National Clothesline

Sometimes it’s difficult for cleaners to find enough time to attend an educational seminar. Leaving the plant for an afternoon isn’t always a viable option, and, even those who can afford to take the time off, often have to deal with traffic and other hassles in order to simply get there.

In an effort to offset some of those problems and also help cleaners stay informed on some of the hottest topics in the industry, the National Cleaners Association will now be the first association to offer seminars by phone. In fact, they have five lined up in the coming months.

The first is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 13 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, during which Rex Carrigan will discuss “The Best Kept Secrets to Getting, Keeping and Serving Route Customers.”

Another one featuring Alan Spielvogel on the topic of “Gaining Incredible Profits By Telling, Not Selling at the Counter” will be on Wednesday, July 27 at 6 p.m. ET.

Two weeks after that, NCA’s legal counsel, Lonnie Tishman, Esq., will examine “How the New Federal Wage and Hour Laws Impact Drycleaning Workers — Who is Exempt and Who is Not!” on Wednesday, August 10 at 6 p.m. ET.

“How to Put the Ka-Ching Into Your Direct Mail” will be presented by direct mail maven Brad Kent at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 31.

Industry consultant Everett Childers will present “Hydrocarbon: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But We’re Afraid to Ask” at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 21.

The way the seminars work is really quite simple. Cleaners who wish to “phone in” a seminar will simply call a toll-free phone number and enter a registration access code they received when signing up and paying for the seminar.

Then, they can spend the next 90 minutes listening to the presentation on phone from any location — relaxing at home, or working at the drycleaning plant.

As an added bonus, those who plan to be near a computer can also register for online participation and simultaneously view the powerpoint presentation that supports the seminar lecture.

Online attendees may also e-mail questions during the seminar that will be addressed in a 30-minute question-and-answer session following the conclusion of the presentation.

Three days after the seminar, NCA will send phone attendees an audio copy of the presentation so that they may listen to it again at their leisure, or even share it with the staff and management team.

Those who registered online will additionally receive a copy of the powerpoint presentation for their own use, such as a training tool or as refresher material for employees.

Registration fees for those who wish to participate on the telephone only are $49 for NCA members and $69 for non-members. The cost goes up to $69 for NCA members and $99 for non-members for those who wish to register for both telephone and web-based participation.

Participation is limited so registration will be on a first come, first served basis.

To learn more, contact Ann Hargrove at NCA by calling (800) 888-1622 or e-mail her at: ann8132@aol.com.

More information can also be obtained by visiting NCA’s web site at www.nca-i.com and clicking on the link labeled “Telephone Seminars.”