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Are you using your clients’ senses to set yourself apart?
The importance of paying attention to the senses for proper presentation in ‘Wash and Fold’ laundry service
Good morning and welcome to Wash Weekly,
Many companies are just starting to recognize how strongly the senses affect the deepest parts of our brains.
When it comes to our laundry service, we have the opportunity to capitalize on human senses– can you guess which ones matter for your clients?
That’s right, they are:
Sight
Smell
Touch
This week I break down exactly what we do for each.
Sight
What your clients see when they receive their order carries the opportunity of one of the biggest impacts you can make on them.
Keep the following tips in mind to make sure your client receives a well-packaged, professional result in every way.
Investing in quality packaging
Start by putting your logo on your packaging to help clients keep you in mind. This goes without saying, but you would be surprised by how many owners forget or discard doing this.
Next, place orders in better-quality plastic packaging to keep garments smelling fresh and protect them during transit. Here are a few important takeaways I’ve experienced with packaging:
Fact: There’s nothing worse than using dry cleaning bags that fall apart thanks to their hanger holes that expose the clothes and too-easily rip open, letting all of the clothes fall out.
Same goes for using garbage bags. Again, they may be cheaper– but the last thing anyone thinks of when they see a garbage bag is fresh, clean laundry.
You may be thinking cheap bags are good ways to cut costs, but you’d be sacrificing the integrity of your entire service.
Instead, double-bag your orders using a plastic bag before inserting in the final packaging bag (laundry bag, etc.).
Look for plastic bags that have a rectangular bottom. These allow you to:
stack the clothing in the bag better
make for easier handling and loading for driver
help deliver an orderly and professional end-product
Few of my favorites:
Luetzowind Industries - Ask for Ryan (tell him I said hi) 800-558-6055
Rhino bags - Nortons Supply
Wash N Fold Clear Bags - Cleaners Supply
Neatly tie the corners of your laundry bag before packing to ensure a beautiful end-product
Consistent Folding
A folding protocol and written guide allows for a consistent client experience.
Avoid each attendant folding their own way. That way, you prevent an array of issues that come with client preference due to inconsistent folding.
Heres an excerpt from ours (more to come it later issues on this 😉)
Separate bags for each kind of garment
Place women's and men’s underwear in separate smaller bags
Organize and pack clothes according to:
Gender
Age group
Fabric
Bonus: These also aid in making it easier for the client to unpack and put clothes away
Lasting Impact: A very visually pleasing product
Smell
The level of cleanliness the client smells the second they open their order is understatedly crucial to your laundry service’s success. Using the tips below will add the extra touch your clients will be sure to remember.
Use of linen spray to mist clothes before packing the order
Insertion of pre cut dryer sheets between layers of clothes (effective, but old school)
Create custom fragrance packets to insert in each bag (more on this in a future issue)
Adding additional fabric softener during rinse cycle
Ensuring not to over-dry garments as doing so can leave a burnt smell on clothing
Lasting Impact - The sense of freshness achieved due to smell
Touch
The way the client’s clothing feels upon receiving their order will make a difference in their decision to come back. Add the following finishing touches to leave a pleasant impression on their sense of touch.
Use fabric softener (or vinegar in rinse cycle) to avoid a dry starchy feeling
Avoid over-drying, which make the clothes feel rough and tough
Avoid leaving clothes in dryer after it stops. Remove clothes from dryer while still warm and lay flat in cart (aids in clothes not wrinkling as much)
Lasting Impact - client relates the soft feeling of the fabrics to the feeling they had when they bought the item– at a fraction of the price.
The senses play a huge role in the perception of any brand– but especially when it comes to laundry services. Wow your clients with the tips we’ve shared above.
Just remember– regardless of the methods you decide to use, the key is being consistent with them.
Set the level of expectations the first time and always deliver from that point on in the same ways. That way, your clients know they will get the same kind of quality service each time.
Next week:
We’ll be sharing our insights on sock presentation, which you won’t want to miss– It’s the kind of thing that’s surprisingly important and will set you apart!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this week’s topic– let me know on LinkedIn!And for more on garment care, feel free to subscribe on Youtube.
‘Til then, I’ll be here airing out some not-so-dirty laundry every Sunday!-Waleed 🏴☠️
In the news
Together With Laundry Owners Warehouse
Laundry Owners Warehouse, “People You Trust”, delivers customers what they want when they want it with the highest level of pride and warmth with years of coin laundry ownership experience. Committed to “Laundroteurs”, the distributor is a “One Stop Shop” with over 74,000 replacement parts, a full line of soap and supplies, and a wide variety of used commercial laundry equipment, all in stock and available at LOWlaundry.com, the company’s newly designed flagship website. Laundry Owners Warehouse also sells new commercial laundry equipment and is a proud member of the Dexter Laundry family, “Made in the USA” since 1894.
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Rework showed me that you don't need to spend endless hours and tons of money on my laundry business to make it successful. You can actually be more productive by focusing on a niche and saying no to more. I hope it is of some value to you, as it was for me.
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