Over the last 40 years, we have watched laundromats around the area and across the country flourish and fail. For many of these businesses, bad location or mismanagement was to blame for the demise of the business. However, the most likely culprit for the downturn in business that a laundromat will see is a weak relationship with their customers. Getting and keeping a strong customer base for you coin-op is crucial to the success and longevity of your business. Building a strong relationship with your customers doesn't have to cost you a lot of money or be a flashy customer perks program. What people appreciate and remember most about a business is the way they feel when they are in the space. They recall the interactions they have with staff members and other patrons. Treating your customers like they are family is part of your laundromat's recipe for success. When you're searching for Continental Girbau dealers in Charleston, SC, make the right choice by calling T & L!
Company Is Coming
Remember when you were a kid and your relatives came to visit? In our house, these visits meant two days of cleaning, meal preparation, and bringing the good linens out of the closet in the hall. That's how your customers should feel when they walk into your laundromat. Everything should be neat, tidy, and welcoming for them. Your staff should greet them and offer assistance with the machines or call them by name and welcome them back. Creating a genuine rapport with your customers is key. Regular customers will appreciate that your staff remembers them by name and asks them how things are going. New customers will feel welcomed by a friendly face and an offer of help with unfamiliar equipment in a strange setting. Ensuring the bathrooms are cleaned, the trash cans are empty, folding tables are wiped down, and that machines are in good working order says to your customers, both new and old, 'Welcome! We're glad you're here!'
Sit Down and Stay Awhile
Some of your customers will spend hours of their day in your business while they wait for laundry to finish. Keeping a clean laundromat is important to your customers' comfort but so is having seating options that make you want to sit down and stay awhile. While hard plastic chairs may be easy to keep clean, they don't encourage customers to sit and stay. You may see your customers heading to their cars to sit or dropping off their laundry and heading out to run errands. Getting your customers to stay in your laundromat can help increase your bottom line. One of our customers has an older couch in their laundromat that the customers love. It's comfortable and it makes the waiting area of the laundromat feel welcoming. If you notice your customers are dropping off their laundry and leaving, consider investing in some more comfortable and unique seating options.
Keep the Kids Busy
Laundry day is a family day for many families. Kids in a laundromat can pose a hazard to other customers or get hurt themselves if they aren't given a safe area to be kids in. Creating a kids' corner will help keep your youngest customers busy and safe while they wait for the laundry to finish. Adding a TV to the area that shows kid-friendly movies can be a draw for some children. Other kids will appreciate having a few board games or card games or access to coloring sheets and crayons. Posting the artwork of your customers' children in a specific spot in your laundromat can add a homey feeling. Ensure that the kids' corner is away from entrances and exits to the building and that the area is regularly cleaned and sanitized by your staff.
Give a Little Bit
Having vending machines in your laundromat so that customers can purchase snacks and drinks is a great way to increase revenue for your laundromat. You should also consider offering some light drink or snack perks to your customers a few times a week. Bring in donuts from a local business or cookies from a bakery and set them out for your customers to enjoy. On hot summer days, a couple of cool pitchers of lemonade or iced tea would be a welcome treat. Your customers will come to associate these little touches with the welcoming environment of your business. Some customers may even make it a habit to come on a particular day because of the extra sweet treats.
Show Appreciation
There are many ways to show your customers that you appreciate them and their business. Implementing a customer rewards program is an easy way to say thank you for your customers' continued business. Free Dry Fridays are also a fantastic way to fill up your laundromat and give back to your customer base. Personal touches like a handwritten note or a holiday card from your business are also a nice touch.
When you work in your laundromat every day, it is easy to overlook the things in your business that need to be spruced up or repaired. Freshening up the interior paint in your laundromat can give the whole place a fresh clean look. Replacing broken or dirty flooring keeps the hazards of tripping and slipping down and makes your business appear more hygienic. Old or burned out light bulbs can make the interior of your laundromat seem dim and grimy. Replacing the bulbs in your laundromat twice a year can keep the interior looking bright and inviting. Updates to the exterior of your building, including new signs or a fresh coat of paint, can let your customers know that you care about your business.
Best Continental Girbau Dealers in Charleston, SC for 2018
Having a great laundromat isn't just about having the latest in commercial laundry equipment from T & L Laundry Equipment. Delivering a quality reliable clean to your customers in a pleasant and inviting atmosphere can help you stand out from the competition. We are passionate about the commercial and vended laundry industry, and we work hard to stay ahead of the latest trends and technology. When you work with T & L, you're not just getting another vendor for your laundromat. You're getting to partner with one of the best Continental Girbau dealers in Charleston, SC. With us, you're getting a partner in your business. We proudly offer complimentary site visits to help our customers review their current equipment and store layout to ensure that they are getting the most out of the space. If it's time for new equipment for your laundromat, we proudly offer a complete lineup of equipment from two of today's top manufacturers, Speed Queen and Continental. Our in-house financing makes it easy to get what you need for your business.
Call or come by the showroom today and talk with our sales team about how T & L Laundry Equipment can help you deliver an exceptional customer experience.
