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Listen Up! Customer Reviews Can Help Shape Your Business

Survey: Most dry cleaners ask for feedback, use it to improve service

CHICAGO — Listening is important.

This quarter’s American Drycleaner Your Views survey asked the trade audience if they want and ask for customer reviews of their operations and listen to what these customers tell them.

Seventy-two percent of survey respondents say they do want and ask for customer reviews, and 80% use customer comments to help shape improvements to their business.

How do respondents use customer comments? Here are some of their responses:

  • “Suggestion box on counter and on website.”
  • “Built a new location to provide abundant parking and drive-thru availability.”
  • “We use the ‘Reviewmydrycleaner’ product from becreative360 (a marketing company for dry cleaners) to solicit client feedback and help with reputation management.”
  • “Mostly about problem employees. Training.”
  • “When we see a consistent request to do things differently, then we change, if we can accommodate it.”
  • “When I get a good review or comment from customers, I tell all the employees.”

The survey asked if dry cleaners check out various social media for customer comments; two-thirds of respondents indicate they do “always” or “often.”

Asked if their operation exceeds customer expectations, 95% of respondents say “always” or “often.”

The survey asked respondents how being a good listener has helped their operations. Here are some responses:

  • “You cannot assume you understand the customers’ issues, until you have heard them out.”
  • “Reinforces employee morale and keeps the focus on great service and how important it is!”
  • “Listening to customers is how we built our business.”

The final question on the survey asked respondents to share the best customer suggestion they’ve ever received. Here is what three respondents shared:

  • “We were getting a significant amount of negative feedback on upcharges. The clients could not understand why we charge different prices for the same garments. We adapted and changed our price structure to remove upcharges and include in the pricing.”
  • “Don’t retire or sell.”
  • “Early on in business, one of my customers was the wife of one of the state’s most successful dry cleaners. She told me I should attend state association meetings to gain increased knowledge to operate my business. I took her advice, and it made me a businessman in the drycleaning business instead of a dry cleaner in business.”

The Your Views survey is a snapshot of the trade audience’s views. Qualified subscribers to American Drycleaner e-mails are invited to participate anonymously in the unscientific poll.

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Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].