National Clothesline

Are your sales down compared to last year? Has your competition been taking a large part of your customers? Are you satisfied with your quality and customer service? Do you find yourself in a “rut” with no hope of digging yourself out?

A comprehensive marketing program together with a major overhaul of you, your staff and your entire business’ presentation could be the solution. You may need a complete “makeover” from front to back.

Most times, merely changing signs or lowering prices or offering discounts or improving your quality and service do not seem to solve the problem.

The makeover must be accompanied by a comprehensive marketing program geared to your market. Fortunately, there are several highly qualified marketing companies that specialize in the fabric care industry exclusively. Just don’t make the mistake of considering advertising as the only medium since the comprehensive program is much more than that.

The makeover should begin with the façade of your building. Your customer service area must be neat, attractive, color coordinated, inviting and super efficient. Generous use of natural materials and vegetation should be the norm.

After all, this is the first impression that the public gets of your entire business, and must be impressive.

Never have signs telling the public what you are not responsible for, but you should tell them all the things you are responsible for: white whites, bright colors, missing buttons replaced, all garments properly pressed and preserved, delivery on time or it’s free, satisfaction guaranteed.

Never post a “Help Wanted” sign in your window since that tells the public that you are under-staffed and cannot handle more business.

Your customer service representatives (CSRs) should be neatly dressed and groomed. A smart uniform with a professional name tag should be worn by the CSRs. The uniform can consist of a pair of tan slacks and a green polo shirt with your plant’s name embroidered on one side and the name tag on the other side.

Your CSRs should be well-trained in customer service techniques and basic technical knowledge. Courses in communication with customers, basic spotting, basic fabrics, basic clerical duties and handling of money should be given to CSRs.

Your presence at the front is necessary since customers like being in contact with the owner or manager to give them a sense of security and an expression of your appreciation of their business.

And above all, keep the area neat and clean at all times, and don’t forget to repeat the customer’s name before he or she leaves the store.

Include a tailoring department in the customer service area. Having that activity there will draw lots of tailoring business, like a magnet draws metal shavings.

Also, your CSRs should be trained in minor fitting for alterations: waist, seat, outside seam length, etc. This will save your tailor valuable sewing time.

Next, we should makeover the plant. Start with the floor material or concrete paint. Make sure the walls and ceiling are painted with a light color or white. Make sure the area is well-ventilated and lighted.

Make sure the finishing equipment and other accessories are clean and painted (if needed). Have waste baskets generously placed around the area and each unit.

Above all, have all workers in the area dressed in a polo shirt or some other type of shirt with the plant’s name embroidered on it. And keep the area clean.

In my package plants we stopped work 20 minutes earlier and every one participated in general clean up. Better still, if you can afford a part time maintenance person to keep the area and equipment clean, it would be a great advantage.

If the plant is surrounded by windows, keep them clean. After all, consumers want their clothes cleaned in a clean environment.

What are the advantages of the makeover? First, it shows the public that you are a completely new business from front to back. It shows that you are a progressive operator who believes in advancing rather than retreating. It shows that you have the means and the “know how” to accomplish your goals. It gives consumers the secure feeling that doing business with you is the best guarantee of customer satisfaction.

In my former neighborhood we had a Chinese restaurant that served excellent food at a reasonable price, but it was dingy and run-down looking and it began to lose a lot of business. Since the Chinese owners were smart business people, they decided to have a “makeover.”

They closed their doors temporarily and completely remodeled the building from front to back. They even changed the name of the business. They re-decorated the inside and bought new tables and other furniture. The tables had table cloths and napkins, and the silverware was the finest of stainless steel. The waiters and waitresses were in uniforms.

The restaurant marketed the “new opening” aggressively to coincide with the “makeover.”

The entire place looked like real “class.” Opening day brought a packed house, and they stayed busy from that day afterward.

Would you believe that the quality of food served was no better than it was before? The only difference was the means of presentation.