CHICAGO — You may be surprised to learn that self-service laundry owners set a positive tone when asked about a variety of business-related conditions in American Coin-Op’s latest Wire survey.We asked laundry owners to respond to several statements about the industry, and here are their responses.“I’m thankful because my business is doing well.”Seventy-five percent of respondents agree with this statement, while 13% disagree and 11% aren’t sure.“I have a good group of dependable customers.”Ninety-four percent of respondents agree with this statement (63% totally agree; 31% somewhat agree). Six percent neither agree nor disagree with the statement.“My equipment works well, and isn’t a cause for concern.”Eighty-seven percent of respondents agree (34.4% totally agree; 53.1% somewhat agree). Nine percent somewhat disagree with this statement, while 3.5% neither agree nor disagree.“My natural gas expenses will be lower this winter than last winter.”It’s a mixed bag with natural gas prices. Fifty-nine percent agree (37.5% totally agree; 21.9% somewhat agree). Fifteen percent aren’t optimistic about gas prices (12.5% totally disagree; 3.1% somewhat disagree). Twenty-five percent neither agree nor disagree with the statement.“I get along well with, and can depend on, my distributor.”Forty percent of respondents totally agree with this statement, and 16% totally disagree. Other responses include “I somewhat agree” (19%), “I neither agree nor disagree (19%); and “I somewhat disagree” (6%).WHAT A HEADACHE!What’s the biggest headache-causing business problem? The top problems among respondents were equipment (25%), customers (17.8%), and landlords (14%).On a more positive note, we also asked respondents for what they are most thankful in terms of operating their laundry. The most popular responses were having a steady business (33%), dealing with good customers (26%), and having dependable employees (11%).While the American Coin-Op Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.Subscribers to American Coin-Op’s Wire e-mails — distributed weekly — are invited to participate in an industry survey each month. The survey is conducted online via a partner website. Each survey is developed so it can be completed in 10 minutes or less. Readers are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.Click here and follow the menu instructions to sign up for the free e-mail service.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].