Does your dry cleaner settle for good enough?

Mainstream is the road to mediocrity.

Ordinary cleaners (middle market cleaners) are quite content to produce a quality of product that’s poor to mediocre. They call it “good enough”.

And they justify good enough by rationalizing that their customers won’t pay for true quality cleaning.

This is the same reasoning employed by wannabe cleaners (illusion cleaners) who offer a 3 tier quality/pricing structure - sometimes called their “everyday”, “expert” and “couture” service” Or their "diamond", "platinum" and "gold" service, or their "classic", "deluxe" and "artisan" service.

Truth is, there are a number of reasons why ordinary cleaners and wannabe cleaners settle for good enough -- other than the belief that their customers won’t pay for true quality cleaning.....

Good enough is risk free

Good enough is the largest segment of the market, the vast middle ground between the value cleaner (discount cleaner) at the low end and the extraordinary cleaner (true quality cleaner) at the high end.

Good enough doesn’t require a significant investment in skills, processes, equipment and facilities. You don’t have to worry about who does what and how. Almost every position is interchangeable. Like cooks and servers in a cheap diner.

There’s little risk in good enough. (Except in a recessionary environment where the vast middle market tends to trade down to the value cleaners, delay their cleaning altogether, or re-establish their relationship with their home washer).

Ordinary cleaners and wannabe cleaners couldn’t handle the risk of true quality cleaning.

So they settle for good enough.

Good enough is comfortable

Good enough doesn’t obligate you to exercise a high degree of care or to concern yourself with the hundreds of details that constitutes true quality cleaning.

All you need to focus on is pushing the garments through the system and out the door. They’re in by 9:00 and out by 5:00; picked up on day 1 and delivered on day 3.

Good enough doesn’t require you to constantly learn and improve, thereby raising the bar on everything you do.

All you need to focus on is pushing the garments through the system and out the door. They’re in by 9:00 and out by 5:00; picked up on day 1 and delivered on day 3.

Good enough doesn’t require that you stand for something and open yourself up for criticism from ordinary cleaners and wannabe cleaners.

All you need to focus on is pushing the garments through the system and out the door. They’re in by 9:00 and out by 5:00; picked up on day 1 and delivered on day 3.

Ordinary cleaners and wannabe cleaners couldn’t handle the daily stress of true quality cleaning.

So they settle for good enough.

Good enough is relatively stable

Good enough doesn’t require that you turn your back on the vast majority of your existing customers and build a new customer base consisting of clients who demand and respect true quality cleaning.

Good enough doesn’t require that you forego all income while you transform your cleaner from an ordinary, bang and hang cleaner to a true quality cleaner.

Good enough doesn’t require that you invest 60 to 70 hours a week and give up your twice weekly golf outings to ensure that the quality standards you have set are being faithfully implemented.

Ordinary cleaners and wannabe cleaners couldn’t handle the challenge of starting over as a true quality cleaner.

So they settle for good enough.

Good enough is Zeno's paradox in action

If you seek to serve 90% of all possible consumers in the market, all you need to offer is ordinary cleaning or wannabe cleaning. To please 50% of the remaining 10% of the market, you’ll need to work twice as hard and offer a quality of product that’s twice as good.

To please the remaining 5% of the market, you’ll need to work twice as hard again and offer a quality of product that’s twice as good again.

This is a phenomenon known as Zeno’s Paradox.

And Zeno’s Paradox is why 90% of dry cleaners settle for offering a quality of product that’s merely “good enough.”

If you own any fine garments, household textiles and accessories, don't settle for good enough.