National Clothesline
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May 2012
National Clothesline
Perc out. Perchloroethylene is not a solvent with a long-standing future in the drycleaning industry, DLI’s Jon Meijer told an audience at the SDA convention. But for that majority of cleaners who are still using it there are alternatives and still some time to contemplate a switch, he said.
Green light for GreenEarth. The Canadian government has decided not to pursue restrictions on the use of siloxane D5, the key component of GreenEarth drycleaning solvent.
10 million saved. Just over three months after the DLI asked members to join a nationwide hanger recycling drive, the stated goal for 2012 of keeping 10 million hangers out of landfills has been reached.
Pursuing perfection at a profit. Running a drycleaning business can be difficult, especially when most of your customers typically expect nothing short of perfection. Tim and Catherine McCann, owners of Best Cleaners in Albany, NY, believe in pursuing that perfection, but refuse to let it distract them from properly running their business.
Which button? Many cleaners button only the top button. Others do the first and thrid buttons. Don Desrosiers illustrates his preference for the first and second buttons be buttoned to give best appearance.
The answer is yes. “Find a way to say yes,” or put another way, “Never say no.” When your CSR staff learns that kind of thinking, you will have a much happier clientele, Harvey Gershenson believes.
Guide to thinking. Frank Kollman lists several things employers should think about in no particular order.
Which way to grow? One of the biggest decisions a cleaner has to make is to decide whether to cut costs or spend for growth, says James Peuster.
Get text. The general availability of text messaging on nearly all mobile phones makes it the lowest common denominator for sending route reminders, coupons or drycleaning incentives to customers. Neil Schroeder explains how.
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National Clothesline
A team of expert advisers
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Cleaners who came to San Antonio for the Southwest Drycleaners Association’s trade show March 30-April 1 heard speakers on several topics of interest in addition to a chance to get up close and hands on with equipment and supplies put on display by more than 60 companies.
While traffic on the show floor was a bit slow, the seminars drew well among those who were looking for new insights and ideas to help them out of stagnating growth.
It is, said Mary Scalco, CEO of the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute, the “new normal.” People aren’t doing the same things they were three to five years ago, she said in a Saturday morning program in which she teamed up with Nora Nealis, executive director of the National Cleaners Association.
“What Cleaners Are Doing to Thrive Today” was their topic and they drew on their experiences as association leaders interacting with members to highlight things cleaners are doing to combat sluggish sales.       More…