EDITORIALS:When cleaners work together...

It's comforting to know that cleaners have the ability to work together for a common causeŠ and make a difference.

In recent weeks, individuals have banded together into larger groups and have accomplished more than they could have alone. On Feb. 14, over 100 New York drycleaners and industry affiliates banded together in the New York Legislative Office Building in New York for Albany Day. The strong showing of NCA members prompted the New York State DEC to extend its May 15th deadline for upgrading third generation perc drycleaning machines. Though the date of the new deadline is still unspecified, NCA expects it will be about nine more months.

Over in the Midwest, a string of Indiana drycleaning plant robberies (nine different stores were hit in just over two weeks) precipitated local store owners to communicate together voluntarily, sharing helpful information about the robbers with other cleaners. In fact, Linda Downard, the front counter employee of U.S. $1.99 Cleaners whose call to the police lead to the arrest of two suspects, received some vital details in the proverbial nick of time. A composite sketch and a listing of the robber's method of operation came from one of Linda's friends, who was robbed while working at a competitor's store on the previous night.

Of course, associations serve the purpose of working for the greater good for individuals all of the time ‹ uniting single cleaners for common causes. But, in Indiana, that wasn't the case. Drycleaners decided to spread the word on their own accord and it succeeded, ending a threat to the entire community.

Even events like Albany Day, when an association (NCA) works hard to get cleaners an opportunity to speak with one voice, it still requires the efforts of individuals in order to work effectively.

Fortunately, there are many such individuals who are helping the associations to keep watch over the rest of the industry.

...And when they don't

For every example of cleaners working together for their common good, there is, unfortunately, another example of the vast majority of cleaners remaining inert when communal action is called for. While the positive results of joint action are often readily apparent, the negative fallout of inaction is sometimes harder to see. But it is still there -- in the form of public relations programs that die on the vine, legislation that never gets out of committee, technological progress that never occurs, and even, simply, meetings that are canceled.

Where woudl we be as an industry if more hands would regularly show up on deck when there is work to do? How much lighter might the regulatory burden be if attempts to raise funds for political action met with more success? How much more productive and efficient might our workplaces be if more cleaners supported innovation instead of clinging to the tried and true (and old and tired)?

It is disturbing to see the tepid response to IFI's attempt to survey members on critical political issues facing the industry. IFI did everything possible to give people the information and the means to participate in a survey which the association would then use to determine the direction it takes in trying to lead the industry. They did everything... twice! We know the weak response is not an IFI problem because we have seen the same kind of response when others -- trade publications, associations and individual cleaners -- attempt to gauge industry opinion and needs.

The conclusion we draw from the IFI survey is that the biggest issue facing the industry is apathy. Apathy itself won't kill the industry, but it will be the demise of many individual cleaners who, facing an increasingly complex business environment, will simply not have the means to go it alone. If the institutions and networks that hold the many pieces of the industry together are not supported in good times, they may not be around to help in time of trouble. Participation in the larger life of the industry, beyond your cleaning plant's doors, brings both short and long term benefits. The effort must be made today. Tomorrow may be too late.

Focus pocus: Where is your focus?

That's a good question. Don't think of clobbering your nearby competitor. And don't make it a habit of looking through his store window to see how much clothing he has hanging on his conveyors or how many hampers are full for the next day's cleaning. It's OK if you peek a little so long as it doesn't become a habit.

Do like the Olympic athletes do. They stay focused on their shortcomings They don't assume. They know that competition is going to be tough.

The more you focus on what your competitors are doing, the more you neglect your own business. It is best to be focused on quality, like the needle on a compass that always holds steadfast north.

You don't need a degree to make a living in drycleaning, but you need to know what drycleaning means to consumers and what they expect when they have garments drycleaned.

They expect more than what the drycleaner thinks. They know that when a garment gets dirty, it needs to be cleaned. They also know when a woolen outer garment gets dirty, they will take it to a drycleaner

The same thing with a silk blouse with a wine stain. They expect the drycleaner to take it off.

Looking at the white linen jacket with a dirty ring around the collar, they want that removed, too. Now look at that light blue rayon dress with yellowish stains on the blouse part of the dress. The customer rubbed it with something and it didn't come out and she doesn't know what the stain is but she wants it removed. She says it is a brand-new expensive dress and wants you to be careful and not to ruin it.

