Nobody likes my SQ SC30 B Micro Frontloaders

[Frank_Hamann]

Everybody hates my SQ SC30 B Micro Frontloaders. I guess I should go eat some worms.

Seriously though. I have 8 old (11 year old) Super Load 2, 25 pound SQ front loaders that get about 4 turns per day. I vend these for $1.75. I also have 8 SQ SC30 B Micro frontloaders one year old. These vend for $2. I get only 0.6 turns per day on these. What am I doing wrong? My old Super Load 2's are starting to nickle and dime me to death because of repair bills, while my fancy new B Micros go virtually unused. I do not know why my customers love the old and hate the new. Does 25 cents really make that much difference?
Thanks for any advice.

Sincerely,
Frank Hamann
Orange, CA

[Duane]

Raise the older machines to $2.

[Burley]

Have you asked the customers? Just curious what they are saying.

[Laundry_Mike]

Your customers must be creatures of habit, or not too smart. 25 cents is a steal to upgrade from a poor performing 25# to a 30# piece that is newer and has better washability. My 35# are the most popular machines - comforters, large family loads, sleeping bags, ect. I'd get rid of those inefficient water hogs, so they'll be forced to use the newer and better equipment.

[petefritz]

that is pretty cheap for a super load, you make any money on them? they are water hogs. I assume becuase the machines are very similar in size, people percieve the supers' to be a better deal. I have 2 supers next to 2 SQ SC27Ec series. The SC's were .25 higher for a long time, and got decent use, . I recently lowered them to the same price as the Supers, but I lowered all my prices for a price war. I would raise the supers up, even my discount price now is $2.50 on supers.

[mrcoinop]

how are you guys paying the bills your vend prices are very low I think its time to raise prices slowly but surely you must have lots of machines or do many turns per day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[Frank_Hamann]

I think the reason my customers like the old Super 20s better than the newer 30 pound Bmicros is that they are easier to understand. The Bmicos have too many buttons and look too complicated. The Super 20s have two nobs. One to select hot, warm and cold, and the second nob selects normal and permanent press, only 6 combinations. The Bmicros have about 12 combinations that are hard to figure out. Also, the Bmicros have a complicated detergent cup with 4 or 5 compartments while the Super 20s only have one.

As far as the Super 20s being water hogs. Water hogs are good. It makes sense if you use more water, the clothes get cleaner. I think the water saving feature is overrated.

I also have two sixty pounders (vend price $4) and three 40 pounders (vend price $2.50). These 5 large machines get many more turns per day than my 30 pounders.

Here are my options as I see them:
1. Lower the price of the new Bmicro 30 pounders to $1.75. In my area, there is a Laundromat on almost every corner. I have a competitor literally across the street. His prices match mine. Neither of us can afford a price war.
2. Raise the price of the old Super 20's to $2 to match the new B Micro 30 pounders. This is probably the best solution. My competitor across the street has no Super 20's. I have already lowered the 30 pounders from $2.25 to $2 with little change in the number of turns.
3. Get rid of the old Super 20's and replace them with more top loaders. My top loaders are my bread and butter. I have 30 toploaders vending at $1 that get about 6.5 turns per day. I am not ready for this investment at this time.

Frank Hamann
Launderland (Not too far from Disneyland)
Orange, CA

[Ronald]

My super 20s or $2.50 35lbs --$3.00 25lbs 2.00
My prices are low due to when I bought the mat prices had not been changed in years hard to go up as much as i need to at one time. The only other mat in town get $4.00 for a 35# load....If I were you I would not put in anymore tops they are water hogs.

[mrcoinop]

we are considering bumping up our prices $5.00 30lb old machine newer 30lb $6.00 single top load up .25 to $2.25 drying to .25 for 4 min that is the norm where I am from people will moan but they still come because we are the cleanest freindly laundry in the city.

[JamesWash]

Mrcoinop, you have good vend prices ! I need to catch up with you.

[laundryman79]

Frank,

The SQ B-micro's I have are equipped with 8 buttons/cycles and three compartments. Wash 1, wash 2 and fabric softener. If you have 8 of each machine, people are generally going to use what they are used to. Have you checked the cycle time? The B-Micro SC's come set with a short cycle time and next to the older unit, it may seem short. I changed the programming on mine so that the cycle time was along the line of other brands out there and what competitors had. Some good signage might help.

[PeterH]

Frank,
How does your store compare to the guy across the street? Who has newer equipment? Who has better lighting? Who has more helpful attendants? Who offers more services or longer store hours? If your store is winning, then you should raise your prices -- at least .25 across the board, and especially your big machines. National average is .10 per pound of capacity. Your Bmicro 30's might not be getting the turns because everyone is using (and underloading) your 40#'s and 60#'s.

I know that many stores that still have the Super 20's have them on a very tall platform. The higher platform may make the capacity seem larger than the Bmicros if the Bmicros are shorter.

I am all for water hog machines, providing you charge for the resources used accordingly.

[Frank_Hamann]

Thanks for all of the input and suggestions. To answer some of the questions:

The store across the street is less than two years old, very modern and clean, twice the size of mine and has full time attendants. Mine is eleven years old, clean but not as modern. I have one part time attendant. I bought the store a few months ago based on the current sales numbers. The old owner saw his business shrink by 50% when the store across the street opened and then stabalized. Now I must share the corner. My advantage is that my fixed costs are less than his. Many of my customers are "old timers."

I too noticed that the factory setting of the B-Micros is way too short. I adjusted them for a much better cycle.

I have another theory about why the B-Micros don't get used like my old Super 20s. The B-Micros sit across from the dryers. My theory is that people like to watch their clothes spin around in the front loaders. (This explains the popularity of that cable channel called the Laundry Channel - All Laundry All the Time! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif) My Super 20s do not have any machines across from them. People can stand up against the wall and watch their clothes spin. (That would make a good soap opera "As The Laundry Turns"). People cannot stand in front of the B-Micros to watch their clothes without blocking the dryers. My brother suggested moving the machines and put a folding table in front of the dryers. Does moving big machines cost alot?

Frank Hamann
Orange, CA