CHICAGO, Ill. — When you operate a 13,500-square-foot laundry in suburban Chicago, you get to deal with plenty of customers — some of them even rather unusual. Mark Benson, manager of the World's Largest Laundromat, will focus on customers and how to deal with them.Benson's first column, which debuts next Tuesday, will look at the rebirth of the World's Largest Laundromat as well as one customer's attempt to literally launder money. Tom Benson, Mark's father, bought the laundry in 1999. He turned around the struggling laundry by focusing on making a trip to the store a memorable experience.After all the work, a fire destroyed the laundry. However, the laundry reopened last year and it's business as usual. The store has 301 machines, is open 24 hours and attracts about 5,000 people each week, Benson says. The operation, due to its size and emphasis on customer service, has gained media exposure in many markets.Mark Benson says the column won't be a traditional "how to" in customers relations, though hopefully lessons can be learned. Instead, he offers the column as a tribute of sorts to the "scary, odd and wonderful" characters who bring character to his store.Benson encourages readers to share their thoughts and customers stories. You can contact him at [email protected] .
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