So there you are. Now you know why you are needed. And now you know what to focus on.

Sorry. Wrong number.

Many readers of National Clothesline (not the clothes line in the back yard) saw on the front page of the past December issue, in the lower right hand corner, the Phenix Supply Company ad on-wheels. Standing in the back of the truck next to the sign on the left side was Barry Durden and Denise Shipes and on the far right standing in the shade was Billy Kirkland. You could tell it was Billy because he was wearing a cap.

All three were smiling, almost laughing, because the phone number on the truck was no longer in service: The new number is (770) 981-2800. Ms. Cripps, the office manager, informed me that everything worked out fine. Customers liked the truck message and the message on bumper stickers that are given to customers is attracting attention.

The Phenix Supply Company is well known in Georgia and surrounding states. It has served and is still serving the laundry and drycleaning industry for more than 100 years.

Frank Parker, probably the oldest member of the company, and now a semi-retired vice president, has been with the company from its early beginning.

As a salesman he represented his company in a high standard of propriety. And he had high respect for his customers. He listened as a doctor with a patient. By listening he understood their needs and wants.

A bond of trust developed between him and his customers. Today, and as of early years, the Phenix Supply Company enjoys an impeccable reputation given to them by their customers... Trust and respect. As always, respect begets respect.

The virtual conference room

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

Well, OK, it was only a few years ago (but that's a long, long time in Internet years) in California (well, that might be considered a galaxy far, far away for many of us who don't live there).

Back in a time when no one was really sure what to do with this new toy called "the Internet", Dave Spensley (a now-retired drycleaner) and Hal Horning (still editor of this fine publication) began the "Fabricare Forum." It is a subscription-only online message board for those in the cleaning industry.

Some of this problem is avoided in the Forum, where several hundred people from across the English-speaking world "meet" to discuss problems that are, in fact, universal. Even though one of them may be the owner of the next plant up the road, people seem to be freer to speak their minds online. The Forum helps plant owners and managers know that they are not alone in the world with their problems.

The Forum is also a tool for finding answers to mechanical problems: "My still isn't cooking as efficiently as it used to" or "there's a lot of blue water coming into the water separator on my drycleaning machine."

Queries like these appear on the Forum, and often an operator is able to resolve his or her problems much more promptly than would otherwise be the case because somewhere, someone else had the same problem once and can suggest the remedy. So the Forum raises the general level of maintenance and repair skills of its members.

The Forum can be a tool for solving specific spotting problems and "disasters" like ink loads. Advanced techniques are offered to queries of "how do I remove food spots from velvet" and "how do I get ink out of a load of colored shirts." At times, the group resembles an advanced class in fibers and fabrics and spot and stain removal.

The Forum is a way to learn business ideas from other cleaners. Many successful cleaners offer their operating, marketing, advertising, and customer service successes for other cleaners to use. Examples include pictographs for proper tagging, "image" tips, successful special offers, customer retention ideas, and customer service stories that reflect both good and bad experiences.

During the past election cycle, there was the inevitable debate on which presidential candidate favored policies that would benefit the cleaning industry. Perhaps some "undecideds" actually used the information that other cleaners presented online and made up their minds.

The Forum sometimes features "big picture" debates concerning the direction of the industry at large and how good and bad economic news will affect us generally. It turns out that there are a few cleaning plant owners who are economists!

Sometimes there are testimonials to an industry professional or product. To some individuals, the highest recommendations come from those whose opinions they respect. To such people, others' recommendations figure highly in their own research and decision-making on what to do and what to buy.

The chance to become known (or more widely known) in the industry is an important aspect of the Forum, as well. The Indiana Drycleaning and Laundry Association (of which I've been a member since entering the industry in 1989) has invited several guest speakers over the past few years based mainly on the strength of their postings online. In 1999, Bill Bohannon came to Indiana to present his ideas on figuring shirt costs. In 2000, "Wetspo" Mike Achin gave an advanced spotting seminar in the state.

