing their Google Business Profile is to claim that page and set up locations, business hours and other information that potential customers would appreciate having. Gaining access to the business page profile also allows cleaners to join categories and subcategories for ease of search, upload photos and videos, generate a question-andanswer section and provide details about services available.

An effective way for dry cleaners to optimize their Google Business Profiles is to gather reviews.

“If you don’t have some sort of automated solution to request Google reviews built into your business, I guarantee you that you are two or three steps behind one of your competitors,” Wills says. Modern POS systems, he points out, can automatically ask customers picking up their items to leave feedback.

These reviews are critical because Google’s algorithm adds visibility to a business when a customer searches for their services. Wills notes that when a map is pulled up from a search such as “dry cleaners near me,” cleaners who have paid for higher search results are favored, and then the top three cleaners with the most — and best — reviews are highlighted.

American Drycleaner, June 2022

(Image licensed by Ingram Image)

Four Digital Lead Generation Strategies that Drive Serious Results “If you don’t have at least a 4.7-star rating (out of 5) and more than five Google reviews per month, you’re likely missing out on Google Maps’ ‘three-pack,’” he says.

NO. 2: CONVERTING WEBSITE TRAFFIC

“Everyone knows that having a website is important, but I challenge you to think what the purpose of the website is,” Wills says. “Generally, we think the purpose is to get as many people to the site as possible.

I would rather 10 people go to my website and clearly understand how to take the next step with my business than have 10,000 people go to my website and have no idea how to continue doing business with me.”

He believes that cleaners shouldn’t think of a website as a blank web page — they should consider it a sales funnel.

“This is a tool where you try to guide a customer or prospective customer through a journey to, first, convince them that you’re trustworthy, and then come into your business,” he says. “Once they are there, you can send them to your other profit centers and convince them to come in more often.”

Using a popup — a small window on the site that appears when the customer first visits — is an excelwww.americandrycleaner.com

lent way to interact with them, Wills says. A new customer can enter their email for a discount on their next order. This can also be used to give customers information about the business.

Webchat, Wills says, is one of the most effective ways to interact with customers. Here, customers can ask questions directly from the website and get an answer from the store. Wills offers that the best way to run a service like this is to ask the customer for their phone number so they can receive their answers via text. This allows the staff to answer the question immediately, plus gives the business the customer’s phone number for future contact.

site who aren’t customers. While tech-savvy cleaners can find their own way through the retargeting maze, Wills says, a marketing professional can help set up programs to effectively use this strategy.

NO. 4: TARGET AUDIENCE ACQUISITION

This is an area, Wills says, to which he attributes the greatest

SU

NO. 3: RETARGETING

Wills cautions that when dry cleaners attempt to retarget ads — that is, serve Google ads, Facebook ads, or any other type of paid ad strategy to a customer more than once — there is a tendency to overcomplicate this effort.

“There are hundreds of software packages and solutions for this, and it can get very complex,” he says.

“The most important thing here is, if you do it, and especially if you do it without the help of a marketing agency, keep it simple.”

It’s vital to keep the right metrics in mind whenever you attempt to retarget a customer, he says.

“You’ll see the conversion rate of those customers — the percentage of customers who actually come in and do business with you — grows pretty dramatically every single time they see the ad,” he says. “While your click-through rate will decrease, you’ll see your conversion rate increase.”

Consider retargeting customers who are out of their pattern (such as customers who haven’t returned in a while), those who signed up but didn’t visit, and new visitors to your www.americandrycleaner.com

amount of route growth at Sage Cleaners. Marketing can become much more direct by knowing who your audience is — what they do, where they are and what they want from a cleaner.

“When you think of drycleaning customers, where are they?”

Wills asks. For Sage, law offices and accounting firms are two main

CC

(Continued on page 36)

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35

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Schwarzmann Earns Prestigious TCATA Award

Outgoing president honored during organization’s annual meeting

W

ESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — During the 2022 Annual Educational & Management Conference of the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA), outgoing TCATA President Fred Schwarzmann, Jr. of A. L. Wilson Chemical Company received the prestigious J. Morry Friedlander Award. The Award is the organization’s highest honor and has only been awarded six times since it was introduced in 1994.

