How to Improve the Financial Performance of your On-Premise Laundry Facility with SelfOp Laundry

Sep 17, 2021

Photo from Unsplash

Originally Posted On: https://www.selfoplaundry.com/blog/improve-financial-performance-with-laundry-facility

If you could increase your revenue stream 80%, would you do it? Odds are good that if you’re an apartment owner or a laundromat owner, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

We all know that the coin-operated laundry service industry has its problems. No tenants ever want to go down into the laundry room because they know that they’re going to have to fight the other tenants for a machine to use, they’re not going to have the right change, and doing laundry is just a hassle, start to finish.

And that’s to say nothing of laundromats, a place where no one loves to go. Laundromats are a necessary evil, a dreaded task that takes up too much of a patron’s time, is inconvenient, and causes endless frustration.

There’s little wonder that prospective tenants will take a good long look at the laundry facilities before they rent an apartment. And laundromat patrons will happily walk an extra block carrying their baskets if it means there’s a better laundromat experience around the corner.

The fact is: anything that we can do to make the on-premise laundry experience a better one is going to make our customers and tenants happier, which will mean decreased tenant turnover and increased patronage at our laundromats.

So how do we accomplish that? What’s the golden goose when it comes to on-premise, self-operated laundry? At SelfOpLaundry, we believe we’ve found the solution.

Financial Performance of On-Premise Laundry Facilities

When we think of laundromats we don’t typically think of apps and cloud technology and running performance reports, but that’s what you’re going to get from SelfOpLaundry. Setting a new standard for the on-premise laundry business, we aim to revolutionize the way that you collect money, monitor machines, track peak times and lag times, and best optimize your laundry facilities.

Who We Can Help

SelfOpLaundry is catered to individual laundry needs. You don’t need to be a large business with a dozen laundromats to find our services helpful and a good value. You don’t need to be an apartment conglomerate with 2000 units to find the efficiencies here. We can help the individual complexes, the mom-and-pop laundromats.

Apartment Complexes

Apartment complexes have an untapped revenue source when they have subpar and sub optimized coin-operated laundry services. The amount of money that those complexes could be making with state-of-the-art equipment and state-of-the-art technology is mind-boggling. Yet, many complexes are content with a dingy basement room with a few machines that barely work and always have a line waiting for them, or even leasing machines where you only get a small portion of the revenue.

Laundromat Owners

Laundromat owners can save SO much money with water-saving washers and energy-saving dryers, and if they increase the size and working power of those machines they can get customers in and out in record time, which not only makes the customers happy (and happy customers are repeat customers) but it also frees up the machines so that other customers can jump in and use them. You’ll be bringing in more customers, but none of them will be staring glumly at their phone while they wait for someone else’s dryer to open up.

What We Provide

What we’re offering is a three-pronged approach to coin-operated on-premise laundry machines, and that comes through advanced equipment, transparency, and technology.

Equipment

Gone are the days when an old, outdated washer and dryer would handle the needs of your on-premise laundry. For us, it all starts with the latest equipment from Encore. Encore combines innovative technology, energy efficiency, and proven reliability to release fully-functional commercial laundry equipment that delivers optimal results every time. The ideal coin operated laundry equipment for laundromats, multi-housing laundry rooms, and hospitality organizations. Encore professional commercial coin laundry machines last 15,000+ cycles that leverages 2 to 3 times more value as compared to your competitors.

Encore Front Load Washer: Strength, durability, and performance are at the core of the newly refined Encore by Wascomat. This coin operated front load washer comes with an extra-large load drum — 22+ pound capacity, 15,000+ cycle machine life design, 300 G-force for greatest spin moisture reduction and faster dry time. Solid steel counterweights and professional 8-point suspension.
Encore Dryer: Strength, durability, and performance are at the core of the newly refined Encore by Wascomat. This industrial washer and dryer can handle large loads and can run more than 15,000 cycles. Built with energy-conservative standards, it is highly cost-effective and is available in units or as a stacked combination unit.

And these advanced machines are not only available as standing washers and dryers, but can also stack: washer/dryer or dryer/dryer.