Then there's the negative. Some people have used the Forum to attack others who, in their opinion, have slighted them in some way. Fortunately, these "grudge matches" are usually met with the on-line equivalent of "why don't you take this outside?" It is not really clear how the people on the Forum as a whole view these situations, or whether it influences their future choices of suppliers, equipment, or professional services.

It is clear that the Forum represents an opportunity to quickly influence a large international group of leading cleaners with stories that wouldn't otherwise see the light of day, both good and bad. The main impact for those who choose to invest time and effort in participation is exposure to the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly of our industry as it exists outside their own plants. Everyone who participates can learn more about running a professional operation.

Ultimately, the potential educational impact of the Forum is its greatest significance. In a time when many "success gurus" emphasize continuing education, drycleaners may actually be ahead of the curve!

First impressions will always last

How was President George W. Bush's first week in the Oval Office?

"We were all raised by mothers who told us we had one chance to make a first impression," said Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. Saying he was encouraged by the first few days, he added, "And a first impression can last you awhile."

It's all about first impressions -- government and business -- both making them and responding to them. In critical situations, everyone's antennas are up, super sensitive to even the most inconsequential signal. We seem convinced that almost everything rides on making a correct first impression: "Did we put our best foot forward?" "The first meeting is always pivotal. How did we do?" "What can we do to make it more impressive?"

Why all the concern with first impressions? Why do we believe that the first contact makes a difference? Is it true that no one gets a second chance at making a first impression or is that just popular business lore?

In some ways, it is difficult to understand why we place so much importance on first impressions. It isn't only making them that gets our attention, of course. It's reading them, as well.

Armed with extremely limited information, we often come to conclusions that are instantly indelible. If we know such conclusions may be questionable, why do we persist in making snap judgments that are virtually impossible to change?

The answer is simple. First impressions work. They reduce anxiety and allow us to move through the day with less stress. Walk into an auto dealership to look at a car and you are immediately turned off by a 'pushy' salesperson. How often do we hear someone say, "From the very moment I met her, I knew...?" Or, "They didn't have us fooled for a minute. As soon as they opened their mouths, we could tell..."

Making judgments on such limited knowledge may seem difficult to defend. Yet, studies support the extensive influence of first impressions. Consider, for example, one research project. Conducted by Jennifer Humble and Dr. Barbara Bremer, the objective was to evaluate the extent that dress and physical appearance affect the quality of social interactions.

Using a retail store setting, the researchers discovered that the sociability of the clerks was significantly higher when interacting with a well-dressed actor than when interacting with a poorly dressed one.

Other studies suggest that facial expression, gestures, glasses, personal coloring, garment style, and make up can play a key role in impression formation.

As Humble and Bremer conclude, "Individuals tend to make intrinsic judgments about a person based on external cues."

What is true about first impressions of individuals may be equally significant for companies. Businesses select street and building addresses for company offices because they send "the right message." They are believed to make the right impression.

Even though we acknowledge the role a first impression can play in making a sale, signing on a new client, or walking away with an order, we often "come up blank" when it comes to other issues.

A few questions may make the point:

• We are often satisfied with a one- or two-color brochure, even though full color is known to attract far more attention.
• Why do we use "Dear Valued Customer" on letters even though a personalized letter receives more attention?
• Why do we persist in using "cold calling" even though we are personally turned off when we receive such calls ourselves?
• What is the impact of a logo designed by an amateur or one that is 30 years old? What type of impression does each make?
• What is the subtle effect of using a heavier weight paper stock for letterhead verses a thin but far less expensive paper?
• What impression do customers have when a company responds to requests immediately instead of weeks or days later?
• What is the impact of a projected presentation that is typed with black letters on a white background verses one that has been professionally designed and the presentation made with a PowerPoint-type program?
• How does image advertising influence the perception of customers and prospects?
• What effect does a newsletter that looks like an "ad" and contains self-serving material have on readers?
• How effective is a Web site in attracting customers when every page is company-focused versus one that provides visitors with helpful information?
• How do we feel about a fast food restaurant when we are forced to wait in line to get an order? Or the supermarket that opens more lines to accommodate the flow of customers?
• What impression does a company make when it delivers orders quicker than promised?

