National Clothesline

It’s time to take a physical. I mean take a physical of your business, then show off your new image! It’s a perfect time to announce your anniversary (the older the business the better) and add a small “new” in front of your old established name.

You may be ready to start a referral program and you have the names from your computer research telling you who and where the good customers are and how to attract them.

But before starting any new campaign, remember what we learned a long time ago: The very worst thing you can do is to spend money to attract new or old customers and only lose them because of poor workmanship or poor service.

So first things first! Start up front with your counter. Put your best foot forward. Is it time to clean up, shape up, renew, and paint up? That should start with your most important personnel — yes, the people at the counter!

In the act of making the call office a showplace of sparkling efficiency, start with proper lighting, a clean, orderly atmosphere, computerized, air conditioned and with new signs. If you’re blessed with early morning commuter traffic, offer free coffee and a morning newspaper.

Next, are your counter people personable? Do they greet each customer with a smile? Do they wear a jacket with a name tag. Do they have the firm’s name and logo printed on their blouse or smock?

It’s time you showed your pride with a uniformed employee, the aroma of fresh coffee and a smile. It will set the stage for a good morning and pleasant experience.

Perhaps it’s time to re-interview your vitally important counter personnel. Do they like people? Are they patient and friendly?

After some small conversation, ask the simple question, “What if a customer inquired, ‘Aren’t, your prices a little high?’” Then ponder the reply you receive.

Is the answer too accommodating, or a curt dismissal? Or is the answer one you think a customer would be prone to accept? Is it showing your new or experienced representative to be a likable compassionate individual, what I like to call a nice “people” person?

Remember, it’s been proven that over 30 percent of potentially good customers leave a drycleaner not for service, quality, price/value, etc., but for indifference to the customer.

How is your quality? Is it controlled or do you pass everything as always “just good enough!”

Do you have a permanent employee who is the full-time, fully competent person acting as a quality control manager? The person for this position does not require a high salary, but must have a keen eyesight for details, and some training on standards for excellence. The individual must be able to return a garment to the seamstress for a loose or broken button, or send a double crease back to the finishing department head, or a stain to the spotting table.

This is not for an explanation but to be written, noted and corrected if possible, then returned as a priority for completion of the order.

Management can set a color code for each department. The program is simple. If something needs correction, the piece is color tagged, and returned to that department head.

No words need be spoken, never a discussion or recriminations. But the problem is a priority to immediately correct and return to the assembly line, always to the individual in charge.

It can be an unobjectionable position if it’s done right, where everyone knows what’s expected of each worker. Of course, the final inspector is the customer.

The control of quality centers on a bimonthly meeting with the manager, the inspector, and all the production department heads. In many cases, a mechanical flaw can be uncovered, such as inadequate vacuum/steam or padding that should be changed and a press adjusted. This meeting can be an informal pizza or luncheon affair where the minutes are read of each department.

The amount and nature of corrections recorded of the past findings should hopefully be less with each meeting. No challenges or recriminations are called for, just the best method for improvements and group participation. Some cases may require more training with a new piece of equipment, such as a new tensioning technique.

Everyone works in a single team effort for producing the best possible results, all the time, every time. I’m sure we all agree maintaining quality is a constant, ongoing challenge, especially with new fabrics that need special attention.

The individual doing assembly can be that person, and color coding makes the job routine. The meeting gives the system a final assurance that the personnel and the equipment are all in perfect harmony.

Now you have taken care of your new and restored counter, with new colors, improved lighting, and have instilled pride in your uniformed counter personnel. Your quality has been controlled and upgraded and now permanently secured.

Now it’s time to bring in and attract all that new business. How? By launching an interesting newsletter. The time has come to start your “route to success” and a newsletter gets you going.

Here’s how to do it the easy way. Invite and bring in your complete staff with suggestions, tips, town news and an employee of the month, etc. A newsletter opens the door with current news, which your customers and community will look forward to receiving.

Publishing a simple, two-sided quarterly news sheet becomes an opener to announce all your new services, specials, promotions, civic events, awards to key employees.

It’s the least expensive and most effective means of promoting your business, requiring no special skills, and fun to put together.

Full details are free and included with my pamphlets on route building, counter, or quality control information. Ask for a sample newsletter. It will be cheerfully forwarded postage prepaid. It’s a no-nonsense business builder and puts your business, as a community leader, exactly where you belong.