National Clothesline

It is amazing that the drycleaning business is comprised of over 1,000 little, minute details in order to fully accomplish what many consumers think is probably an easy task — just getting the clothes cleaned right and right on time.

You know that this is so true. The weakest link in your drycleaning operations will slow down your process.

This is why I think that it is so critical to focus on the basics and create a system that prevents micro-management, while providing accountability, productivity and, more important, profitability. This rings ever so true when it comes to building and operating successful routes.

As a consultant, my objective is to provide the very best in coaching, training, education and, of course, problem-solving techniques for growth and for efficiency. Every project I am on, it is my duty to provide information in which will enable you to make more money while eliminating excess costs.

No, I am not applying for a job, but quite often I witness many little things that effect your bottom line and quite often I get the dreaded two worst responses: “I know that” or “That really doesn’t matter.”

However, what I ask of you now and always whenever you seek advice from any of the consultants is to be open and listen. What you may think is unimportant may be part of the core problem in your operations and marketing and you might not even know.

Either one of these responses are death blows to consultants who are really trying to help and that is why I am going to share some of the “littlest things” that really do affect the overall growth of your routes. I ask that you look at this from either the eyes of a consumer or an outsider and think about how you might hit some of these issues head on.

If you make one change, I can only assure you that it will be worth it or I promise to refund you the cost of this publication.

This is so critical and many of you do not do this. All you need is a simple log sheet to accomplish this task and enter the data on a spreadsheet.

OK, so this takes a little effort on the part of the driver — so be it. Usually you are the one who is paying for the gas.

Hold them accountable and monitor their spending and driving time. You may be a bit surprised at the results. It is a safe bet that when I ride with a driver on a project, he gets back earlier and finishes the route with fewer miles than usual.

Gas looks like it it going to creep up again, and every dollar counts. This is so easy to manage and regulate, and I feel that it is one of the most important things to do in monitoring profitability.

I would bet that 30 percent of the delivery vans I ride in have broken windshields. Most of them look like the driver lives in them (which happens more often than you think).

Too often the driver gives me the standard comment: “This is my office.”

If you were to visit someone in their office and found it in complete disarray, you would not be impressed.

We need to look professional and organized. Scattered trash on the dashboard affects our image.

You’ve heard me preach this before, but we do have “clean” in our name. Your van is a rolling billboard and represents quality. Don’t skimp on this one either.

The driver must be presentable. There is no excuse for a driver who looks like he should be on MTV or just got done skateboarding. Many times they are in the nicest neighborhoods or in a professional commercial building.

We are in the drycleaning business and I find it hard to believe that the best representative of our product does not use our own service. Too often the excuse is, “The driver never sees anybody.”

Yeah, but people do see them. Clean them up and get a logoed shirt. This one should be automatic.

It is funny, but I bet that they didn’t interview for the job wearing the clothes they now wear on the route.

OK, you hear this one month after month, but I could do an eight-hour seminar on the importance of this. Drivers who are unwilling to use the manifest correctly become the system and hold you hostage if you allow them to sway from this.

This is your most important marketing, management and maintenance piece. Unless you are adding 100 customers a week, there should be no excuse for why you cannot keep it in order.

Also, clean it up. I have seen route lists with over 1,000 names on it; some of them have been dead for years. Take off inactive customers and clean it.

OK, I threw this one in there. But selling and marketing takes some time, patience and an understanding that it is not going to provide instant results.

Your marketing pieces and personnel must be sharp, polished and providing accurate data without confusion.

The bottom line is that in today’s world you or your manager must step up and raise the bar. The economic situation is scaring many operators and the key is to solidify business as well as bringing in new customers.

Skimping on your day-to-day operations does hurt you. The above concerns are overlooked way too often and, judging by what I have seen for the past four years, those who do not do the above usually do not grow their routes.

Do yourself a big favor, change your mind-set in these changing times and be willing to hold you and your drivers more accountable.

Thank you to the response from all the owners, managers, drivers and others to my article in National Clothesline in January. I do taking consulting very seriously and I am passionate with how things are looking in the future.

The purpose of the article was to “entertrain” you and judging by the comments and additional stories that were e-mailed to me, mission accomplished.

The bottom line for drivers and employees is to get them passionate about their job. Not many people grow up wanting to work in our industry. Even second-, third- and fourth-generation owners did not want to.

My goal for the next few years is to change the face of the industry into a positive one. I don’t know how people I coach could be embarrassed to say they work for a cleaner.

One of the ways to assist me in this goal is in marketing your business, and we will address that next month.