The most important question you should ask yourself when considering choosing a laundry chemical supplier is very basic: “What are my primary needs and goals?” A thorough examination of your current operation, a review of what you do best and what you need to improve, can form the basis for evaluating your present supplier and any potential new suppliers. Armed with this information, you can determine who can best help you meet your overall goals.
Understanding the Five Key Buying Questions for Choosing a Laundry Chemical Supplier
But first, let’s review the basics of the buying decision. Research indicates that there are five questions that buyers have in mind that must be answered to their satisfaction before they make the decision to buy.
Trust in the Service Representative
The first question is “Do I trust the service person to deliver what they promise?” In our industry, that question translates into the experience, reliability, and reputation of the service person. You should interview your chemical supplier’s representative as if he or she were applying for a job in your laundry. Because he or she will truly be a part-time consultant to you, making recommendations that can affect the overall operation greatly.
You should check references by calling some of his customers and asking about his service capability. If possible, visit his customers with him and observe how he has set up the account. Ask the rep what his challenges were at the account, how long he has served them and what programs he has implemented.
These questions will help you discern his knowledge and capability. This is the most critical question you need to examine. The chemical supplier’s representative is the most important part of their program for you, because they are your day-to-day contact with the company.
Company Support and Long-Term Commitment
The second question: “Is the company able to back up its service personnel?” Even the best of service reps need the backing of their company with investments in training and development, new product research, and industry support. Most important is a long-term commitment to the industry and the individual customer. You want a company that is willing to be your partner, one that knows that their success is dependent on your success.
Product Performance, Quality, and Program Design
The third question: “Do the proposed products or programs meet my needs?” This brings us back to what we reviewed above. But we can be more specific about what a chemical supplier should be able to provide. Customer surveys indicate that the most important aspect of your operation is the overall quality of the finished laundry product. Are you and your customers satisfied with the quality? Could there be benefits from improved quality, such as higher customer satisfaction or even more customers? Your chemical supplier has the capability to impact your overall quality with their choice of products and the recommended usages in your wash formulas. So, you should closely work with the supplier to clearly define your quality requirements. Thus, how you measure quality becomes very important. Do you monitor whiteness, softness, stain removal, rewash rates, or some other factors? Are there recognized quantitative and statistical methods to measure quality? Does your chemical supplier have the capability to help with these measurements?
The next most important area that a chemical supplier can be of help is in the design of an overall wash program that meets your cost efficiency needs. Not only should your chemical supplier be able to tell you what your chemical costs are, but the impact of water, energy and labor costs should also be measured and evaluated. Your supplier should be able to recommend different wash programs that can be used to maximize your efficiency. For example, perhaps you have added more business and now find that you may have to add a few more hours of wash time or buy a new washer. Your chemical supplier should be able to work up a new wash program that reduces wash time, increasing your overall capacity, thus reducing overtime labor costs or delaying the purchase of new equipment. A second case where the wash program could be adjusted is if your local municipality has increased their water and sewage charges significantly. Your chemical supplier should be able to design a process that will minimize water usage and thus reduce the impact of the water rate increase.
The third key aspect of chemical service is the capability of your supplier to help you troubleshoot problems. No laundry runs at peak efficiency without a problem for too long. Every day brings another challenge. Your chemical supplier should have the knowledge and technical backup available to help you respond to the challenges that are not routine, challenges that may adversely impact overall quality or costs.
And last but not least, the company you select should have a product line that incorporates the latest technology needed to handle all the ongoing changes in our industry. A complete product line that can respond to your specific needs is essential. A healthcare laundry will need a different line of products than an industrial uniform laundry. The leading chemical suppliers will have specialized products formulated for the specific conditions in your segment of the market, your wash conditions, and your special needs. Products should be designed for the soils, fabrics, water conditions, wash equipment, quality, and any other unique conditions in your operation.
Cost Versus Value Across the Operation
The fourth question that is asked during the buying decision process is: “What is the cost versus the value of the product or program?” Many times, people think that price or cost is the first question people ask when making a buying decision, but until you can be convinced that the representative, company, and product will meet your needs, the price is not relevant. Judging value versus cost is complicated for a chemical supplier because their products and services can impact nearly every other operating cost in a laundry. A poorly designed chemical program can increase water and energy costs, increase labor costs, adversely affect textile or garment life, and change quality. So you need to carefully assess a proposal to make sure that all the cost impacts are understood before you decide.
Implementation and Transition Planning
Once the cost issue is resolved and you have accepted the proposal, the fifth question is asked: “When can you implement the program?” It may sound trivial, but planning a smooth transition to a new program is a very important aspect of the whole question. Will your new company have support personnel readily available to install and convert products and dispensing systems? Will the transition be scheduled to not interfere with production? Will support staff be available as long as necessary to make sure you are satisfied?
Choose the Right Laundry Chemical Supplier for Your Operation
If you are considering choosing a new laundry chemical supplier or if you want to evaluate your current supplier, the above decision-making process and questions will guide you through a comprehensive assessment that will make sure you have made the best decision for your individual and operational needs.
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