Free Soap

[ma_ma]

All:

I just recently purchased an existing laundromat that has WDF and lottery. After being there for one week, I have learned so much about the MAT business. One main thing I have learned is LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMER.

I digress...

My new MAT's slowest days of the week is Tuesday and Wednesday. So to attract new customers on those two days I was thinking about offering FREE SOAP.

Has anyone tried this concept?

If yes, I would like to hear the pros and cons to this approach.

Thanks all!

[aussie_mick]

Ive been up and running for 3 months and like you my standout "slow" days tend to be Tuesday and Wednesday. I have made Tuesdays "pensioner" day with a 15% discount for all laundry costs upon presentation of a pensioner card. Not a great success so far but those pensioners who have picked up on it are now Tuesday regulars.

The soap idea is interesting but I doubt it would work for me. While it would represent about a 15% discount, about half of my DIY customers use their own soap so it wouldnt be an incentive for them. Still, anything is worth a try and if it dont work you can always try something else.

NB : Would you reduce your standard WDF cost to include free soap on those days?

[petefritz]

learn to love those slow days. Take it off, go do something fun. Free soap? not likely to really make any difference. You may get some Monday customers to come in Tuesday, no gain to you. Tuesdays I try to go out fishing in the boat if the weather is good. Less chance of calls from customers with problems. Sundays I stick to land and do not travel far. You will learn what your work week is soon enough.

[millenniumplus]

We did free soap during our grand opening days. Believe me customer "still"
ask about free soap or free dry time. We do offer concepts like that but not
free soap. Any concept you put into place will move some customers from
one day to the special offer day(s). Try different things - for us we've stuck
with offering 16minutes per.25cents on Wednesday's. People w/dryers dry
on that day and the place is usually full from open to close. To offset busy
Wednesday's we try to encourage our big WDF accts to drop off anyday
except (Wed, Sat & Sun). They usually abide by this request. Now you are
absolutely right, listen to your customers but pick yo battles. We get lots
of friendly feedback but we usually stay with the basics = store clean/secure,
machines operational & friendly attendants. We have end of year raffles and
a few other specials. In the end Mr. PetrFritz is right, on the slower days we
encourage our staff (and ourselves - yeah right;) to relax and take advantage
of the quieter times to make up for the crazy busier times. We "ate" the free
soap concept during the grand opening dayz. It was one way to dangle a carrot
to get customers in. We asked customers use one scoop per load. It was hard
to manage and "measure" if customer were using one scoop per load. Back
then everyone from customers to employees were "taking" advantage of the
offer. Got more honest employees now but perhaps a bad taste of soap is in
our mouth from that offer.