Why is storage so important? - GOALS
If we consider that the goals to achieve are:
Customer satisfaction and consequently the volume of items dropped off
Productivity increase and consequently the point of sale profitability
What levers are available to improve these factors in the dry cleaning activity?
The storage optimisation is one of these levers! Here is why…
How can an optimised storage impact my customers’ satisfaction and increase my productivity?
Let’s remind us about the elements in relation with organised storage that can improve the customer satisfaction:
- Return times
- Waiting times in the point of sale
- The fact that customers don’t need to come back again because of a failure to return garments in time
- The practicality of wrappings provided
And now the elements allowing to increase the point of sale profitability, still in relation to storage:
- The operator knows where to look for the customer’s order
- The operator knows whether an order has been stored or not
- The storage process is both assisted and fast
- Research and return of lots are quick
All these elements mean only one thing: a decrease in the lots’ treatment times! Because as you know, the main cost in our service activity is the workforce cost.
We all try to reach an ideal where all our customers would be served immediately / without any waiting time, and where an operator would be able to gather and store the order in the blink of an eye / without any risk of error… but how can we perfect?
Advice: elements to implement
The basic elements we advise to implement are the following (whatever configuration and type of point of sale):
- Implementation of rechargeable customer card
- Storage by complete lot with assembly and storage in only one place for the same order
- Wrapping of each order at the time of storage
- Email or text message notification to the customer that his order is ready
Additional elements that can be implemented:
- Barcode identification of each item
- Driven intermediate hanging rails for assembly
- Automatic garment dispenser
- Drop-off section
What is the perfect configuration?
Step 1 - Drop off
in the point of sale
I took care to implement prepayment cards. My customer has a card and enough available credit.
I simply enter his order, no payment, everything was already paid online!
Time saving for the CUTOMER:
- No need for a payment method
- No need to wait for a receipt
Time saving for the OPERATOR:
- No payment
- Faster drop-off treatment
Step 2 - Storage
after treatment
The items identified with a barcode label are scanned as soon as they exit production. The operator is guided to store these items in the temporary storage area for assembly.
The operator is informed when all the items of an order are ready. The assembly sheet is printed and he can wrap the order.
Scanning the assembly sheet then allows to move the lot into the most appropriate area of the point of sale.
Then the customer is immediately notified that his order is ready.
All these elements are traced!
If an anomaly occurs, it is possible to access the detailed operations and thus save some precious research time.
Step 3 - Returning garments
My customer comes back to pick-up his items. He presents the code he received by email or text message.
The order is immediately identified and the operator is shown the storage areas.
If I have an automated conveyor, I don’t have to walk and search for the items.
The several seconds of wait give me the opportunity to tell my customer about the textile care products he might use for his clothes that I recently added to my products for sale.
Satisfied customer & increasing profitability…
Today, all the solutions presented in this blog post are available in our GestiClean software. It is specifically dedicated to textile care and covers all the needs related to this storage issue. For more information about GestiClean, please visit our page: dedicated pageYou can contact us by email: info@inforum.io
Dry cleaning: how to optimise storage in my shop?