National Clothesline

Gone are the days when a newspaper ad would bring you an experienced cleaner/spotter, presser, counter sales representative or even a manager.

Gone are the days when your cleaner/spotter of 25 years experience was around to train the “new recruit” in his trade.

Gone are the days when your loyal, aging silk finisher was around to finish a lady’s blouse or a satin cocktail dress so elegantly that you wanted to place it on a mannequin as a display in your customer service area.

Today, most of the labor available to our industry is “green” and totally ignorant of the highly technical processes being introduced to us. The hand-written ticket has given way to the computer-generated invoice. The drycleaning machines are more technical than ever before.

Even the assembly of orders has been computerized with bar codes. I could go on and on with innovations requiring operators with intelligence and adaptability.

Where do our labor sources come from? Most are not even from the U.S. originally, and some of them do not even speak English.

Therefore, the need for training is more critically needed today than ever before. Some of the tensioning equipment has simplified the finishing process on pants and some plainly constructed garments, but, in the long run, training in finishing is still required on most of the garments, especially those requiring some detailing.

Spotting, or the lack of spotting, has been a serious problem within recent years as confirmed by several “shoppers” performed by local TV stations and newspapers. The need for professional stain removal has never been greater.

This writer has noticed that most drycleaners do not know how to properly finish a man’s suit coat or sport coat, e.g., the collar is rolled and not shrunk to form around the wearer’s neck, and the lapels are not firm and crisp or rolled correctly to a point about one inch above the first button or button hole. The bottom of the sleeves are not square and creased, and the lining sometimes shows.

Silk finishing is still the most tedious and detailed operation in today’s plant. Much skill is required to attain a crisp, yet reasonably soft, finish without hard creases or wrinkles. Rolled hems and pleats are still required on some of the more fancy ladies’ garments.

What about customer service? Some are clerks which merely receive and deliver garments. This position requires some basic knowledge of the entire cleaning and finishing process, especially spot identification and discussion. Customer service representatives need constant training in both customer service and technical processes. Even the most experienced customer service representatives need continuous training in all areas. As the military says: “Training never stops; it is ongoing.”

The good news, however, is that the “new breed” is entering the scene. Your market for workers is more unlimited today than ever before, and competition for that labor market is virtually non-existent. The bad news, however, is that they all need training, and that is the answer.

Training is more than telling and showing. It is a well-planned process whereby a person is TAUGHT to perform a task properly and timely. It is based upon motivation, patience, respect, skill and reward. It must be administered by well-trained teachers or experienced managers.

Training has six objectives:

• To increase the worker’s knowledge and skill.

• To enhance the worker’s value to you.

• To prepare the worker for advancement or better pay.

• To improve your plant’s operation.

• To maintain morale among your employees.

• To motivate your employees by giving them confidence.

There are two major phases in a well-managed training program:

• Establishing the training program.

• Implementing the training program.

This first major phase will become a disaster for your trainee and your whole training program if the proper preparations are not made.

The first task for a good training program is to prepare a training schedule and timetable. A schedule simply lists the subject to be taught, the time and place of the instruction and name of the instructor, especially if training is performed in a designated area and at designated times.

In some cases, it is better to train “raw recruits” after normal working hours in order to avoid disturbing the day's production.

I recall, in Clearwater, FL, I was employed to train two new shirt pressers in the evening so the regular daytime shirt pressers didn’t know that the trainees were actually their replacements. Then, at the end of the evening training period, the two “prima donnas” were let go, and the two trained replacements started the next morning as new (trained) shirt pressers.

A time-table is advantageous when training several persons to perform a similar job. It shows who can do what jobs and how long it will take to teach that person to do the job. It also shows how skilled a person is compared to how unskilled another person is.

An example of a pants finishing unit and a coat/utility finishing unit, e.g.

On this time-table the designation “X” denotes the operations that the trainee knows; the designation “ – “ denotes that the trainee is not adaptable or qualified to learn; the date indicates the operations to be taught and the time when the training should be completed.

When the chart was prepared, it showed at a glance that J. Jones had enough prior experience to warrant very little training other than to teach our way of doing the jobs. It also showed that we had to train the other two people in more phases of the job in order to reduce our total dependence on J. Jones.

Finally, the chart indicated the weak points and lack of experience claimed by the trainees when interviewed. M. Smith will not make a first-class finisher, but may be all right as a pants finisher only.

When a new employee is hired he or she automatically becomes a trainee, whether experienced or not. A glance at the timetable after a few days will show instantly where training is most needed and who needs to be upgraded.

The second step in establishing the training program is to prepare a job breakdown or job analysis of the operation. Often we know a job so well that we overlook the points that confuse the new worker, or sometimes we think we know a job when we really do not.

Remember one rule in adult education: “If the student has not learned, the teacher has not taught.” The same rule applies to the instructor in manual training in any industry. Somewhere during the instruction process the instructor fell down on the job. That is the reason for the importance of the second point of making a breakdown of the job.

The breakdown should be made out on the job, not in the office. It is surprising how many points are missed unless it is actually made out on the job, where every move can be observed.

In the breakdown sheet, each move is analyzed; and the important steps set down with any key points necessary in performing that step. A “step” is an operation in a logical group of operations necessary to completing the job. Try to avoid more than eight or nine steps since you may be trying to teach too much at one time. Make the job breakdown simple and brief.

A key point is:

• Anything in connection with the step which will make or break the job.

• Anything which simplifies the performance of the job and make it easier.

