Most laundromats still accept payment in quarters. But many are transitioning towards frictionless card payment systems which makes the laundromat process more convenient and eliminates the need for consumers to carry change.

Some modern laundromats offer internal loyalty card systems where customers load a balance onto an internal laundry card system. Others, allow customers to swipe their credit card straight to the washer and dryer. Both options make life considerably easier for the laundromat owner and the laundromat customer. No more lugging quarters around all day!

From a customer’s point of view, this is especially helpful since:

• the younger demographic of laundromat customers mainly use cards and digital forms of payment
• pandemic-related concerns for contactless and cashless transactions are top of mind with a new focus on cleanliness and preventing the unnecessary spreading of germs
• customers are more likely to become repeat customers at modern laundromats who continually improve their payment systems to align with today’s technology
• laundromat customers are less price-sensitive when they are not counting coins. As machines become larger, more energy-efficient, and more expensive, it’s easier to pass this cost to the customer if it is less tangible

From a laundromat owner’s point of view, coinless laundromat payment systems have some clear advantages:

• since there is no need to collect coins, you and your staff will save the time that was traditionally spent on coin collection
• card systems track all your transactions, which makes bookkeeping and breadcrumb machine tracking very simple
• coinless laundromat payment systems have a lower probability of theft and the repair bills that come from theft
• coinless laundromat payment systems provide remote monitoring and advanced data on machine use

The traditional self-service, coin-operated business model is a thing of the past. Long gone are the days when laundromats operate like car washes – only machines, no staff – leaving customers to fend for themselves. More and more laundromats are switching to full-service models – staffing with crews of well-trained laundromat attendants who process wash & fold orders, upsell & assist customers, and help keep the business running.

There is double-utilization of machines and double-utilization of employees – both traditionally under-utilized in the traditional laundromat model.

Customers are looking toward laundromats for full-service options more than ever. Modern laundromats have growing cohorts of customers who never use the laundromat machines themselves – instead opting to drop their laundry off for wash & fold service.

As part of growing full-service laundromat options, pickup and delivery laundry service is also becoming common. There’s no doubt about it. Customers expect delivery as an option at local laundromats. While laundromat owners used to be unsophisticated compared to their delivery counterparts in industries like food delivery and ride-sharing, that’s not the case anymore.

Developments in pickup and delivery software are helping laundromat operators add revenue and produce this new revenue stream efficiently.

The more full-service laundry that your laundromat processes, the closer it comes to being a logistics and warehousing business instead of a traditional laundromat.

From a laundromat owner’s point of view, this is software guides the logistics & customer communication:

• Access your dashboards system from anywhere on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Reporting within the software is nice but a modern laundromat owner should be looking for software with an open API to plug into a BI tool for maximum reporting.
• Believe it or not, the hardest part of increased volumes of full-service orders is not picking up or delivering, it’s tracking the laundry through the cleaning process. Find software that has inventory tracking capabilities – tracking which machines the order is in, which staff member is processing the order, and how long it takes each order to be compelted.
• Route optimization, automated and two-way customer text messaging, and real-time driver tracking. With pickup and delivery, photo documentation to CYA is important. Find software that has photos at pickup and delivery to confirm accurate and timely delivery.
• The headache of churned customers isn’t specific to one part of the business. A customer app – with Apple and Android options – will keep your laundromat top of mind with your customers. Instead of fighting CAC and increased CPC on search engines, use software that offers an app. Once you win the customer over once, you’re always on their home screen.