Reports have repeatedly highlighted the decline of the “quality spirit” within the dry cleaning industry. Television stations nationwide have deployed mystery shoppers who returned with negative reports regarding stain removal, color brightness, fabric damage, finishing quality, and poor customer service. Better Business Bureaus across the country have issued similar negative findings, and complaints from individual customers continue to pile up. Furthermore, what about the unspoken complaints? These hidden grievances often cause more damage, as they are shared directly with friends, relatives, and neighbors, driving away potential customers who might have otherwise visited your establishment.
In an era of intensifying competition, quality has become the key to our very survival. Whether the general public’s criticism of the industry is entirely factual or not, competitors from “outside the industry” are moving in, sensing the rising consumer dissatisfaction. These newcomers are scratching the consumer’s itch by promising top-tier quality and superior customer service.
Discount cleaners advertise that the only difference between them and full-price cleaners is the cost. Successful discounters have realized that doing quality work does not cost significantly more than doing a poor job. These discounters no longer rely on steam cabinets; they invest in high-end dry cleaning and finishing equipment. When volume is high, the principle of “Quality Production” is the key to greater operational profit. Fortunately, most discounters are still blinded by volume targets and continue to rely on steam cabinets.
No one dislikes a “bargain.” Therefore, full-price cleaners must meet this challenge through superior quality, attractive packaging, smooth customer management, and marketing programs that effectively communicate these differences to local consumers. In this regard, the scale of the operation—whether large or small—is irrelevant.
Quality Management is Now Mandatory
Quality service is possible only when there is quality control, and quality control begins with quality management. Management must provide clear and definitive instructions to cleaners, spotters, finishers, assembly workers, baggers, customer service representatives (CSRs), and—most importantly—inspectors. The inspector must have the authority to decide which pieces go back for rework and which are ready to leave. There should be no conflict between inspectors and other workers; if a conflict arises, management must resolve it quickly based on quality principles. The “Quality First” mindset must be ingrained in every worker’s mind without compromise.
To achieve quality work, management must first establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure consistency. “Shortcuts” intended solely to increase speed cannot be permitted. However, from a cost-management perspective, unnecessary steps that do not contribute to quality should be eliminated.
Training for Quality Work
Counter CSRs must be trained to inspect garments for stains and damage during drop-off or marking-in. They must also be trained on how to inform the customer of these issues and resolve them. If a situation falls outside the CSR’s scope, the store manager should be trained to handle it. All employees, including CSRs, should receive basic education on fibers and fabrics. Training should include “role-playing” to help CSRs practice asking customers about specific stains or pre-existing damage.
Cleaners and spotters must be educated on the basic principles of quality cleaning and solvent management. Knowledge of fibers is necessary to understand how they react to spotting chemicals. Mastery of chemical reactions, stain removal, bleaching, and the use of enzymes is essential for quality control. Training should also include post-cleaning inspection and methods to increase productivity by grouping items for finishers. When only garments that are stain-free (or categorized as “impossible to remove without damage”) are sent to finishers, it not only ensures quality but also saves valuable time by preventing re-cleans.
Finishers must understand what constitutes quality finishing. They should be taught which parts of a garment create the best first impression for a customer. Training programs should cover proper head pressure for pressing, techniques for finishing hard-finish fabrics, pressing pleats without leaving marks, correctly pressing suit collars, and finishing napped fabrics without flattening them.
Crucially, inspectors must receive basic training in finishing and spotting so they know what can be corrected and what cannot. Many plants create unnecessary problems by assigning people to inspection who are simply “available” rather than those with the proper skill set.
Inspection Guarantees Quality
What is inspection? It is the visual examination of a garment to ensure it meets the quality standards set by management. Fundamentally, an inspector checks for stains, minor repairs, quality of requested alterations, excessive lint, and finishing quality. Finishing quality is often overlooked but is vital; the inspector ultimately determines the quality of the business in the eyes of the customer. There are three common methods of inspection:
- Centralized Inspection Station
All garments are inspected in one designated area. This is common in medium-to-large plants with high daily volume and ample space. The inspector acts as the hub for managing the lot system by returning “rejects” to the workflow. This setup allows the inspector to focus for long periods without interruption.
• Disadvantage: Rejects have a “long road” back to the correction area, which can delay orders at the assembly stage. This can be mitigated by installing a separate distribution conveyor for priority reworks. - Roving Inspector
The inspector moves directly to the workstations to check garments ready to leave the finishing units.
• Advantage: Rejects are already at the location where they can be corrected immediately, returning them to assembly faster.
• Disadvantage: Inspection time is lost while moving between stations, and lighting at finishing units is often insufficient for a perfect inspection. - Inspector/Assembler Combination
This merges inspection and order assembly into one role. While this is the most common method, it is often the least effective as inspection is frequently rushed or skipped during busy periods.
• Advantage: It saves labor costs and space for smaller plants. However, management must enforce strict training and standards to prevent neglect. During peak seasons, an additional person should be assigned to help with bagging and assembly so the inspector can focus on quality.
