By Mike Achin
Dry Cleaning Consultant for AristoCraft and Certified Dry Cleaning and Spotting Instructor
This is the time of year that Mother Nature is preparing the earth for hard times to come, better known as winter. What we find is numerous wet days in many forms; rain, drizzle, sleet, hail etc. depending on your location. As a dry cleaner, this season should not be called winter, it is repellent season.
If you are not pushing water repellency at your counter, you are missing the boat. You can perform a great service for your customers and at the same time make a nice little profit.
Cleaners tell me all the time that “It’s a good idea but it’s not that rainy in my area”, or, “I don’t have the time or space”. I understand what the owners are telling me but, I do not believe what I hear.
Reason #1 is the most common excuse, “not in my area”. Wherever I am, I look outside and ask, doesn’t it rain in this here? Is there dirt in this area? Do people wear clothes here? Obviously, the answer to all of the above is yes, so I usually tell the dry cleaner that if I stood by the counter on a busy day, I could get at least one-half of the coats coming in repelled and after I tell them why, they usually agree.
It has nothing to do with your area, it’s your mindset. If you don’t ask the customer if he wants his garment repelled, then you are right, you will not develop that service. If you do ask about repellency, you will be amazed at the results.
Train your employees and be prepared for the “Doubtful Dan”. He’s the customer who will always ask why? If you stare at them blankly and don’t have an answer, you will lose that sale every time. If however, you look the customer straight in the eye and say “Well Dan, not only will this coat shed water better (don’t say waterproof, we don’t do that) but it will also protect your garment from stains, give body to the jacket, and also add to the warmth their coat provides”. Say it with confidence and I guarantee that you will get a lot of sales.
Let’s not fall into a rut and only look for raincoats. We can repel topcoats, trench and car coats, golf jackets, ski suits, hunting clothes,
The last hint I gave you will save you hours of time on the spotting board. By repelling ties you are putting a thin layer of wax over the tie. When the gentleman spills food (and we always do) the stain will either be
Most times, after dry cleaning, the stain and repellency will be gone and you can repel the tie again, without ever getting close to the spotting board.
Obviously, repelling ties in not only a winter tip, it’s a