National Clothesline

The drycleaning industry suffered a great loss recently… two of its longtime members, Bill Bogus and Ken Faig, passed away. Bogus was 88 and Faig was 84, yet neither men let age slow their selfless drive to contribute to the betterment of all cleaners (See obituaries on page 28).

Most National Clothesline readers recognize Bogus’s name from his byline on his Viewpoint column. Every month, he dug deep into his well of personal knowledge and offered helpful advice for fabricare specialists, often advocating the importance of maintaining a high standard by supporting trade associations and attending educational seminars. He believed that “Mom and Pop” cleaners continued to stay alive in the shadow of bigger competitors because so many customers appreciated the friendly, personal service they provide. Yet, he also noted that one of the single largest threats to the existence of smaller, local cleaners all boiled down to one factor: they needed to take advantage of educational opportunities being offered by the International Fabricare Institute more often.

Speaking of IFI, Faig cultivated a strong influence with that association that lasted several decades. Under the title of director of education, he was widely known for his all-encompassing knowledge of drycleaning. He frequently answered questions pertaining to everything from business economics to fabrics to the technological aspects of cleaning. In fact, he was so dedicated that he chose to pass along his expertise to cleaners on a volunteer basis for over a decade after he retired.

If information is the universal currency in this world, then both of these men lived rich lives... not simply because they always tried to improve themselves and learn as much as possible. They also chose to share that knowledge with anybody who would listen. It was just in their nature.

The industry is not the same today as it was yesterday. It’s sad to think that both men will no longer live on, and with them goes the invaluable resources of their lifetime of knowledge. Neither man ever stopped giving back to the industry. Neither man ever stopped striving to raise the professionalism of their fellow drycleaners. Yes, Bill and Ken will be thoroughly missed, but let’s just hope that their message will not be lost to us, as well.

In his column this month, Al Robson addresses the perennial problem of hiring and keeping good employees. Even with today’s unemployment rate of 6 percent, cleaners have trouble getting people to do the jobs that need to be done. Robson’s prescription is to make your plant as efficient as possible and make the most of the good people you have. When asked, employees often have great answers to problems that the company faces. This not only helps the company streamline its workflow and eliminate inefficiencies, it encourages the employee to “buy in” to the system and become more dedicated and loyal. But before an employee can develop into that kind of team player, he or she needs education that goes beyond the basic orientation and rudimentary instruction that is too often extent of a new hire’s “training.”

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources ready to help cleaners bring employees up to speed. Fixed-site training schools have been around for years. A would-be cleaner, finisher or spotter can attend a school operated by one of the trade associations where a traditional classroom model is used. In an earlier day, these school sessions lasted three months or more. Today, a two-week session is considered a long course. While the off-site training school remains an effective way to learn professional skills, for the smaller cleaner, the cost and the time away from the plant are obstacles. An alternative is to bring private consultants to the plant. Personalized training can work for many businesses. There are productivity gains because the student is trained in a familiar environment on machinery the student will use and greater participation because the teacher is there on site. A third option is educational tapes, books and CDs. This allows for training at the student's and business's convenience.

The bottom line is that training is necessary to develop skilled and competent employees who can make positive contributions to the business instead of ill-educated staff who make the simple mistakes that turn good customers into former customers.