If you’re looking to start your own wash-and-fold laundry service (also known as wash-dry-fold) or add it to your current laundromat or dry-cleaning business, you’ll have to make sure you have the right point-of-sale (POS) hardware for the job. To save money and time, knowing exactly what you need before making any purchases is helpful. In this post, we’ll go over the correct hardware your POS system should include for your wash-and-fold service to be successful.
What is a Wash-and-Fold Laundry Service?
A wash-and-fold laundry service is an onsite laundry service that washes, dries, and neatly folds clothing and other items from the customer for pickup or delivery. The customer either drops off and picks up the clean clothes at a later date from the same location, or a driver will pick up the laundry from the customer’s location and then wash, dry, fold, and deliver the clothes back to the customer.
Adding Wash-and-Fold Services to Your Laundry Business Can Be Profitable
Wash-and-fold laundry services are increasing in demand, which is excellent for business. With everyone working from home, less dry-cleaning is needed as fewer people wear business attire. People are wearing more casual, comfortable clothing at home, and it piles up! Most people would rather pay someone to do their laundry than haul it around themselves.
Providing a high level of customer service with wash-and-fold is essential as it sets you apart from other competitors in the industry. Offering pick-up laundry service to your customers is more convenient for them. Folding the clothes nicely and packaging them up before returning them to the customer may not be enough. It’s best to leave a little note or coupons with the clothing, and having modern-looking tags on the clothes makes you look more professional.
Considerations When Choosing a POS System
To run a successful business in this industry, having the right point-of-sale system in place is necessary. Think about all the different aspects of your business before choosing a point-of-sale system. It’s important to ask yourself:
- How many employees do I have?
- What types of payments will I be accepting?
- How often will my laundry service pick up or deliver?
- Do I need an in-house credit card reader, or can I use a wireless device like Square Reader?
- Will customers sign up for recurring services where contact can be automated?
These are just a few factors that should be considered when selecting which POS system best suits your needs.
Features of POS Hardware Systems for Wash-and-Fold Laundry Services
Finding the right POS system that meets the needs of a wash-and-fold laundry service can be challenging, but luckily, we’ve put together the best point-of-sale hardware for wash-dry-fold services.
POS SOFTWARE
You’ll first need the proper POS software for your business. POS software does more than print professional-looking receipts. They track inventory and customer behavior. They can show you how much business you’ve had month over month and track your growth. Be sure to get software that works well with what your business needs. Some POS software programs have even been developed specifically for the laundry service industry, including wash-and-fold. Find out what’s available to you.
POS HARDWARE
Next, you’ll need a computer or tablet device to interact with your POS software and take payments. You’ll need a tablet display stand and a proper enclosure for your device to secure and protect it. A credit card terminal that reads EMV cards to comply with future security updates is critical. If you want to accept payments via customers’ phones, be sure to have the correct payment terminal for that. You will also want a cash drawer with the proper capacity for your cash flow so you never run out of change.
Trade Legal POS Scale
Most wash-and-fold laundry services charge by the pound, so an accurate POS scale is a must. You want a scale that is easy to connect to the rest of your POS hardware and can be integrated with your POS software without any problem or delay. Be sure the scale is “trade legal” and can measure a hefty amount of weight.
Barcode Scanner
For your wash-and-fold laundry service, you’ll also need a reliable barcode scanner to ring items up for customer payments or to scan for inventory purposes. Whether stationary, handheld, or wireless, you’ll need a scanner that can read 1D and 2D barcodes quickly and accurately. 2D barcodes cover things like QR codes, which are becoming increasingly popular. They can take customers to a website, which can be used to show promotions and holiday hours and to keep track of loyalty rewards programs.
Receipt & Label Printers
Finally, having trusted receipt and label printers will do your company wonders. A thermal receipt printer allows you to print professional-looking receipts, enhancing your brand. Still, some cloud-based printers can even allow automated promotional marketing to be set up and scheduled, printing with your customized receipt and boosting customer engagement.
In addition to a receipt printer, you’ll also want a label printer. More people are using linerless sticky label printers these days. Sticky labels can be used to keep track of your orders, but they’re also great for brand enhancement. When customers get their clean clothes, it’s comforting to see a professional label tag with their contact information stuck right to their neatly arranged package. Little things like this can set you apart from your competition and keep customers coming back.
Star Micronics Has the POS Hardware Your Wash-and-Fold Service Needs
An industry leader for over 60 years, Star Micronics has a portfolio of solutions designed for any retail or hospitality environment, including desktop, portable, and kiosk printers, cash drawers, scanners, scales, and more. Star Micronics Cloud Services can also help businesses engage customers through various receipt marketing tools that can be set up and automated ahead of time.
At Star, we believe it’s best to have POS hardware work seamlessly under one support team. That’s why we’ve created the full solution for your POS needs. We have a variety of receipt and label printers, scales, barcode scanners, cash drawers, and a paper subscription service that will keep your doors open and your customers returning. Plus, we’ve partnered with some of the best POS software developers in the industry. Our support and integration teams are second to none and will work tirelessly to get your business online as soon as possible.
