Am I selling myself short...

[Super Clean]

As many of you have read, I have new equipment we are installing inside the laundromat. I've been picking my brain as to pricing. In the discussion many ppl have brought up the dexter vs maytag conversation when it comes to pre wash and main wash.

To further this conversation, I have 6 MFR35's which are of course rated for 35lbs although actually putting in 35lbs is not that easy. So when compairing sizes of machines, I refer to the cylinder volume. The 35 has a cylinder volume of 5.9cuft, the Dexter 40lb has 6.0cuft and the MFR40 has 6.4.

Other then one laundromat in Whitby with MFR30's and 40's, no one in the area has Maytag. My town has 2 dexter stores.

Should I advertise the Maytags as 4 Load machines or advertise them as 3.5 Load machines? I fall into the issue of ppl comparing the other stores 30lber's to me because both machines same triple loads and the second store has 40lb dexters.

Competitions pricing:

Dexter 30lb $4.00 no pre, 2 rinse
Dexter 40lb $4.00 no pre, 2 rinse
My 35lb $4.25 w/pre, 3 rinse

[pressandclean]

Jeff, another way to look at it is cubic feet of laundry washed per hour. That takes into account your premium cycle. Of course, then, you have to divide that by the extract speeds to account for the difference there will be in dry times.

Keep asking until you get an answer you like.

[Super Clean]

Keep asking until you get an answer you like.

LOL. my parents always ask me why I ask their opinion if I never agree with it. I always tell them when they start giving me the right opinion instead of a wrong opinion I would.

Like I said though, based on the cuft that the machines listed will hold, should I put signage saying that the mfr35 is a 4 load machine or keep it at 3.5 loads?

Upon looking at the compitition the other night to figure out if they were running the 60lb dexter, they were so they are priced at $7.00 so that will be the minimum I price my machines (4 in total) and work my way up. I may charge $8.50 for the 2 wash and 3 rinse. Set the extra rinse at $1.00 and the extra soil at $1.00. I could end up having ppl fully option out the machine and pay $10.50 on a wash.

I may edit this post, I need to read Larry's post on the other thread again.

[pressandclean]

Jeff, I think the only sign you need is "Load Washer 2/3 Full." Customers don't believe the load rating anyway.

When customers comment about how many loads a machine holds, I've been asking them what they think a load is. Most think it is their biggest laundry basket heaping full. 10 lbs used to be all the load a machine could handle.

[Super Clean]

Jeff, I think the only sign you need is "Load Washer 2/3 Full." Customers don't believe the load rating anyway.

When customers comment about how many loads a machine holds, I've been asking them what they think a load is. Most think it is their biggest laundry basket heaping full. 10 lbs used to be all the load a machine could handle.

I just had a guy in here right now pushing as much laundry as he could into a 20lb machine. I understand the "what is a load" question and discussion. I still think it is easier to a customer if they see a sign that gives a suggestion. If the competition are marketing their equipment based on loads I would need to be able to compare apples to apples. I get a lot of ppl coming over from the other stores so it would be easier for them in the transition.

I need a way to better to communicate the 2 wash and 3 rinse difference as well on my machines compared to the competition. I also get the comparison in pricing, so if my machine is more money, the ppl don't understand that they get more per wash (whether or not they want it is a different story). I sell my laundromat on a lot more then the price but price is what a lot of ppl often look at when they walk in. It is also a common question when someone calls to get a price on the machines before they come in. Lucky for me the other stores are not attended or not attended for the same length of time so it would be harder for them to get a price on the machine.

My goal is to move ahead and become the price leader in the marketplace but to put my pricing at what it needs to be would put me drastically above the comp. because of my 5 bath set up on some of my machines.

[pressandclean]

Jeff, that is exactly what I, and maybe Larry also, was trying to tell you. If you are trying to price and sell your 5 bath cycle when customers want cheap and fast, you're playing a losing game.

I know you are wanting to offer your customers a better deal. That's fine. But, how many of your customers have said "I'm coming here because your washers have 2 washes and 3 rinses?"

[Adamski]

Mike,

Yes, you summed up my fealings as well. I was about to write a reply to Jeff's latest post until I read your's.

Jeff,

I'm not at all sure that the average customer really wants or needs all those baths. Customers just want to get their laundry as clean as it's going to get (which, for some people, may not look very clean) as quickly as they can.

[bodman]

Jeff stop over analyzing , price your machines at whatever you think you need to, based on your cost. A lot of my buds loose money in the time they take to make decisions. If you feel your store is worth more ie. cleaner , convenience, better lighting, more secure, wifi , tv your bubbling personalty , great parking , be the price leader. In marketing 101 to be successful you need a USP unique selling position. at three of my mat I give 1/2 off weekdays. my 4th mat we are the highest priced but offer verbal abuse to our clients, some have been coming there for 20 years just for the banter plus our place is clean , use daylight lights air-conditioned , and a big smile for everyone. and the machines seldom work so we keep a wash tub,a bar of soap and scrub board for the economy minded. Relax enjoy you will do fine you can always change your prices as needed . the majority of my clients could care less about number of wash and rinse cycles. they just want to wash and get the heck out. one word of wisdom HOT the last thing the customer senses is the clothes coming out of dryer if the are warm they will not be happy. HOT HOT HOT that is the secret of this business. my 2 cents worth.

