MARKETING OF LAUNDERING AND DRY CLEANING SERVICES
ABSTRACT
This research project is a very crucial study for Rex Brothers and dry cleaning services. The study was moderated by the necessity to know the role of Marketing in the Laundry and dry cleaning services. To solve the research problem both primary and secondary data were collected. The research instruments used in collecting the data were questionnaires and oral interview. The respondents comprised of the personnel and customers of the firm. In organizing and presenting data collected tables, frequencies and percentages were used. Data analysis and interpretation gave the followings.
- That there is lack of proper integration of the Marketing concept in the firm.
- That most customers choose their cleaning firm because of their services efficiency and prompt delivery rather than on location variables and dispositions.
- The firm inability to meet customer’s services needs/requirement through adequate provision of enough collection centers and patrol van was contributing to customer use of direct visit to firm approach. It therefore depicts lack of well planned and good distribution services it was equally discovered that apart from the mounting of sign boards, the company engages in radio advert but this has not been very effective and other media are not used and also the use of more and effective promotional activities by service firm in order to attract more customers attention. The company should sign the service package in a way it can be delivered and performed effectively and efficiently in consideration of time and labour cost. Conclusively, this has shown enough that there exist adequate demand for laundry and dry cleaning services which is capable of sustaining dry cleaning firm and enhancing their growth, this latent demand can only be stimulated into effective demand by the use of appropriate marketing and management strategy. In the recommendation, the following were recommended among others: The need for firm work marketing professional bodies, pool resources to organize research in the industry and work towards greater customer satisfaction.
- Use of more and effective promotional activities by firms in order to attract more customer attention.
- Examine change as it affects their firm with a view to identifying opportunity to be exploited by the use of marketing methodologies that may have been scantily performed in a rather career fashion.
- Development of comprehensive and adequate service package that can cater for a greater percentage of your customers.
- Synthesizing the service package in a way it can be delivered and performed effectively and efficiently in consideration of time and labour costs.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROND OF THE STUDY
It is often said that cleanness is next to godliness. The importance of dry cleaning services in buttressing. This fact cannot be over emphasized. However, the extent to which dry cleaning services practice marketing in their activities calls for urgent acceleration. According to Kotler (1997.7) Marketing is a Social and Managerial process by which individuals and group obtain what they need and want through creating effort and exchange products of value with others.
In the view of Kotler the key task of the organization is to determine the needs, want and value of a target market and adapt the organization to deliver the desired satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than its competitions. Furthermore, success in business is success in a market firms go out of business not by costing factors buy by unprofitable marketing. The usually enter a business by creating product, that is good and services but stay in business only by creating and retaining customers at a profit. It is the task of Marketing to yield the firm into generating only those right promotion, serving pricing and distribution that is from the customer point of view and continue to do so at a profit. It is the task of marketing to yield the firm into generating only those high promotion, serving pricing and distribution that is from the customer point of view and continue to do at a profit or simply put, materialize the doctine.
Get the marketing right and everything else comes right, get the Marketing view and the problem comes. Furthermore, Kotler (1984:19) states that firms must (ie) Market themselves in a way that the customers will not just be satisfied with their product and services in fact be delighted. Therefore, it is necessary for laundry services operators with in the nation and Enugu in particular to seek and understand consumer, preferences research into those things that will reduce the effect of ineffective marketing practices. As laundry and Dry cleaning workers relay on the Market for its survival and profitability, it is inevitable that should develop resilience adopted to changing economic needs, the environment and the requirement of its customers.
Marketing also involve the total evaluation of the Company’s strength and weakness in order to know where to specialize or where to eliminate proper marketing implies providing the right service at the right time, at the right price to the right customers and in the right place. Applying the concept of marketing, the Laundry are Dry cleaning service would be satisfying customers with their services. It is because of the Dry cleaning services that the research critically look at its marketing Using Rex Laundry as a case study.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Marketing has been discovered to be the bedrock which business survive. Marketing of Laundry and Dry cleaning service is no exception. Customers of dry cleaning and laundry services have complained about the low quality of most of these firms. The firms that performs below expectation is to say they do not meet the patronage level required from them considering the opportunities available for them for exploitation, Rex Laundry and Dry cleaning firm is not an exception. One may be inclined to suggest that the reason for the low performance is not in effective application of marketing principle. Some other reasons may be non availability of the service? Are these firms charges on the high side. Is it as result of non coordinated effective promotional strategy. These and many more forms the focus of this study.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To find out the level of customer satisfaction on the quality of Rex Laundry Dry Cleaning services.
2. To determine the impact of charges on the patronage of Dry cleaning services.
3. To find out if Laundry and dry cleaning services available in Enugu.
4. To determine whether marketing
5. Activities of Laundry 2 Dry cleaning services lead to increased profit.
6. To determine the impact of Rex laundry and Dry Cleaning services promotional strategy on customers awareness of their services.
7. To recommend efficient and effective ways of marketing laundry and dry cleaning service.
1.4 FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS
HO: Customers are not satisfied wit the quality of service as presently offered by Rex Laundry and Dry cleaning services firm.
HI: Customers are satisfied with the quality of service as presently offered by Laundry and Dry cleaning service firm.
HO2: Most customers are not aware of the existence of the firm as a of improper or non use of effective promotional activities.
H2: Most customers are aware of the existence of the firm as a result of improper or non use of effective promotional activities.
HO3: Customers are satisfied with the fare charged by Laundry and Dry cleaning services.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study is significance due to large benefits and importance in the context of a problem being studied.
1. To serve as a reference guide for news up – coming firm for setting-up of better marketing functions.
2. Enhanced understanding of marketing in the Laundry and dry-cleaning form presupposes better resources allocation to be different marketing functions, and how monitored.
3. Assisting on the identification and service of customers thus enhancing greater profit margin for the firm.
1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY
This research work is intended to cover a wide geographical area in Nigeria but because of the areas to be covered is too vast, the researcher has decided to delimit escope of her study to study to Enugu Metropolis and rex operation with in the area.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
LAUNDRY: The business or place where clothes and other items are washed dried and pressed.
DRY CLEANING: Process of cleaning clothes, materials items etc without using water. No soaking, dipping or actual washing of an item using water.
MARKETING: This is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers requirement profitably. It involve all those set of activity’s that facilities exchange transactions of economic goods and services.
SERVICE: A service is defined as many activity benefit or satisfaction that is offered for sale, it is essentially intangible, it is production may or many not be tied to a physical product.