Transparency

Who would have thought that transparency would be needed in the coin-operated on-premise laundry world, but just imagine this: a resident of an apartment has a batch of laundry ready to go. Do they trudge down the stairs with their heavy basket only to find that everything is full? Or do they open a simple app to see if a machine is available?

And transparency goes two ways: owners want to know what’s going on in their laundries at all times, and they can access it without having to be onsite 24/7.

It is with great pride we present:

The Resident Virtual Portal: Through CleanView, this app gives residents a virtual view of the laundry room showing machine availability. CleanAlert sends an SMS or email notification when their cycle is completed (no more loads of laundry left in a dryer for hours, annoying the other residents). Residents can register and get Value Code purchase capability. Residents can review their accounts at any time and pull up receipts.
Cloud Configuration Manager: For the owner, this allows all configuration to be controlled from any web-based interface, such as PC, smartphone, or tablet. Configuration of laundry systems are no longer tied to a PC. The laundry system can be set up via setup cards, push via network, or via smartphone – giving the flexibility and choice for the right situation.
Reporting Server Software: Owners can get real time transaction diagnostics and alerts, which include daily cash & credit reporting, peripherals warning, kiosk terminal management download server (TMS) access, and remote dashboard access.

Technology

No one likes to carry change anymore, or even cash to use at a change machine. But everyone has their phones. So we’ve made it incredibly easy for residents and customers to use their phones to pay for their laundry cycles.

Using the CleanPayMobile app (available from the App Store or Google Play), residents and customers can scan the QR code on their machine, or enter the machine’s number on their phone, and the cycle will start. The app works with Bluetooth.
On the owner side, the KioSoft Ultra LX is a device attached to the machine which will allow payment via numerous methods, including QR code from CleanPayMobile, but also credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or tap. With a 3.5” screen with full color LCD, you get a clear and understandable display offering customers and residents a payment method of their choice.
CleanReader Ultra is a Wi-Fi connected unit for credit card transactions and which pairs with CleanPayMobile. Not only does it integrate with CleanView room monitoring, it also allows CleanAlert SMS and email notifications. It works with cards, but also supports coin operation, and can even work in an offline mode.
CleanReader’s contactless cousin offers the best in security and ease as it works with either a tap or a QR code. There’s no point of insertion for vandals.
CleanReader Solo and Solo Connect are designed to work specifically with the CleanPay Mobile app. Solo is installed inside the machine’s control panel and has Bluetooth connectivity to the customer’s phone. CleanReader Solo connects directly to the user’s phone
Finally, The CleanPay Laundry Kiosk has solutions that allow for flexibility for the customer, as it accepts cash or credit, EMV chip credit cards, and it is network ready (Ethernet and 4G modem). It is made with solid steel construction, has a highly-secure contactless card reader, and more.

One of our current customers, John, a property owner in Cecilton, MD, had this to say: “Thank you for a hassle-free experience. From ordering to the install – it was a great experience.”

We At SelfOp Laundry Are Excited to Speak With You

“I am excited how we have uniquely positioned ourselves as the only company focused on helping owners transition to a self-owned model in the laundry market. We are catering to those property owners who are focused on providing an exceptional tenant experience all while improving their revenue sources.” Troy Batchelor, SelfOp Laundry

“Focus Forward” at NAA’s Apartmentalize Show

SelfOp Laundry will be in-person at the 2021 Apartmentalize show in Chicago, August 31 – September 2, 2021. The theme of the show will be “Focus Forward”, which we feel perfectly illustrates the ideals and business model of SelfOp Laundry, as we take a staid and old-fashioned industry into the future through advanced equipment, transparency, and technology.

We will be demonstrating our technology at Booth 1690 in the West Hall. Come and see the washers and dryers which are more advanced, with better capacity and faster cycle times, as well as walk through the apps which make the use of the laundry machines so much easier–both for the resident and customer as well as for the owner. See how the pay systems work, how the app notifies you when your cycle is done, but also view the reports that you, as the owner, will see that show you how your laundry operation is performing and alerts you to any potential problems.

We are looking forward to seeing you all there, in person once again (COVID protections will be in place, per Apartmentalize).

Come and see what we can do for you!