More operators are taking advantage of DLI’s revised fee schedule, which
simplifies access to membership benefits.
By Ian P. Murphy
Early in 2014, the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI) made a radical
shift in the way it collects fees for member services. Changing from a
complicated system that charged dues based on an operation’s number of
employees to one based on the DLI professional services desired, the new
program has streamlined membership participation and made it easy to take
advantage of DLI’s valuable services.
“The old system no longer made sense in today’s economy,” said DLI CEO Mary
Scalco. “Member response to the new program has been great. People like being
able to choose the best program for their business. Our goal was to give
members the opportunity to select a plan that suits their needs.”
The former system, introduced in the 1970s, based membership dues on the
number of employees an operation claimed as well as other factors such as the
number and type of locations. Over time the system became confusing and cumbersome.
Under the old fee structure, for example, there were 26 different levels of
membership that cost up to $1,600 per year.
Allan P. Johnson III supported the change. “ ‘Dues’ has a negative
connotation that was appropriate for the old system, since the fees were
imposed on the basis of a head tax—the more employees, the higher your dues—instead
of paying for the value received,” he said. “That’s what governments do, not
service organizations. Consequently, the bigger dues payers subsidized those
who paid considerably less, but both received the same services and benefits.”
Johnson III serves as current DLI Chairman and operator of Peerless Cleaners
in Corpus Christi, Texas. “
“DLI wants to be a service to our
members—not a taxing entity,” he said. “The emphasis in DLI’s new program is
aimed at encouraging members to value the benefits they receive for the investment
they make in DLI membership. Once the concept takes hold, we’ll be successful
in changing the perception from dues to membership value.”
Freedom of Choice
The new system offers just four levels of service. Members can now easily choose
the level that suits their needs best from a streamlined menu of offerings. Each
membership level offers a specific package of DLI benefits, from the
entry-level Budget package to the all-inclusive Premier membership.
The Budget package offers drycleaners full membership and representation
nationwide, and for just $45 per month, helps DLI cover the overhead associated
with its ongoing industry advocacy. “We want every drycleaner to adopt a
philosophy that they are a contributing participant in improving the image of
our industry,” said Jon Meijer, DLI’s director of membership.
Budget members vote for regional representatives on the association’s
Board, receive Fabricare magazine and Hot Press e-mails, and take advantage of negotiated discounts on
credit card processing and other business services. In case of a processing
problem, Budget members also have access to DLI’s technical staff. Additional
services such as garment analysis, access to the online Drycleaning Encyclopedia, and education and certification programs
are available on a pay-per-use basis.
The next level up is DLI’s most popular membership level so far, the
$79-per-month Silver package. This membership adds the Drycleaning Encyclopedia and
Heads Up! newsletter, two free
garment analyses per year, free drycleaning system performance evaluations and
secret-shopper services, website development, a professional certification test
or renewal, and reduced fees on admission the Clean Show and education.
The Silver level is where operators
can really start to realize the benefit of everything DLI membership has to
offer. “No cleaner should be without the DLI Drycleaning Encyclopedia,” Johnson said, referring to the
Institute’s crown jewel, a knowledge base covering everything drycleaning. “Next
comes education, in the form of certification of key personnel, resident
courses at DLI, [and] in-depth information, printed and available online. Then
comes DLI’s Garment Analysis and regular use of cleaning and laundry
performance tests.”
Gold membership is designed for active members who send employees to DLI
headquarters for certification and training regularly, participate in local,
state or regional industry associations, and represent drycleaner interests on
a local level. They are often seen as potential nominees to the DLI Board, and
pay $145 a month for a package that adds one free registration for the biennial
Clean Show, free self-study courses and online training, and onsite secret
shopping, as well as substantial discounts on all DLI resident classes and
other offerings.
Premier members receive access to all DLI services with no additional
charges for $254 per month. The top-level membership includes free registration
to the annual Five Star Brainstorming Conference cosponsored annually with the
National Cleaners Association (NCA), two free Clean Show registrations, and
multiple classes and certifications free of charge every year. The
Premier plan includes the Executive Hotline for instant access to DLI
leadership, and many members at this
level hold Awards of Excellence and become officers or Board members themselves.
For a complete listing of membership benefits by level, visit dlionline.org/membership-information.
“At the top level, you never have
to pay anything except your dues, but we also wanted to make sure you could
come in at the Budget level and still purchase everything we have,” Scalco said. “The member has to think that they are getting
more than the cost of their dues, and we wanted to give them a choice—it’s that
simple.
“The biggest roadblock to membership used to be the question, ‘How many
employees do you have?’ The more employees, the more you paid; you didn’t
receive anything more. Now, we say, ‘Here’s a list of all our services, and you
can choose. It’s better for the member, and that’s a big thing.”
Easy Entry
Response from new and renewing members has been good so far. During the
first six months under the new rate structure, DLI’s membership numbers have stabilized,
and the association expects revenues to increase as more operators realize what
they’re getting for their membership dollars. “It is so much easier to bring a
member in the door,” Scalco said. “New members are coming in, and that’s
great.” International membership is also growing, she adds, with members in
Australia, Canada, Nigeria, and other countries worldwide attracted to DLI’s
unmatched array of online resources and tools.
Whether they join online or in person, the simplicity of the new system
helps. “We just filled out the paperwork, and that was it,” said Mike DiStefano,
president of Gentle Care Cleaners in Charlotte, North Carolina, a new
Gold-level member. “I figured it would give us the most for the dues we’re paying.
It just seemed like it would be better if I needed anything and to be more
informed.”
Gentle Care now has access to a complete range of professional benefits,
including access to DLI’s Drycleaning
Encyclopedia, Monday Morning Marketing e-mails, certification renewals,
free self-study courses, and more. “I haven’t had to take advantage of the
benefits yet, but they are there if I need them,” DiStefano said. “That’s the
best part—it’s there if I need it. It’s like an insurance policy, and customers
like to see a sticker on your window that said you’re a member.”
The program has also streamlined payment with monthly automatic withdrawals
in exchange for a membership commitment. “It was easier to provide a monthly
service plan,” Scalco said. “We always had a monthly option, but it used to be
our last choice. Now, it is our first choice. The members like it.”
Linda Young, co-owner of Impressive Dry Cleaners in Pensacola, Florida.,
joined at the “very affordable” Budget level this year to access DLI’s online resources
Technical Hotline. “We can call and ask someone when we come across a problem we’ve
never had to face before,” she said. “We work with two suppliers, and they said
the best thing you can do is join, because DLI has knowledgeable people at the
other end.”
With reduced-cost or complimentary training sessions offered at every level
of membership, DLI’s classrooms are filling up fast. By concentrating on the real
value of membership, the association is helping speed the education of a whole new
generation of career-professional operators and staff. “Our classes are
booked,” Scalco said. “More people are getting the training they need to
succeed and we are pleased the change in our membership structure has enabled
this to happen.”
The new program also offers incentives to discover DLI services and move up
among membership levels at any time. “The members didn’t want to be told what
to pay,” Meijer said. “Now they look at the services they want, and want to go
to a higher level. We have people who start in the Silver and want to go to Gold.”
As more operators discover the benefits
DLI offers under the new fee schedule, the association will grow and build
financial security alongside members. “The
strength of our industry depends on the strength of the association,” said DLI Past President David Machesney. “DLI is pleased to offer this change so the
association can continue to improve services and assist members.”
Ian P. Murphy is a freelance writer and editor based
in Chicago. He served as the editor of American Drycleaner magazine from
1999-2011.
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