When to Hire Laundromat Employees

As your laundromat business grows, you may find that you need to hire more staff to keep up with the demand. This strategic move can help you meet your immediate needs and set the stage to add new service offerings. Approaching the moment to hire laundromat staff is an exciting milestone that you should be proud of! But the signs on how and when to go about these aren’t always clear, which is why this decision requires a detailed analysis. This blog post breaks down different laundry business models and staffing strategies, with tips to know when it's time to expand your team. You’ll learn how to identify the qualities to look for in new hires to ensure they become valuable contributors who fuel your business's success.

Ready to streamline your hiring process and attract reliable candidates for your laundromat team? Check out our Laundromat Job description templates.

Why hire more laundromat staff

To Hire laundromat attendants is a big decision that demands careful consideration, as it directly impacts your overhead costs and the trajectory of your growing business. Here are some key factors to guide you:

Type of laundromat business you own: The type of services you offer determines your staffing needs. A self-service laundromat requires fewer attendants than one that offers wash-and-fold services, which typically needs at least two employees to cover the entire process effectively. Pickup and delivery models require a dedicated team for pickups, deliveries, and in-store operations .
Your budget: Hiring increases your payroll expenses and may call for a dedicated training budget. Ask yourself if your financial standing can support these additional expenses. On average, replacing an employee can cost up to $4,129 and take around 42 days, so hiring mindfully is a matter of previous time and money.
Your customer base: A growing customer base or more specialized service demands are two common reasons to bring on a new hire (or two). Consistent complaints about customer service or slow turnaround times is a strong indicator that your current staffing needs to increase.
Your business goals: Expansion or new services, like wash-and-fold or pickup and delivery, may put you in the position to hire. Your approach to bringing on new staff members should be informed by your long-term strategic goals to support manageable growth.

How adding laundromat staff can help

An all-star laundromat staff plays an integral role in laundromat’s efficiency, customer service, equipment care and maintenance, and facilitation of smooth daily operations. Here are some important contributions from high-quality laundromat employees:

Excellent customer assistance: Helping clients operate machines, answer questions about pricing or operation, and provide change when needed.
Diligent machine maintenance: Keeping machines in good working order, cleaning lint traps, managing detergent supplies, and handling minor equipment repairs.
Provision of special services: Processing wash-and-fold orders, coordinating pickups/deliveries, and handling special laundry requests.

Things to consider when hiring

staff

Before you take to the job boards, you must define why you’re looking to hire, when you’ll need them, and how onboarding will affect your daily operations. Here are the main factors to keep in mind:

Peak hours: Identify busy hours when you may need more staff to meet the high customer demand.
Roles: Determine which specific roles are required, such as customer service attendants, wash-and-fold attendants, or delivery drivers.
Training: Plan thorough training to help new staff provide efficient, high-quality service that align with your brand.

Cost breakdown of adding an employee

While new employees are essential as your business grows, there are costs associated with adding staff members that may not be obvious at first glance. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the costs of bringing on a new laundromat employee:

Wages: Depending on location, laundromat staffing wages can range from $12.98 to $38.94 per hour.
Benefits: Include health insurance, retirement plans, and paid leave if applicable.
Payroll taxes: Employers cover Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and worker's compensation taxes.
Hiring costs: Recruiting and training new staff can cost upwards of $4,000 per hire and take over 40 days.

Hiring structure recommendations

No two laundry businesses are exactly the same, but staffing recommendations can generally be tailored to the services you offer. Here are the most common laundromat formats and recommendations for how to approach staffing:

Self-service: At least one employee per shift for cleaning, customer assistance, and machine monitoring.
Wash-and-fold: Two staff members for optimal efficiency—one focused on washing and customer interaction, and another on drying and folding.
Pickup and delivery: One driver, one store attendant, and one person for laundry processing.

When to hire more laundromat staff

The first decision you'll need to make is what type of laundromat business model you will be hiring for. While most laundromats are self-service, more and more are adding these additional, specialty laundry services to increase profitable revenue and meet the growing demand for convenience.

Self-service laundromat

For a self-service laundromat, having at least one employee on the clock during business hours is a baseline necessity for efficient operations. This allows you to provide quick assistance with equipment issues, helps maintain the cleanliness of the facility, and ensures positive customer experiences.

Employee responsibilities:

Immediate problem resolution: A staff member can quickly address any issues with machines or customer needs, such as providing change, helping operate unfamiliar equipment, or resolving payment problems.

Facility cleanliness: A clean laundromat encourages repeat business. Staff can routinely sanitize machines, remove debris, and keep common areas tidy, contributing to a comfortable environment.

Safety and security: A visible employee presence helps deter theft or vandalism and provides assistance to customers who might feel unsafe in an unattended facility.

Customer service: Employees can assist with lost items, and provide information about machine usage or detergent.

Sales opportunities: Staff can also promote additional services like detergent sales or introduce customers to value-added services, such as wash-and-fold.

Staffing a self-service laundromat with attentive, friendly employees who can handle customer concerns efficiently give you the peace of mind that your facility will have satisfied, loyal customers.

Wash-and-fold laundromat

Wash-and-fold services require at least two employees to address the workload and cater to customer needs. Here’s how each role contributes to streamlining operations and maintaining attention to detail:

Employee responsibilities:

Washing and attending: One employee manages washing tasks, proper sorting, selecting appropriate detergents, and maintaining the cleanliness of machines. This role also includes covering the store, addressing customer questions, and handling transactions.
Drying and folding: Another staff member oversees drying cycles and neatly folds clothes while monitoring the finishing process to your standard.

