National Clothesline

DRAPER, UT — SPOT Business Systems has teamed up with a leading supplier of digital video recording security systems to produce a fully integrated security-based point-of-sale system for the drycleaning industry.

This add-on video security system, called SPOTVision, stores months of video camera sequences and can handle up to 16 color cameras in a variety of sizes and shapes for indoor/outdoor and day/night use. The system can be used to monitor whole-store activity across multiple cameras in real-time either locally at a store or via the Internet 24 hours per day. Automated after-hours recording can be activated with configurable timers or camera-based motion detection for 24-hour security coverage.

When combined with SPOT drycleaning management software order drop-off, order pickup cash transactions, order detailing, or any other production process step can be selectively recorded and overlaid with the capture of related transaction data. For example, a retail counter order pickup camera can automatically record the clerk accessing the cash drawer during the transaction as it occurs and display the SPOT receipt showing all orders picked up, total pickup amount, the amount paid, and form of payment. Specific recorded video sequences can be located by invoice number, customer, time, etc., and reviewed quickly by using the highly intuitive built-in search utility.

This new security system has been recently put to use in a plant with 17 work stations where all orders are tracked and recorded by SPOTvision through five productions steps: order receipt, mark-in, assembly, QC, and bagging. In the first two weeks of operation with SPOT and SPOTvision, the plant has reported several instances of lost garment reports that were quickly resolved by visually verifying that the garments in question were not actually received by the store.

BOULDER, CO — A computerized training and testing program for customer service representatives has been designed be Steve Boorstein, a third-generation drycleaner, past owner of a high-end cleaners, and advocate for the drycleaning industry.

Boorstein spent 15 years at the counter of his cleaners and trained CSRs who had no knowledge of silk blouse or wedding gown acceptance, leathers and suedes, and knowing which stains come out and which don’t.

Questions and answers pertaining to these and other issues were built into the tests. All of the information can be learned by reading the three-page study guides and taking the tests.

Cleaners can buy a single test on slacks or bedding, or a ten-pack that contains all the tests. Study guides and tests are written for and geared toward teaching, from the counter to the plant, with insights about fabrics, dyes, stains, pre-existing conditions, finishing, alterations, and other aspects of the business such as cross training.

The ten-pack includes blouses, slacks, jackets, shirts, sweaters, leather and suede, bedding, furniture covers, wedding gowns and wedding gown preservation.

The tests let owners and managers know quickly if new hires or established employees are capable of learning and retaining information.

The tests also can be used to assess employees for advancement and bonuses.

The tests are automated and can be taken on any internet-connected computer. The tests have a user name and are password protected for each employee. Results are immediate for the employee and the managers and owners receive full results by e-mail.

A CSR can retake a test to improve his or her score without penalty and the manager or owner gets both sets of results. Questions are scrambled after each test.

SKOKIE, IL — Foster-Stephens is introducing its four-color year-at-a-glance calendars for 2007 to provide drycleaners with a year’s worth of advertising at a low cost.

The calendars are designed to be imprinted with the drycleaner’s logo on the bottom and hung on outgoing cleaning. They are in stock and ready to be imprinted for year-end promotional give-aways.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Hanger Holder now offers its home delivery hangers in clear and black colors in addition to the original white. All of the hangers are made with a polycarbonate plastic to prevent peeling, chipping, scratching or rusting. They also have an original hook design that tilts upward, allowing them to hold maximum weight.

SOUTH PASADENA, FL — The Swivel Mount, a new product designed to make it easier to use the MBH Rope-Tie system for more efficient and economical shirt laundering, has been introduced by MBH Enterprises. The Swivel Mount can accommodate two, three or four J-hooks in a position that is convenient for the operator bundling the shirts into logs.

J-Hooks for The Swivel Mount can be color coded to match the colors of the Rope-Ties used for starch classification, rush orders, routes or any other classification desired for operating efficiency.

The Swivel Mount is easy to assemble and can be easily secured on the work table or counter where the shirts are tagged. Its compact design enables one operator to tie each order by classification, efficiently, without take a step.

TULSA, OK — Royaltone’s Silk Magic is a special formulation for prespotting silks, rayons and other problem water sensitive fabrics such as taffeta and organdy as well as linen, cotton, ramie and wool. It removes water rings, raindrops, perspiration rings, streaks, swales, blotches and soil on silks and rayons while it levels, improves and evens up colors.

Silk Magic can eliminate the need for re-runs and special after-treatments like rinsing, dipping, laundering and ironing out hard wrinkles.

Silk Magic is compatible with all drycleaning fluids, including perc, petroleum and Exxon 2000, all drycleaning detergents, all spotting chemicals and all drycleaning machines and filters.

Ready to use without mixing, Silk Magic is applied full strength with a hand sprayer or other spray apparatus.

After allowing a few minutes for it to act, apply mechanical action if needed with spatula and appropriate spotting brush, then dryclean for a ring-free, even, uniform result.

SYRACUSE, NY — Thermopatch has added to its selection of HiQ thermal label sizes a new HiQ label that has options.

The new label is 3/8ths of an inch high, but can be 1", 11é16" or 5é16" long.

Another option with this label configuration is you can have two labels, one 3é8" x 11é16" and one 5é16" x 5é16". In total this makes 21 thermal HiQ label sizes to choose from.

These labels are ideal for a small bar code and/or route number and can be placed inconspicuously on a garment. The quality of thermal printing has allowed labels to shrink in size and still be readable after multiple industrial and dryclean washings. A typical HiQ thermal label should outlast the garment it was heat-sealed onto.

Thermopatch has label and ink configurations that work on a number of different thermal printers on the market today. The company provides textile/garment identification, marking equipment, heat-seal machines, mending products and a variety of supporting supplies.