CHICAGO — Chance Stone, owner of Tropical Laundromat in Holly Hill, Fla., has plenty of competitors he’s facing in his town, situated just seven miles northeast of Daytona Beach.
“We’ve got four competitors within a three-mile radius,” Stone says. “Two of those competitors are within a mile of us, so it makes it an area that has a lot of competitors in what we do.”
Despite facing stiff competition, Stone explains that his laundry business, which he’s been operating for four years now, continues to grow. So much so that he’s been able to draw in customers from as far as 12 miles outside of his community.
Stone attributes this accomplishment to the strides he’s made in establishing his store’s loyalty efforts, both online and in his store.
But, he’s not alone. American Coin-Op reached out to various operators across the country regarding the steps they’ve taken, and the strategies they’ve implemented at their store to not only attract new customers, but to also keep regulars coming back.
EMPLOYEE BUY-IN
Getting customers invested in a store’s rewards program or loyalty efforts lies not only in selling its incentives as a store owner, but also educating staff on its benefits.
“The staff is basically on the front lines. They’ve got to be engaged because they’re the ones that are going to be walking around and interacting with customers, making sure that they’ve got loyalty cards, making sure that they’re getting them punched,” says Stone.
“Basically they’re the ones that are talking it up with our patrons. If they’re not engaged, then the rewards program, really, it doesn’t work. … It takes a lot of cooperation with the staff and getting them on board and getting them to perform the work that needs to be done to get the rewards program rolling.”
Phil Irwin, owner of Waters Express Laundry Center, Tampa, Fla., agrees. “I always have one attendant on the floor at all times, interacting with the customers and talking to them. … We get a lot of feedback in terms of what we’re doing and how it is that we’re doing it.”
‘DON’T IGNORE IT’
Though the man-hours it takes to establish a loyalty program, promotions or social media campaign may seem lengthy, the store owners interviewed explain that the time investment is worth the effort.
“Don’t be afraid of it. Put the work in up front,” says Stone. “If you have to hire somebody, then hire somebody. The investment that you put in is only going to be compounded in the profit that you get back from the back side of it.”
“Match your efforts to your target customer base,” advises Colleen Unema, owner of Q Laundry, Bellingham, Wash. “I have three target customer types and meet each one in a different way, toward the same goal of a repeat, regular customer.”
Consistent service is the key underlying factor, according to Deborah Dower, owner of Paradise Laundry in the greater Sacramento, Calif., area, and Tiberio “Tiby” Erdely, owner of San Antonio (Texas) Green Laundry.
“Customers will become loyal when they know they’re going to get the same thing every time, and that’s what they come back for, is that same experience,” says Dower.
“Stick to it and be constant on what you do; provide the same service every single day, and don’t slack off,” says Erdely.
Irwin’s advice regarding customer loyalty efforts: “Don’t ignore it.”
“If you ignore it, you’re ignoring the potential to have a lot of customers come your way that would not have come your way otherwise,” says Irwin.
“People are very quick to talk about places. They certainly are very quick to talk about any new efforts that you’ve provided and to get the word out, so it’s very, very important that you make sure that you keep that line of communication open,” he adds.
Missed earlier parts of this story? Read them now: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].