The summer months are upon us and with that comes the very hot temperatures inside a dry cleaning plant. As most of us know, it can be very difficult to keep up the morale in the plant when the summer months kick in. It is my hope that by the end of this article you will have some tips that can be shared with the rest of the team to ensure a positive, growing culture.
We have a saying here at Snappy Dry Cleaning (which I’m sure many of you do as well) to “beat the heat.” This means we get up even earlier on the extra hot days to get the work completed before the mid-day sun takes over. In Buffalo, NY we recently had 90+ degree days…it was tough, to say the least. When working in such hot conditions it is normal to have lowered patience in team members. However, as leaders we still need to keep the morale up to ensure a top-quality product.
Encouraging teamwork and collaboration. When we work together, it should go without saying the entire workload gets completed more efficiently. Having a well-trained and well-rounded team will result in efficiencies and getting out of the hot environment sooner.
Random Acts of Kindness. It is great to have an ice cream break, Gatorade for the team or something along those lines. For some, it may sound cliché, but it is so impactful to the team when that’s done. It shows that you care about them and their comfort.
Extra Breaks. I’m not suggesting an extra 45-minute break for everyone, but something in between a mini break and a more traditional one. Have team members rotate taking an extra 5, so the workload doesn’t continue to build up. Those extra minutes of relief could do wonders on their efficiency.
Ensure Safety. A headache may be run of the mill under normal circumstances…but a headache in a hot environment could be an indicator of something worse. Share with the team to check in on each other to ensure everyone is doing ok. It’s the timeless saying “see something, say something.”
Hydration breaks. It is very easy to become dehydrated in the plant. Most individuals do not drink as much water as they need on a regular basis, let alone in a hot plant. Have your General Manager, or you, the leader go around and remind everyone to drink. Take it a step further and have some semi-frozen water bottles in hand to pass out.
Dress appropriately for the environment. Not suggesting shorter shorts here… but think about the team members’ uniforms. Very often we provide golf polos… that tend to be of heavier fabric. Look into the moisture-wicking polos. Far more breathable and easier to work in.
Recognition and Reward. With this it is even more important to be genuine. A quick, non-eye contact “thank you” will not suffice. Stop what you’re doing, make sure it’s a good time for the team member and thank them for pushing through the heat of the day. Remind them cooler days are ahead and nevertheless you are thankful they are here. This will be one of the ways a team member will know they are working for a leader, not a boss.
Lastly, I wanted to share something we just did at Snappy. Think about your plant for a moment… are your steam pipes insulated? I have thought about this for years… and while I always had the pipes that were closer to the floor (so team members wouldn’t get hurt) insulated, I never pulled the trigger on insulating all the hot pipes. Because, well, it can be pricey. Yes, we have spot cooling as an investment for our team members, but it wasn’t enough. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, we had 90 degrees+ days…which meant unbearable heat in the plant. After consulting with our HVAC guys, we pulled the trigger and insulated the 212-degree pipes. What. A. Difference. It has easily made the plant 10-12 degrees cooler, instantly. Worth its weight in gold when it comes to increasing the morale in the team members.
When we have team members sharing the discomfort of the day, and managers shadowing the thoughts as well, it is important that we listen. We may not be able to make all the modifications we would like to right away, but I encourage you to look in the budget and see what modifications or improvements you can do. Your team members will thank you and they will be on the path of becoming raving team members.
Jennifer Whitmarsh has over 18 years experience in the dry cleaning industry. From working the front counter and developing delivery routes, to Chief Experience Officer and co-owning a dry cleaner in the Buffalo, New York area. Her expertise spans throughout all departments. She specializes in developing team members that create a culture full of dedicated employees. She has brought her skills of developing people to the industry known Route Pro team.
