Content about Nature

CONCORD, N.C. — A new year brings new opportunities for those prepared to take advantage. You’re no doubt heard the saying, “Foolishness is continuing to do what you have always done and expecting different results.” Make the adjustments in your business model now to capture and keep the customers that will be on the move in the coming year.

The best time to plant an apple tree is 20 years ago, to have apples today. The second best time to plant an apple tree is today, to have apples in the future. If you never get around to planting the apple tree, you will never have apples.

Drycleaning volume may not return to the levels of 10 years ago in the foreseeable future; cleaners are being forced to make do with the lower garment count. The industry is saturated with processing plants that are based on speed and/or price. The niche in the marketplace is reliable stain removal by a knowledgeable operator.

Stain removal is quickly becoming a valuable commodity. Not only does it contribute to the bottom line, it leads to increased customer loyalty.

CHICAGO — There are plenty of things that cause a drycleaner’s blood pressure to rise, and many of them—based on the results of July’s unscientific Wire survey—have to do with employees.

Of the specific stress inducers we asked about, respondents find the failure of a drycleaning machine during a busy time most stressful. More than 76% said such an event causes their blood pressure to “soar” (27.5%) or “rise a bit” (48.8%).

Fifty percent become stressed when a new drycleaner opens nearby, and 41.3% feel the pressure when they have to negotiate with their landlord.

Least stressful among the scenarios we presented is the front-counter attendant who starts showing up late or missing shifts. More than 50% said this is rarely or never a concern.

But when drycleaners were asked to name the single drycleaning-management issue that causes them the most stress, nearly half of their wide-ranging responses were related to their employees.

CHICAGO — Wherever I go these days, I no longer get questions about removing customers’ stains, I’m asked about correcting “in-house” stains. Drycleaners want to know how to remove the stains that weren’t there when the customer dropped off the garment.

SAN FRANCISCO — Attorneys from Houston-based Hicks Thomas LLP announced a trial judge’s ruling issued Friday in favor of Naperville, Ill.-based R.R. Street & Co. Inc. in an environmental contamination lawsuit filed by the City of Modesto, Calif., and a related local agency.

The white-linen designer dress was a gift from her grandfather after she became junior-class president. It has great sentimental value. It’s the dress she’s wearing when she’s in a car accident and breaks her nose. She’s fine, but she lost a lot of blood — onto the dress. The family wants you to restore it. Can you meet or exceed their expectations?

I’ve always said that if people could hit their mouths, I would go broke. And as we approach the season of family gatherings around the table, I’d like to address the stains we see year after year during the holidays.

These stains can (and should) be removed in the normal course of caring for a garment. Most are “combination” stains. Approached with the proper sequences and spotting protocols, these stains can be removed quickly and with a minimum of risk to the garment’s integrity.

There it is, all right. It’s a stain. The garment would look better without it. That’s why the customer brought it to you, the drycleaner. The vision the customer sees in their mind’s eye is of a pristine, like-new garment.