Congratulations!
Your laundromat survived 2020 and the first half of 2021 – a time during which an incredible number of brick-and-mortar retail businesses in the U.S. failed and simply disappeared.
For all owners, the past year and a half has been historically difficult.
Customers were forced to wait in their vehicles while their laundry was washing and drying. Folding tables were cordoned off, encouraging people to “wash, dry and go” – simply taking their clothes home to fold. Some laundromats in certain markets also were required to limit the number of customers inside their facilities at any one time.
Many operators experienced huge drops in business and revenue, while still needing to pay rents, mortgages, equipment notes, payroll and all of the other expenses associated with running a laundry business.
Some owners coped by implementing wash-dry-fold services for the first time, to cater to those customers who were no longer comfortable doing their laundry in a public setting.
As COVID-19 and its variants continue to linger throughout the country and with the fall/winter season again nearly upon us, now is the perfect opportunity for those laundromat owners who have survived the initial surges of the pandemic to begin running truly first-class operations, focusing on outstanding customer service that people will be eager to share with their family and friends.
In some ways, the last 18 months or so in this industry has been akin to a tree shaking off its old, weak fruit. If your store is still struggling because you’ve neglected to keep up with the times, decide today how you’ll create a new environment that will entice those within your community – those who are currently washing their clothes elsewhere – to try your store and to keep coming back.
First and foremost, get every washer and dryer in the store working properly – throw away those “out of order” signs once and for all. Fix or replace any rusty, broken laundry carts. Do the same with your folding tables, seating units, vending machines and anything else impacting the customer experience at your laundromat.
Deep clean and put a new coat of paint in your restrooms. Be sure every light fixture in the store is working, including your exit signs. Clean and organize your front-desk area. And, after freshly painting the interior walls, modernize your signage so that anyone walking into your business will stop and take notice.
In addition, don’t neglect your exterior signage, as it’s what gives potential customers driving by a glimpse of what they’ll encounter inside your facility. Along with a large lighted “Open” sign in the window, make all of your new signs bright, informative and inviting.
If you are providing a wash-dry-fold service, like many owners these days, display your perfectly folded finished products prominently in crystal-clear bags arranged neatly on shelves behind the front counter for all to see. In time, many of your self-service customers will begin to ask, “What do you charge for that?”
If your laundromat is attended – either partially or fully – now is the time to huddle up your team for a pep talk. Share your vision for the “new and improved” version of your laundry business.
Some of your employees will appreciate the transparency and what you’re trying to do, and they may even up their games as a result. With others, you may need to part ways and replace them with fresh faces.
Visit the other laundromats in your neighborhood – stores you consider to be direct competition – as well as vended laundries outside of your marketplace and other successful small businesses completely unrelated to the industry. Examine any and every well-run operation that may leave footprints for you to follow. Take notes, and be sure to “steal” great ideas that can be adapted to your own operation.
Lastly, don’t be shy about getting out the word. Let your community know, in every way possible, that there’s “a new laundromat in town.”
You’ve made it through a year and half of the worst pandemic in our lifetime. Don’t stop now!