Clearly, business is about impressions. The psychological literature is filled with examples of studies verifying that misjudgments result from incomplete or misleading information.

In one such study, for example, a group was asked to memorize a list of words that included terms of praise, while another group was asked to memorize a list that included scornful terms.

Then, both groups undertook an ostensibly different task in which they read an ambiguous news story about a young man. When questioned, the first group was much more positive about the young man than were those in the second group, presumably because the positive words they had just memorized came to mind and vice versa.

There are implications in this that can be serious for a business. On the one hand, taking steps to shape and protect customers, vendors, stockholders, and the public's perceptions can be positive and beneficial as a company like Nordstrom's knows so well. Even those who have never shopped at a Nordstrom's store have a positive impression of the company. The story is quite different for a Firestone.

Here are just a few ideas that may help make a difference in the way a company actively fosters appropriate, positive impressions:

1. Be painfully clear about how you want your company to be perceived.

What impression do you want to make? A good example is United Parcel Service. No matter how bad the weather, UPS trucks are clean and the drivers are always neatly uniformed no matter how hard they have been working.

UPS knows that the way it looks on the street and at the door influences how customers rate its service. But it all starts with a precise description of how you want your company or product to be perceived.

2. Take every positive and negative message seriously.

What do customers like -- and what do you dislike? If there are disconnects between what you say and how you perform, someone is getting a confused message -- and that means the wrong impression.

Negative messages should never be ignored, even though they may be way off base. What's behind the misconception? How did it happen? And what can be done to change it?

3. Be clear in your understanding of what the customer is thinking.

Although it's not easy, it's necessary. An insider's perspective is out of the question when it comes to impressions. For example, what's the message of the company logo?

It might be worthwhile holding a focus group and asking customers what they think when they see it. Many banks still picture themselves in terms of "strong, solid buildings." Is this the impression a bank wants to make today? Also, ask them what they think about when they think of your company or product.

4. Capitalize on every uniqueness. How does your company, service, or product differ from the competition? What are you doing that they aren't? These don't need to be major differences to make a difference in the mind of the customer.

A drycleaner with 40 stores emphasizes what the company calls "Ready-Today" service instead of the common "Same-Day" day service. By making a somewhat common service distinctive, it has made a difference. These become impressions that influence how customers "see" a company.

Acting as if impressions are unimportant is never an answer. The demise of Montgomery Wards is a good example of what happens to a company that made no impression on the customer. Wards failed to give customers a reason to go to their stores. As a result, customers no longer thought of most Wards' stores as buying destinations.

On the other hand, Kohl's stores have found a niche in the highly competitive "department store" market by combining name brand merchandise with discounted pricing, and they have attracted consumers using this merchandising strategy. They crafted the right impression.

There are other impressions, too. Firestone's failure to respond quickly to the tire crisis created the impression that the company didn't care or was stonewalling the issue.

Even when the company came forward with its commitment to make good on every tire, the initial impression may have caused the public to doubt the company's sincerity -- and, more importantly, to question the quality of the company's other products.

Perhaps Amazon.com is enjoying the biggest payoff for making the right impression on customers. Although the value of its stock has suffered during the demise of the dotcoms, the company's reputation remains undiminished. It stands out in the dotcom pack as a result of the quality of its customer service and relentless public relations efforts.

But there are other companies, too, that understand the value of making the right impression. W.B. Mason, a large office supply dealer in the Northeast, continually strives to make an impression that places it ahead of the competition. Their deliveries, for example, are so fast they seem to be in real time! Place an order and it's at your office in a few hours. That speed sends a powerful, indelible message: this company has its act together. No sales literature is needed because the impression tells it all.

The right first impressions are the last thing a company wants to forget.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
He feels left out of "big guns" article

Once again SiliconValleyCleaners.com has been deliberately left out!

In reference to your article entitled As "big guns" take aim at the drycleaning industry, Inc. magazine takes notice (February, 2001), I would like to address your exclusion of one drycleaner in particular, namely, SiliconValleyCleaners.com.