• Anything which might injure the worker if not followed.

It is not the purpose of the breakdown sheet to cover every conceivable step, motion, point or precaution; neither is it a description of the operation, nor an instruction sheet for the employees. It is simply a memorandum from the instructor to himself to help organize the operation in his mind so that he will not miss some important detail and to furnish a basis for uniform and standardized training.

A breakdown sheet is simply a reminder of what is really important to put over in a job. It is for the instructor’s use only and not to be given to the trainee.

The breakdown sheet can be prepared for each job in the plant, thus a very valuable method of instruction is built up so that all future training will be uniform. A typical breakdown sheet for training an operator in a shirt unit to finish sleeves on a cabinet bag sleeve press, e.g.

The third steps in establishing the training program are:

1. Have everything ready.

2. Have the work place properly arranged.

Since these two are so closely allied we can cover them together. Here the instructor should set the right example for the trainee. The right tools and equipment, in good working condition and properly placed, should be operated in exactly the same way the worker will be expected to operate them.

If the instructor has to apologize for using the wrong tool, or equipment, or for the disorderly condition of the working area, the trainee will lose respect and enthusiasm for both the instructor and the company. If, however, everything is exactly right and properly arranged, the trainee will be impressed with the fact that it behooves him to keep everything in a similar condition.

Implementing the training program

There are four basic steps to this second phase of implementing the training program:

1. Condition and prepare the trainee.

2. Present the job operation.

3. Have the trainee perform the job.

4. Follow up.

Note: This entire article is a preface and comprehensive explanation of my article of May 2004 on training new employees and retraining experienced newly hired employees. That article had outlined this second phase although not as elaborate as the information herein presented.

Condition and prepare the trainee

Five points should be covered in this first step

Put the trainee at ease. If not at ease, the trainee’s mind will wander. He or she will look around and will not concentrate on the training.

No one can learn if frightened or embarrassed. Have a friendly smile. Use a handshake when you are introduced. Tell the trainee that you are glad to have him or her in the company; appear natural and sincere. Try to establish mutual friends and similar interests. You must give the impression that you are a friend and ready to help. Make every effort to motivate the trainee to do the job as well as possible.

State what the job is. Be exact and avoid generalities. State the purpose of the job specifically, not a general haphazard description of it. Then lead into the next point…

Find out what the trainee already knows about the job. Prior experience eliminates unnecessary training. Point out things from the previous job which could be helpful, but keep in mind that you may have to “unlearn” some bad habits in the trainee’s learning process.

Get the trainee’s interest in learning the job. If the job is a stepping stone to something better, point this out. Be sure the trainee knows the amount of wages to be earned and on what basis. Explain the importance of the job and how it fits into the overall success of the plant’s operation.

Place the trainee in the correct position. The trainee should be placed where he or she can see what you do, close to the same side and angle that the trainee would be placed when actually performing the job.

Don’t let the trainee observe from the front of the machine or far on the side where the job performance can look distorted. Make sure the trainee is close to the instructor to see the job exactly as it will be performed by him or her.

This second step requires the instructor to demonstrate, tell, show and explain just how the job should be done, according to the following.

On the first demonstration:

TELL the trainee how to do the job.

SHOW the trainee how to do the job.

EXPLAIN and illustrate step-by-step and point-by-point according to your job breakdown. Stress the key points.

Go slowly, do not work fast. This is a training demonstration, not a piece-rate job.

Occasionally glance toward the trainee with a smile and expression of your eagerness to help.

Do not present more than can be mastered at one time. The job should be broken down into many simple operations. Teach one operation at a time.

Never say “Take your time,” as that will impress on the trainee’s mind not to try to improve in speed; instead, say “Get accuracy now; speed will come later.” This will let the trainee know that eventually speed will be required as well as quality work.

On the second demonstration:

Go through the same procedure as the first demonstration.

Ask some questions about the first demonstration.

Be patient when asking questions and be sure to compliment the trainee when correct answers are given. If the trainee does not answer the questions satisfactorily, repeat the demonstration completely.

Most important, be sure to answer all questions asked by the trainee. Speak clearly, loud enough for reinforcement and directly into the eyes of the questioner.

Be sure to explain any jargon used exclusively in this industry, such as “wash wheel,” “press buck,” “run and re-run,” etc.

This third step allows the trainee to actually do the job under the instructor’s guidance and supervision. Do not ask the trainee if he or she can do it. Tell the trainee to do it as though you know that he or she can. Motivate and inspire confidence in the trainee. Then have the trainee repeat the performance and explain what he or she is doing.

Do not reprimand the trainee if he or she does not get it right away. Simply repeat the instruction until you know that he or she has it understood. Do not “talk down” to the trainee by saying “Can’t you grasp a simple thing such as placing the garment correctly on the buck?” As I said before: be patient. Most important here is to correct all errors at once so they do not become habit.

This last step in training is not the point at which the trainee tells and shows the instructor how the job should be done. Instead, the instructor should “break away” gradually.

When the instructor is sure that the trainee understands the job, put the trainee on his or her own. Check back frequently as to how the trainee is progressing. Re-train in the weak points and always stress the key points to each step of the job breakdown.

A good training program is essential to a prosperous plant operation. The points outlined in this article, and the article of May 2004, should enable your plant to embark on a program of utilizing the services of the vast new labor pool available to you.

If you need professional help with your training program, seek it through your local and national trade association or a qualified training consultant with both school experience and practical experience. Do it right.