Schwarzmann served on the TCATA Board of Directors in various positions from 2005 to 2011 and most recently as president of the board beginning in January 2020.

“I was certainly touched by the recognition I received, but I know that my contribution would not have been nearly enough in a vacuum,” Schwarzmann said during the event, held in April at the Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. “Only by pulling together were we able to protect TCATA through the dark days and re-launch it into a bright future.”

TCATA established the J. Morry Friedlander Award to honor outstanding dedication and service to the associa-

(Lead Generation Strategies continued from page 35)

focuses. “In those two areas, every single one of them is my customer.

They are high-income people who, on a percentage basis, are doing a lot of dry cleaning.”

The question Wills then asks is, “What is it that we can offer that employer that would make them excited to basically be our in-house salesperson?” For Sage, the law and accounting firms get 20% off as a corporate account and a $10 or $20 gift card for each employee so that the employer can give it to the employees as an appreciation gift.

36

Fred Schwarzmann of A.L. Wilson Chemical Company (right) was recently honored with the J. Morry Friedlander Award — the organization’s highest honor. Pictured with Schwarzmann are, from left, Bill Odorizzi of Sankosha USA, and TCATA’s Luci Ward and Leslie Schaeffer. (Photo by TCATA)

tion, naming it to acknowledge the unrivaled enthusiasm, dedication and goodwill Friedlander generated in his more than 40 years of service

When going after this type of client, Wills first finds the person at the company who would be the most receptive to such an offer. There are both paid and free services — Wills has found success with Seamless.AI — that provide contact information for decision-makers at businesses.

Once the person is identified, Wills sends an email and a LinkedIn message simultaneously, and then follows up with an email two days later, then a phone call, and finally in person with a written card and a gift card.

“Eventually, whenever they have the idea to offer this to their

American Drycleaner, June 2022

employees, you’re the first person they think of every single time,” Wills says. “This makes for fantastic brand ambassadors.”

YOURS FOR THE TAKING

By taking full advantage of these tools — available for little to no cost — a dry cleaner can start to see almost immediate results, Wills says.

“These are four things that I feel strongly that 90% of people aren’t doing,” he says. “By spending a little time to get an understanding of them, they can immediately apply it to their own business and be able to generate revenue.” www.americandrycleaner.com

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2022 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.

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39

WRINKLE IN TIME

Marketing Strategies, Bill Support and Shooting for Profitability 10 YEARS AGO. Effective Marketing Strategies — According to the American Drycleaner Wire survey, cleaners employed a broad range of marketing initiatives to promote their business and services, and three quarters (76.2%) believed their efforts paid off with increased profitability. Maintaining a website was the most common marketing initiative, used by 71.4% of respondents, with community outreach coming in a close second at 66.7%. Roughly 57% of respondents said their main goal was multifaceted. They used marketing to encourage customer loyalty, increase brand awareness, build the customer case, and increase short-term sales.

25 YEARS AGO. The Barton Bill Returns — The small business remediation act, also known as the Barton bill, in honor of its author, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), was reintroduced on May 22 into Congress with eight co-sponsors. The bill, designed to establish a maximum level of remediation for drycleaning solvents, was supported by several drycleaning organizations, who came together at the 1997 Clean Show to gather support signatures throughout the country on a huge map of the United States. After the show, according to plan, each state with its signatures would be presented to key congressional members to show the tremendous support the bill had in the industry.

40

50 YEARS AGO. Shooting for 3% — A ruling from the Price Commission concerned firms which, in their most recent fiscal year as of 1971, had sales of less than $1,000,000 with a net loss or a profit margin of less than 3% during that base period.

According to the ruling, “A smallbusiness low-profit firm may use an assumed base period profit margin of 3% for computation permissible levels of price increases.” The base period referred to in the ruling was the best two of the last three fiscal years ending prior to Aug. 15, 1971.

American Drycleaner, June 2022

85 YEARS AGO. The Power of the Board — At least one state pricefixing board for the drycleaning industry was facing a severe test before its supreme court. Challenged by several Miami cleaners, the powers of the Florida state board were under fire. The prime question posed was whether the Florida Supreme Court would uphold the price regulating powers of the board.

— Compiled by Dave Davis, Editor www.americandrycleaner.com

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