Creating upscale laundry room service.

Creating up-scale laundry room service

Today, building owners, managers and boards are looking with increasing intensity to upgrade their laundry rooms. Water and energy conservation, security measures and quicker response to service calls are all areas that boards and/or owners are concerned with.

Water & Fuel Conservation

Efficient laundry service companies analyze every aspect of a building for increased water and energy savings. SEBCO, for example, explains to owners that the best method of conserving water and energy in a laundry room starts initially with installing properly-sized machines. In too many buildings, for example, the machines are either too small or too large for their particular building's residents. If an owner installs an oversized washer, the machine will often run half empty and waste water and electricity. Conversely, if a building installs machines that are too small, residents will have to operate two or three machines at the same time, when one large unit would have been sufficient.

Dryers can waste 5 percent, 10 percent or up to 75 percent of their annual fuel consumption without proper care. Much of this care can be included in a superintendent's regular routine. Air flow can be accomplished by simply leaving the laundry room door ajar or by keeping a window open or a fan running. SEBCO technicians explain to an owner or super that if a dryer does not get enough air, the machine will overcompensate for the diminished air supply by burning more fuel to keep the flame alive.

Trackable Service Personnel

Having easily trackable service personnel is also a benefit that has sprung up over the last couple of years in an effort to service buildings more effectively. Using a laundry company that can reach all service personnel at any time of day or night provides an added level of comfort for an owner or superintendent. In most cases, this communication also allows a building owner to be up and running the same day service is requested.

For a laundry company to adequately service all of its buildings, fully computerized operations are necessary. For example, SEBCO's radio dispatchers are able to track and coordinate all inventory demands and machine performance records from their first installation. This kind of feedback is essential to meet the washing/drying demands of a building. Calls on these systems can usually be registered with the service center within minutes providing extremely fast repair times.

Without the staff to service a building, computerized operations will not be much of a benefit. A laundry company today must also make sure it has an adequate balance of service technicians to buildings. An integrated data processing system and largely mobile stock of parts, therefore, are only half the makings of an efficient laundry service installation company. Thoroughly trained personnel on the technical as well as interpersonal aspects of service are also needed.

Driver Training Skills

Having well-prepared drivers ensures timely arrivals and prompt, efficient service, avoiding the need to send back-up personnel who may not be familiar with a particular route. Programs like SEBCO's, for example, allow technicians to receive audio-visual presentations as well as instructional material on driving techniques.

Because the laundry business is 12 months a year, it's important that service technicians know how to drive in snow, rain and other inclement conditions. They should also be well-versed in defensive driving.

Security

No building wants unidentified strangers walking through their buildings. When hiring laundry service companies, this is also the machines or those with inadequate electrical supply will hinder equipment from operating efficiently and run the risk of chasing residents from the building's laundry room, and therefore, encourage them to purchase their own washers and dryers.

To prevent this scenario, it is essential to have a professional laundry room installation and maintenance company review a building and recommend the proper equipment which will best meet the needs of the residents. After all, the bottom line in servicing a building's laundry room is still service.