CHICAGO — Asked whether licensing requirements would benefit the industry, more than two-thirds (79.3%) of drycleaners said “Yes,” the most recent Wire survey reports. Only 13.8% of drycleaners said “No” to requirements similar to those mandating testing and licensing of hairdressers and nail salons; 6.9% answered “Not sure.”
Asked whether voluntary certifications such as the FabriCare Foundation’s Award of Excellence (AOE) and certified network affiliations are effective in building consumer trust, about half (50.9%) of operators said “Yes,” while 29.8% answered “No,” and 19.3% said “Not sure.” Survey respondents split 50/50 when asked whether they carry any voluntary certifications. Of those who do maintain voluntary certifications, 61.1% promote the fact to consumers as a reason to patronize their business over competitors, and 38.9% do not.
While wary of further government intervention, most operators agreed that some kind of certification could improve public perceptions of drycleaning if promoted. “Programs such as the Award of Excellence and Five Star Cleaners are great, but without making the consumer aware of these, they mean very little,” one operator says.
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