SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Multi-store owner Art Jaeger arguably leads the industry in vended laundry firsts: the first to own a high-speed laundry, first to offer ozone sanitization as a vended addition to the wash cycle, and first to test and equip his stores with the new Continental Girbau Genius Series soft-mount washers.
He not only strives to provide customers with the ultimate laundry experience, he advances the stores he and wife Eve started and grew by investing in innovative equipment, technologies and services. Recently, his son, Alex Jaeger, and daughter, Natalie Jaeger Rozen, got in on the game.
All told, the Jaeger family owns four vended laundries in California: Valencia Express Laundry Center, Simi Valley Laundry Center, Santa Clarita Express Laundry Center, and The Oaks Express Laundry Center in Sherman Oaks. In addition to self-service, through a stand-alone company, they offer pickup and delivery for residential and commercial accounts, as well as in-store drop-off wash/dry/fold.
“Our philosophy is that we want to be the biggest and best in whatever community we serve,” Art Jaeger says. “We constantly upgrade our stores; we think it makes the customers feel they know we are engaged. We base a lot of my improvement decisions on how we can market and differentiate ourselves from the competition.”
PHASE-IN AND RESULTS
The Jaeger family initiated a phased plan to replace 20- and 40-pound ExpressWash Washers in use with 23- and 45-pound Genius Washers. The 45s are in place in Santa Clarita and Simi Valley.
Using the Genius Washers, customers enjoy a 25-minute wash and 20-minute dry, which saves them 5-10 minutes compared with the previous machines. “Customers immediately feel like their clothes are cleaner,” says Jaeger, “and line up waiting to use the new (equipment).”
At Simi Valley, the ExpressWash 40s were the preferred machine. Jaeger says replacing their customers’ favorite washer with the Genius “took a leap of faith.”
“I’m happy to report that the Genius Washers continue to be the driver of that store and have achieved a 31% increase in daily turns,” he adds.
Meanwhile, the Santa Clarita store has jumped 22% in daily turns. Customers are moving through cycles faster for greater customer rotation rates and revenue per day.
“The No. 1 comment from customers is that they wash better,” according to Jaeger. “The No. 2 comment is how dry the extracted clothes are at the end of the spin. The No. 3 comment is that the touch screen is innovative and easy to use.”
The “Extras” are paying off, too. Forty percent of customers choose an “Extra Prewash” or “Extra Ozone,” compared with the 20-30% before the switch.
Yes, Jaeger increased the vend prices 15% on the Genius machines, but customers still flock to them: “Our weekend usage is over the top with 10-12 turns per day,” he says.
Unlike any other washers on the market, Genius Washers can switch from a self-service user interface and programming to a full-service user interface and more sophisticated programming, according to Jaeger, who adds, “There’s a tremendous upside to the touch screen in terms of marketing.”
The Jaegers are executing their continual improvement plan and striving to bring the best in everything to their customers. In coming months, they’ll phase in more Genius Washers, with 23-pound models already on order. They’ll replace the 20-pound ExpressWash Washers at Simi Valley with minimal customer interruption.
“There’s no better way to differentiate your laundry from the competition or set it up to process full-service work or pickup and delivery than by investing in advanced equipment,” says Jaeger. “Everything I’ve talked about ends at the Genius Series. It makes wash/dry/fold more functional and self-service easier.”
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