[Super Clean]

I'm not trying to sell my 5 bath wash to the customers, my point being it I'm saddled with some equipment where the 5 bath is there. After having it in the store for as long as it's been there for me to remove it would seem as if I''m giving customers less. Also I can not remove the 3 rinses as well.

I was trying to come up with a pricing strategy that would work with both my new machines and old machines yet yield me better profits.

My selling point is we are the cleanest, brightest, most TV's, friendlist (unless I make fun of you), we have the only accessible bathroom, we run some of the longest hours and some of the newest equipment.

Like I said, just trying to work a pricing strategy and a price point that can work with my new machines capable of 3 baths and my old machines that I'm saddled with pre/main/3 rinse.

I do appreciate all the input I receive on this forum and it will go a lot further to helping me re-price my store.

Jeff

[Super Clean]

Jeff stop over analyzing one word of wisdom HOT the last thing the customer senses is the clothes coming out of dryer if the are warm they will not be happy. HOT HOT HOT that is the secret of this business. my 2 cents worth.

My friends call me the researcher, I like to research the hell out of stuff lol.

As for hot dryers,I always get complaints and think they are a normal way of doing business. All the dryers are set at 150f only because half of them can not go higher and the other half can go to 160 (all maytag) other then the new Electrolux coming in. I have plenty of make up air, we clean the lint traps from 1-3 times a day and my dryer revenue only accounts for 30-33% of total revenue.

[Duane]

FYI: It is difficult to compare dryer temps from one model to another since some of the sensors are mounted before the basket and others after the basket. 160 on one brand is the same as 190 on another.

I like the sensor mounted after the basket in the air flow so you know what the temp is coming out instead of what is going in.

Always have a cool down period......

[Super Clean]

FYI: It is difficult to compare dryer temps from one model to another since some of the sensors are mounted before the basket and others after the basket. 160 on one brand is the same as 190 on another.

I like the sensor mounted after the basket in the air flow so you know what the temp is coming out instead of what is going in.

Always have a cool down period......

The Maytags mount the temp sensor below the drum and above the lint screen. I have a 2 minute cool down on my dryers. I'm going to implement the $1.00 start to reduce the amount of ppl only adding $0.50 to start, this should cut down on ppl opening the door 4 times before their 12 minutes are up lol.

[BCW]

My friends call me the researcher, I like to research the hell out of stuff lol.

As for hot dryers,I always get complaints and think they are a normal way of doing business. All the dryers are set at 150f only because half of them can not go higher and the other half can go to 160 (all maytag) other then the new Electrolux coming in. I have plenty of make up air, we clean the lint traps from 1-3 times a day and my dryer revenue only accounts for 30-33% of total revenue.

Jeff, Just an observation here. Set your dryers for a 1 min. cool down. Set your per min. price as necessary. As Bodman pointed out earlier, the customers only know one thing, hot hot hot.

Tom

[Super Clean]

I've thought about reducing my cool down. I've heard a lot of ppl say to make sure you have ample cool down as well in order to avoid spontaneous combustion.

I had 2 sets of dryers that had no cool down, this was when my grandfather ran the place, ppl always told me they were the hottest dryers in the store. When I added the 2 minute cool down everyone thought I turned the temp lower on them.

[mmurra]

Jeff - Adamski said it right a couple posts back. I always promote new machines as "New inproved / exclusive" and charge more for them than the old ones! It has worked for the past 40+ years. Mark

[CanCanCase]

I played the "premium price for premium product whether customers want it or not" game for years in the bar and restaurant business. Customers demanded the cheapest booze possible (up the street, they could get doubles or triples of the plastic bottle "cheap sh@t" all the time.) I always insisted on a "premium well" and charged accordingly based on my cost.

We would always notice a dip in revenue when the servers weren't verbally informing the customers... ie: instead of just setting the drink down or saying, "here's your scotch", I trained my folks to set the drink and say, "MacAllan on the rocks..." It's not a "screwdriver" but rather an "Absolut-screwdriver" so the customers always knew they were getting the good stuff.

One year I had a good deal of foreign customers who could read english well, but didn't understand my servers. I put up a sign that mentioned we featured an all "premium well". Sales shot up bigger than ever...

In the mat environment, I might post that your washers "always give bonus cycles", or that they're the "super clean model".... make a point of charging what you need based on cost, but let the custies know they're getting an extra or a bonus whether they order it or not.

I'm still debating where to set my dryers. Of all the dumpy mats I've been a customer in, I liked the ones that produced hot clothes, but that weren't so hot that the rivets on jeans burned skin...

-Case

[Super Clean]

Case. I have no problem advertising and giving the customer more as long as I'm making some decent money on it. I am doing some new signage so I'll probably make a sign that also notes that "these machine feature 2 washes and 3 rinses".

My orginal post though had to do with promoting the MFR35 as a 3.5x load or a 4x load based on the size comparsion to the comps. Dexter 30 and 40lb machines.