CHICAGO — In an increasingly competitive market, some dry cleaners are thriving while others are watching their regulars disappear. For many, the standard “We do good work” approach doesn’t cut it anymore.
For this quarter’s American Drycleaner Your Views survey, we asked our audience about what’s actually working to keep customers coming back, along with the challenges they face in delivering standout service. Respondents answered anonymously.
We first asked how customer loyalty has changed for our respondents over the past five years. The majority (62%) answered that they were “doing something right,” while 14.3% reported “we’re killing it.” “We’re treading water” was the response for 19%, and 4.7% said “customers are slipping away.”
Some offered their thoughts on what they believe to be the most overrated customer-service trends that people talk about but that don’t move the needle:
- Prices are not the reason clients come to your store and stick around. Good, friendly staff will increase business.
- Some recognizable cleaners who preach that they have it all figured out build their business on constant discounting of their regular services with “whacky” days and always discounting. It’s been proven that it is a very bad long-term approach if you have two prices, you have three prices, and so on. Customers begin to hold back work and never pay the regular price as they feel foolish doing so.
- Catchy phrases like “my pleasure” or using the client’s name in a sentence. These don’t matter if there isn’t an authentic relationship and if active listening isn’t occurring.
What is the biggest challenge in delivering the customer experience you want to provide? “Staff training and consistency” was the answer for 62% of respondents, while “time constraints” came in at 14.3%. “Competition from other cleaners” came in third at 9.5%. “Support systems,” “cost of implementing improvements” and “getting all parts of the company working together” tied with equal shares of 4.7%.
We asked the poll takers to share their biggest customer experience wins — a change they made that customers noticed. Answers included:
- “Took a wedding dress that was trashed. The expectation was that the customer expected to throw it away. After processing, 100% of all food, water and grease stains came out.”
- “Consistent client-facing employees — that is to say, when a client sees the same person, whether a CSR or driver, over and over again, with a combo of quality and consistency. This is key.”
- “An issue came up with a new customer when, on her second visit, her duvet cover tore after we processed it. We communicated with her in a timely manner and offered to replace her comforter, which we did at a cost of $850. She truly appreciated our prompt and complete resolution of this issue, and I am certain that this act went a long way toward her belief that she could trust us. She quickly developed into a top-50 customer, spending more than $10,000/year with us.”
We also asked participants to tell us what they believe is the most important factor in creating loyal, repeat customers. “Quality of cleaning results” came in first at 33.3%, with “convenience” second at 23.8% and “personal relation with staff” third at 19%.
Tips from our respondents about bringing customers back included:
- “You will never fully understand your customer base. Talk to them and listen. They will tell you more than you ask, and in that you can find what will motivate them to come back.”
- “We are in the business of engendering trust and confidence with our customers. This is of the utmost importance when successfully operating a business in an industry that regularly takes full care and control of its customers’ personal belongings, which often hold an emotional attachment for them.”
- “It’s a simple business. Be nice and give a good product at a good price. Most owners overthink this business.”
The Your Views survey offers a current snapshot of the trade audience’s views. American Drycleaner invites qualified email subscribers to participate in the unscientific polls.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
