Digital solutions to drive experience in self-service laundry
Convenient, practical, and simple
While adopting digital solutions to improve efficiencies is a must for today’s self-service laundry, the long history of laundries providing a space for socialisation and creating a sense of community shouldn’t be forgotten. Instead, laundry managers can enhance the experience by integrating technology into the laundry room, boosting profits, and improving customer satisfaction.
Here, we take a look at some of the ways digilisation can support self-service laundry for both laundry managers and their customers.
There’s an app for that
It’s predicted, that 67.5% of the world’s population own a smartphone, that’s 5.47 billion people! This means that most customers will have access to apps and will be using them to do everything from paying for items, through to booking the services they need. In tandem, the number of transactions via contactless mobile payment is also experiencing rapid growth rates, with fewer people using coins and notes to purchase goods and services. As a result, customers expect to be able to use their preferred payment method; and this is no different when it comes to the laundry.
Laundry providers investing in app technology can expect to improve the management of bookings, gain more visibility around washing and drying processes, and reduce the need to maintain coin boxes. This, when paired with the purchasing or renting of more advanced, energy-efficient equipment helps reduce overall operational costs. As the laundry is a busy place, customers using an app can take advantage of the convenience of booking and paying for machines at the touch of a button. It can be frustrating for users when they arrive in the laundry room only to find all the machines in use, or unable to find spare change as machines have not been updated with a contactless solution. Some app solutions available, such as Miele’s appWash, also provide an interface and customer support in multiple languages making it accessible for a wide range of people.
Infusing hospitality with technology
Laundry managers are recognising that a shared laundry room is still a place where people want to meet and socialise whilst they wait for their washing. It’s not a tradition that needs to be stuck in the past. Imagine two neighbours that bump into each other to do their laundry each week, or students that decide to host a study group as their bedding is drying. Blending both hospitality and technology can ensure customers have everything they need all in one place. Laundry managers should also consider investing in amenities such as comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, charging stations for mobiles and laptops as well as smart vending machines with drinks and snacks.
Creating a social setting around the laundry will help drive footfall which, in turn, supports sustainability as washers and dryers in a shared setting are often more environmentally friendly. Further steps can be taken to be kinder to the environment if laundry managers choose equipment that have low energy consumption rates and are from a supplier that is committed to the circular economy. Additionally, using an easy-to-use digital platform that provides insights into machine performance, intelligently improves workflows, and logs and analyses operational data (e.g. Miele MOVE), can also ensure laundry processes are optimised. Sharing information with customers and potential customers about why the laundry room is sustainable might also attract those who are eco-conscious.
Building loyalty
Other considerations to keep customers coming back include app-based loyalty programmes and an online presence to offer a ‘shop front’ and communicate key information. Some self-serve laundries even host community events and offer free coffee and cake on specific days. For example, our customer Kitty’s laundrette has a website that highlights to customers that it uses efficient and ecological Miele machines and how the money spent on its laundry services is invested in the local community. It also has an online exhibition where artists can showcase pictures of their creations and provides an event page which lists upcoming activities happening within the laundrette.
More advanced digital solutions can be combined with traditional loyalty programmes to automatically track and apply rewards or facilitate redeeming points. Customers who sign up to a digital loyalty card can access more personalised offers without the worry of losing a physical card. For laundry managers, this means greater access to data providing insight into the customer journey, allowing future changes to be made which support the user experience and business growth. Find out how our solutions can help you future-proof yourself-service laundry room.
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- 1.https://support.thesocialhub.co/hc/en-us/articles/11556691534994-Laundry-Room-Access
- 2.https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/how-many-people-have-smartphones#:~:text=The%20latest%20figures%20show%20an,2016%2C%20just%20seven%20years%20ago.
- 3.https://www.miele.co.uk/p/appwash-4926.htm?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA9dGqBhAqEiwAmRpTC5Gkzs1mMiyA5S2LkdcJQd5iJh0l0lrj5CvvqNeMBbRek7T_3cTzPhoC9IwQAvD_BwE
- 4.https://kittyslaunderette.org.uk/
- 5.https://www.miele.co.uk/p/miele-move-4549.htm
- 6.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/self-service-laundry-services-market-size-2023/