Admit it or not, we like to be pampered. Yet, the past couple of years have forced us to focus on the necessary rather than the discretionary. Naturally, businesses have felt the effects as well, resulting hypercompetition and a finicky customer. Despite these efforts, few seem to successfully link their claim of quality service to the actual customer experience.
One company that does seem to get it right is not a hotspot restaurant or luxurious hotel, but a dry cleaner. Started in 1996, Sudsies Dry Cleaners & Laundry is the first and only in the South Florida industry to offer complimentary pick-up and delivery across the tri-county area. This perk is not what makes this cleaner unique; rather the company’s bubbly culture and sincere service.
“At Sudsies, it’s about caring,” says Founder and CEO Jason Loeb. “We care about the customer, we care about their clothes and we care about the environment.”
From the instant a new customer creates an account, they get a personal call from a Sudsies clothing concierge to review their profile and uncover any preferences. Pick-up and delivery can scheduled via phone or with a quick mouse click from their online account. They also accommodate a set schedule on a daily, weekly or bi-weekly basis. A fleet of vans can accommodate any schedule or location from the home to office, or even yacht . The company is known for its ability to accommodate emergency scenarios and next-day, even hourly, requests – all delivered with a sincere and positive attitude. In fact, the Sudsies mission statement highlights that “everything [they] do begins with a smile…everything [they] do ends with a smile.”
Loeb elaborates that “it’s more than just dry cleaning, clothing is very personal to a customer. They are entrusting us with their favorite sweater, professional suit or splurge piece – we want them to look and feel their best.”
He believes that like people, garments should be treated with individual attention. A team of highly- skilled professionals incorporate a variety of techniques including laundering, dry cleaning, wet cleaning and stain removal to safely and effectively treat clothing. In addition, the company specializes in tailoring and design revamps, garment restoration, couture items and wedding dress preservation.
Also getting clean in the Sudsies process is the environment. The company is one of just two South Florida dry cleaners to receive the four-leaf designation by the Green Cleaners Council, a panel of esteemed business and environmental experts who analyze and rate cleaners for its eco-efforts.
“Our individual customers are making an effort to recycle or reduce waste, and so should we,” says Loeb, who last year invested in new Energy-star rated facilities and low-water usage equipment. The company also switched to environmentally-friendly detergents, as well as high-quality, recyclable hangers and plastic covers.
This trifecta of focus seems to be working well for Sudsies. The Sudsies family has grown from three to more than 50 employees with an average tenure of eight years with the 13-year old company. Despite the rocky economy, business has consistently grown. Sudsies expects to report a 40% increase in revenue for 2010 and is budgeting for similar growth in 2011.
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