Having two staff members at a time handling separate roles allows the entire process to move quickly, avoiding bottlenecks. As your wash-and-fold service grows, you may need to add more staff to manage the increase in workload. Use analytics software to track peak times and project future demand, helping determine the best time to expand your workforce.

Training these staff members is a little different than with a self-service format. Staff members should be empowered to effectively sorting laundry, oversee machine operation, remove stains, expertly fold, and give customers top notch service.

Pickup and delivery

For a successful pickup and delivery service, you'll need at least two to three employees, each with clear, defined roles:

Employee responsibilities:

Driver: Responsible for pickups and deliveries, this role requires excellent organizational and customer service skills. Drivers need to handle laundry carefully while adhering to tight schedules.
Laundry processor: Manages the entire cleaning process, from sorting and washing to drying and folding. This role ensures that clothes are washed correctly and processed efficiently to meet deadlines.
Store attendant: Oversees in-store operations, assists customers, manages inventory, and communicates with both the driver and laundry processor to ensure smooth service.

With at least three employees working at a time, coordination and transparency is crucial for success. Scheduling software can automate and optimize delivery routes, manage orders, and provide real-time tracking to keep drivers on schedule.

As demand for your pickup and delivery business grows, you should consider expanding your team. Adding drivers and laundry processors can help balance the workload while maintaining the bar you’ve already set. Analytics software can provide insights into peak demand and areas for improvement.

When to schedule your staff

Once you've decided how many employees you'll need for each role, the next piece of the puzzle is scheduling. This will equip your staff to run the business effectively and meet customer expectations. Here are some useful strategies:

Identify peak hours: Use your historical sales and customer traffic data to identify peak hours. Typical high-traffic times include weekends or weekday evenings. Scheduling extra staff during these hours will help handle the increased demand and prevent frustrating wait times for customers.
Cover off-peak hours strategically: During quieter periods, you can reduce staff as long as essential roles are covered. One employee can typically manage a self-service laundromat alone during off-peak times, while maintaining cleanliness and assisting customers.
Seasonal changes: Some periods see increased demand due to seasonal changes or events like holidays. Anticipate these trends and adjust your staff scheduling accordingly.
Cross-training: Train employees in multiple roles to allow flexibility in scheduling and reduce the impact of sudden absences. This strategy ensures the responsibilities of the laundromat are always covered, even with a reduced staff.
Data-driven analytics: Use software analytics to study customer trends and employee performance. This can reveal periods of under or overstaffing and help edit your scheduling strategy.

Qualities to look for in new employees

Once you've determined when to hire and how many new employees to add, use tested strategies to find the perfect candidate for every role. Here are important qualities to prioritize when hiring new laundromat staff:

Customer service skills: Look for candidates with strong interpersonal skills. These employees will be most effective in addressing customer concerns and resolving issues promptly. They should be approachable, empathetic, and determined to deliver excellent customer service even in stressful situations.
Reliability and accountability: Find employees who are on-time and dependable. They should demonstrate a strong work ethic, follow company policies, and exhibit ownership over their responsibilities.
Adaptability and multitasking: Working in a laundromat requires juggling multiple tasks, especially during peak hours. A great candidate can handle high workloads while maintaining attention to detail.
Problem-solving skills: An employee who can proactively resolve issues is invaluable. Whether it's troubleshooting machine malfunctions or managing customer concerns, problem-solving abilities are something to search for in a new hire.
Fast-paced environment experience: Previous experience in high-traffic settings like restaurants, retail, or customer service are green flags. These employees understand the importance of working quickly with accuracy.
Honesty and integrity: Employees must be trustworthy, especially if they handle transactions and customer belongings. Background checks can help verify their reliability.
Technical knowledge: Familiarity with laundromat equipment is a great bonus. A technically proficient employee can manage minor issues and help customers operate machines.

Training new employees

It’s not enough to find the perfect new hire. You need to have a solid training process in order to truly get them up to speed. Here’s how to build a training program that will develop excellent employees:

Define clear objectives: Outline specific responsibilities for each role, like operating laundry machines, managing customer interactions, or resolving technical issues. Most importantly, each role should have a clear job description that aligns with training objectives.
Hands-on training: Most people learn best by doing. Involve new hires in practical tasks right from the start. Show them how to use equipment, handle cash transactions, and maintain the facility.
Ongoing skill development: Staff training shouldn't end after onboarding. Offer regular refreshers and upscaling opportunities to enhance customer service, equipment handling, or cross-department collaboration.
Provide incentives: Reward staff members who excel in training new hires. Incentives, like gift cards or advancement opportunities, create a culture where continuous improvement is valued.
Promote safety awareness: Include safety protocols into training to minimize risks in the workplace. Proper use of equipment, safe handling of chemicals, and hygiene guidelines are key pieces of a great safety training program.
Implement a management system: Invest in a business management system that tracks employee performance and identifies areas for improvement. These tools can analyze employee data and streamline scheduling, communication, and training needs.

Conclusion

The success of your laundromat business hinges on excellent hiring and training practices. After identifying your staffing needs based on your business model and building a comprehensive training program, you can start searching for the perfect new employee. The steps here offer a clear path to hire laundromat staff and grow a highly capable and professional team for your business.

Ready to streamline your hiring process and attract reliable candidates for your laundromat team? Download our laundromat job description templates.

When To Hire Laundromat Employees

Why hire more laundromat staff