WDF, Partially attended

[RBHII]

Has anyone figured out a decent system for offering wdf in a partially attended mat? I'm talking about perhaps some sort of secure drop off system....and pick up if possible......during unattended hours. It seems that with many mats, there's a decent WDF business, but perhaps not quite enough to justify paying someone for the 100+ hours a week a mat is open...so going unattended during quieter times would be a way to really help cash flow, if only there were a way to do so while keeping the current wdf customers. Yes, I guess I'm looking for a way to have my cake and eat it too!

[walker texas]

A competitor down the street puts out signs when the attendant is on duty. You might try the same or get a neon sign.

[Anonymous]

I have my mat attended Monday to friday 9 am to 7 pm for WDF, Dry Cleaning and Internet access, saturday 9am to 6pm and sunday 10 am to 5 pm.
Unatttended hours are thos between opening 7 am and closing 10 pm.
Works OK for me, and customers got used to the attended and unattended hours.
I have a camera system which I watch from home, and I activate an alarm system at the internet computers and WDF/dry cleaning areas, which remain closed during the unattended hours.

[RBHII]

Thanks Daniel, that's exactly what I was looking for. Sounds like a reasonable 'middle ground' with significant labor savings over fully attended. I assume that you can only drop off wdf during the attended hours? Or have you figured out some 'drop off' bin type of system?

[pete f]

A mat I bought had a women doing w/d/f, sewing, etc as side business. They gave her room, she ran her own business. She worked 4 days a week, daytime hours. She was quite busy, and her customers knew when she was there. The drop off bin should not be to hard, but leave a problem with the "count", so no verify the amount of clothes. I intend to have part time w/d/f at my new mat, I am thinking 8-11am, then 3-8 PM as attended times. Most w/d/f people work, so why be there when they are not. Just make sure everything in the mat is secure like a unattended would be.

[JBTcajun]

[QUOTE=Pete f] I am thinking 8-AM, then 3-8 PM as attended times. Most w/d/f people work, so why be there when they are not.

Many folk need to be working at 8 am so why not start at 7:30?
Many kids are let out of school at 3 PM so why not start at 2:30?
Otherwise I am with you Pete. Folk wanting the service will learn the hours and use them IF it fits their schedule.

[RBHII]

Pete, it would seem that what you propose would be an ideal arrangement to caputure some decent portion of the wdf market without a lot of 'wasted' labor. Just makes me wonder why more who have unattended mats don't do it?

[pete f]

Pete, it would seem that what you propose would be an ideal arrangement to caputure some decent portion of the wdf market without a lot of 'wasted' labor. Just makes me wonder why more who have unattended mats don't do it?

I really don't want an attendent, and building a w/d/f takes time, and money (to pay an attendent). I am only going to do it because the mat is in an enterprize zone so I get a 25% tax credit on wages I pay. The mat is a card system, so having someone around for awhile will help with the learning curve. At one mat at least a few times a week someone walks in and asks about w/d/f. I reffer them to a guy who does pick up, delivery w/d/f and uses my mat to process the work. Again, I could have an employee, but do not want one. I know there is money to be made on w/d/f, I am happy with my returns now. Some locations you have to have an attendent, so maybe trying part time/split hours is a way around those laws, other just do not have decent coin revenue, so you are forced into it.And still others thrive on w/d/f. pick you style of business you want.

[Neil]

I installed a bank of simple kitchen cabinets. Each one has a padlock clasp on it. For a $10 deposit, I give the customer a padlock. Each padlock is keyed diferently but all can be opened with one master key. Each lock has a serial number on it so I know who's laundry it is.

The customer can drop off their laundry any time we are open and they secure it in a cabinet. I go in and open the cabinets and do the WDF. I place the items back in the cabinet with an invoice. They can pick it up any time that night or the next morning. Clothes left more than 24 hours get secured in the office for the customer to pick up during normal office hours.

If the customer fails to pay, the next time they drop off clothes, we lock them in the office until they come in to pay.