CHICAGO — Only half of drycleaners are satisfied with their distributors, according to the most recent survey appearing in the Wire, American Drycleaner’s e-mail newsletter.
Almost one-third (30.4%) said that they are “somewhat dissatisfied” with their distributor, while an additional 4.3% said they were “very dissatisfied.” One-third (34.8%) said they were “very satisfied,” while 17.4% said they were “somewhat satisfied.” Thirteen percent were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.”
Of the wide variety of services that distributors provide, nearly two-thirds (63.6%) of drycleaners said they rely on their distributor for “advice.” They also rely on distributors for “equipment installation” (40.9%), plant layout services (31.8%), training (27.3%) and “equipment maintenance” (27.3%).
When asked on what aspect of the services they would like distributors to improve upon, the majority of drycleaners cited communication. “Check back, phone or just stop by to see how things are going,” said one respondent, while another said, “Come around once in a while. Show me what they have and what new products can do for me.” Improvements could also be made on the delivery schedule and the distributors’ knowledge of products, respondents said.
Subscribers to American Drycleaner’s Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website. Each survey is developed so it can be completed in 10 minutes or less. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.
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Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].