Inc. magazine's January 2001 article, "An opportunity to clean up" looked in-depth at four specific drycleaning companies: Zoots, HangersCleaners, PurpleTie and SiliconValleyCleaners.com. It highlighted SiliconValleyCleaners.com as the parent company to AmeriCleaners.com under the title of "One mom-and-pop responds." Inc. magazine also highlighted SiliconValleyCleaners.com in a second article in their online magazine on January 11, 2001.

Since your February article was essentially reiterating Inc. magazine's article, I was wondering why the staff writers at Clothesline decided to exclude SiliconValleyCleaners.com from it. I was amazed to find that you made no mention of a drycleaner whose accomplishments were specifically highlighted in a quarter of the article and who was accredited as a true, hard-working and veteran drycleaner.

Your repeated articles about PurpleTie and others have scared many bricks and mortar drycleaners. While it is a reporter's job to present unbiased information designed to inform the public, we have noticed that National Clothesline persists in feigning ignorance about our company. Unless of course, your ties to certain interest groups disallow you from mentioning SiliconValleyCleaners.com in your articles.

As a drycleaner who subscribes to and regularly receives your newspaper, I am a bit disappointed to see how information is extracted from other publications and intentionally ironed to leave out certain, and often pertinent information, which might have a strong bearing on the overall picture. It leads me to question the articles written by the rest of the staff writers in your news organization. At least Inc. magazine presented all sides of the industry's story. I wish I could say the same about National Clothesline.

These 'big guns' are drawn to this industry because they perceive us as sullied unprofessional, loosely organized, cob-webbed business operators. They bet on their ability to offer convenience to our customers with a polished, giant corporate image. Most mom-and-pop shops have been in the drycleaning business for a number of years and have a strong handle on the industry.

Consumers' hunger for convenient services is an opportunity to be seized. Drycleaners are in a service industry, yet the service provided is very limited and lacks an element of convenience, which, in today's market, is a primary concern among the working people who are the prime customers of any drycleaner. People today, regardless of their profession, are working harder than before and have less time to do daily chores.

A handful of drycleaners who have the right vision and understanding of providing convenience to their customers have started a route service delivering to homes and/or offices. This has indeed increased their business, but they are struggling with marketing, efficient route management, and payment processing. As a drycleaner I understand all of these difficulties associated with having a route service.

SiliconValleyCleaners.com was founded by Beach Cleaners, a long established pick-up and delivery drycleaning company in Redwood City, CA. Its objective was to stay at par with the new economy, including advances in marketing, order fulfillment, communication, streamlining route management, and facilitation of the payment process so that it could attract the sophisticated e-commerce consumers who spend most of their time in cyberspace.

The recent advancement of Internet into our homes and offices has made it possible to have access to a number of services instantly. Increasingly, the traditional bricks and mortar businesses are racing to tap into this lucrative market by going online.

SiliconValleyCleaners.com, the first online drycleaning service, has made it possible for other drycleaners to enter the online market by creating the first nationwide on-line drycleaning and laundry service called AmeriCleaners.com. This system was first introduced to cleaners at the FabriCare 2000, Long Beach, California in August 2000. It was also shown at Drycleaning Expo 2000 Atlantic City in September 2000. The creation of AmeriCleaners.com makes it possible for those visionary cleaners to bypass the hassle and the enormous costs of forming their own online business. 

This is not the case with other big guns, whose aim is to put these very same cleaners out of business and your publication continues to ignore the real accomplishments of an established drycleaner, namely SiliconValleyCleaners.com.

Mike Ghazvini
Co-founder and president
SiliconValleyCleaners.com Inc.
Owner/operator, Beach Cleaners
Redwood City, CA

EDITOR'S NOTE: Inc. magazine reported on three heavily capitalized firms that have invested in the drycleaning business. Mr. Ghazvini's company was not featured as one of the three "big guns" in the Inc. article. Rather it was highlighted in a sidebar which described his company as a "mom-and-pop" cleaner. Our interest was in the "big guns," as our headline made clear. This does not mean we are not interested in Mr. Ghazvini's endeavors. In fact, in our November, 2000, issue we published an article of nearly 500 words devoted entirely to his company. This he should know, since that article has been reproduced on his company's web site. We think it is Mr. Ghazvini who is "feigning ignorance."

Copyright © 2001, BPS Communications