National Clothesline

When building million-dollar routes for clients, I often remind operators that “route” is short for “routine.”

I expound on this by stating that this is a two-fold remark. The pick-up and delivery service should be based on a system in which your operations are smooth and efficient while making it profitable, repeatable, manageable and maintainable.

You must have vision to create

such a model, a game plan to make it happen and a clear vision of where you want to be. This does not happen if you don’t make your route run “routinely”.

First of all, you want all your customers to “routinely” use the service. The ultimate route client is one who drops a bag at least once a week. However, I consider a good customer one you serve once every two weeks.

Part of growing your business is to “educate” clients about the benefits of the service as well as “training” them to leave the bag on the proper pick-up and delivery days. This also means not putting them on an “on-call” basis.

Again, with the “route” is short for “routine” philosophy, I want customers to know that we are in the neighborhood twice a week. We are not a pizza delivery service that will be there whenever they want.

I have seen too many non-profit routes in which each individual customer is treated differently. If you give a customer an inch, he will become your ruler. Let customers know the days, the service and give them a quality product, and establish a boundary in which you can serve more customers, more efficiently. If someone wanted you to be open at midnight to get his clothes, you wouldn’t do that. Apply this same basic principle to route customers.

Second, for a route to be serviced efficiently, a routine system must be in place for the drivers to effectively do their job and make the route profitable and manageable.

I strongly recommend a system in place that eliminates errors BEFORE the clothes leave the plant. Utilizing the manifest to the fullest will assist in all aspects of the route.

Also, don’t let “on calls” disrupt the route driver’s routine, especially if there is not a proper system in place for call-ins. Operations should be so systematic that anyone could come in and fill in for a sick or replaced driver.

Too often the driver is the system and you are handcuffed by the driver doing the route his or her way. If you are in this position right now, it is time to call me so that I can provide you with some stability insurance since you will have an issue sooner or later.

Thirdly, the driver should be doing the route in a routine manner in which his Monday-Thursday routes are done the same on both days.

Too often the drivers serve clients at different times or different places. Why complicate the process? I am often surprised by how much the route deviates and how confused management is when it has to fill in for a sick driver.

Again, this is cancerous and usually ends up in some sort of disaster. You can’t fire a driver since no one else can serve the clients or, if you do, the customers suffer because they were used to this special treatment. I have seen too many scenarios in which some driver works 50 hours a week, delivering when he wants to.

When marketing for new delivery customers, I let them know that we “routinely” drive by their house twice a week. This gives them three reasons to sign up for the route.

1. We are already in the neighborhood. This gives us credibility, while eliminating their fear that they don’t do enough drycleaning.

2. No more “on-calls.” Let them know that you are in the customer service business and not to worry about calling. Customers will appreciate this.

3. Keeping up with the Joneses. Often they will sign up just because their neighbors are doing it.

The bottom line is that you must have a routine in place for operating a successful service. Be proactive, not reactive, and you will have a million-dollar route that is also profitable.