You can’t argue it. Aesthetics and amenities matter. Customers relish the new and modern. And honestly, in terms of equipment, there’s nothing more striking than GS-Series Washers with the Genius Control (GS-Series Washers.) But it’s their functionality coupled with their aesthetics that make them a game-changer — today and down the road. In this column, I drill down on the washer’s capabilities, features and handsome good looks, while describing how these combine to become a vended laundry owner’s best friend.
First, GS-Series Washers are stunning. They’re constructed with durable, anti-rust stainless steel cabinets, oversized chrome doors, the industry’s largest touch-screen interface, 450 G-force extract speeds, and illuminating 360° Vision Corner Status Lights. When lined up in a row — with their lights illuminating in different colors based on load status — they create a great first impression. But, with that beauty, comes loads of durability, performance and functionality.
The Industry’s Largest Touchscreen Customer Interface
The 10 inch touchscreen Genius Control is impact, scratch and water resistant. It looks impressive and leads customers through the washing process with intuitive icons. Store owners with GS-Series Washers tell me repeatedly that there is no customer training needed because customers find the machines so easy to use.
Flexible Programming to Meet Future Needs
The screen comes with up to four, six or eight pre-set cycle options, with each one being customizable. Plus, store owners can import icons from the control library and customize cycle names and descriptions to better market to the unique needs of their customers. One storeowner in Fargo, N.D., for example, offers a “Hockey” wash with specialized programming because “hockey is life” in Fargo. So, as a laundry owner, you can do whatever you want in terms of programming and program names.
Additionally, there are six customizable “Extras,” such as Superwash, Extra Rinse, Extra Spin and Sanitize. Customers can add an “Extra” for an additional vend price. This allows customers to dial in on wash preferences, while store owners increase revenue.
Hybrid Vended and Full-Service Programming
Even better is that this striking touchscreen can double as an in-store advertising screen and switch from customer-facing, self-service programming to attended-facing, full-service programming with automatic chemical injection. This makes it simple for laundries to process wash/dry/fold and commercial laundry orders with sophisticated programming.
So, while the touchscreen looks sleek and modern, it’s also simple to use and offers flexible programming that can be customized into the future to meet changing needs.
Customers Can See Load Status with a Glance
The next feature worthy of both beauty and functionality is the attention-grabbing 360° Vision Corner Status Light.
It’s cool and no other machine in the industry has it. But, again, it’s purposeful and helpful. Once customers understand that “green” means the machine is available and “orange” means it needs unloading, they love it. The light speeds up the loading and unloading process, which equates to more turns per day, especially in busy laundries.
Removable Soap Hopper
The innovative soap hopper is yet another functional bonus. It’s easy to open, remove and clean unlike typical soap hoppers that are tough to maintain and prone to odor and buildup. Details like this help attendants keep machines and laundry clean, fresh and running smoothly.
Impressive Extract Speeds
Although most customers don’t realize that high, 450 G-force extract speeds significantly shorten the time it takes them to complete laundry, they love to watch GS-Series Washers spin. I hear it all the time from store owners. Customers stand and stare at the washers during extract and marvel at how dry their clothes are upon removal. A little education as to why and customers are locked in for life.
The why is that GS-Series Washers are soft-mount washers with complex suspension systems that eliminate the need for bolt-down. This is what makes them so easy to install. Moreover, it allows them to reach much higher extract speeds than most other washers. So, GS-Series Washers remove more moisture from laundry, and as a result, they cut resulting drying time in half. Customers love the fact that they complete laundry in an hour or less. On the flip side, store owners love that dryers run less often and use less natural gas. Laundries also enjoy quicker customer rotation rates, as a result.
Hence, at first glance, there’s no denying the GS-Series Washer is sleek and gorgeous. But what’s really great is the realization that what you see on the outside, is also what you get on the inside. Available in 23- to 80-pound capacities, GS-Series Washers with the Genius Control are the epitome of style, flexibility and performance — now and into the future. They’re also backed by an industry-best factory warranty.
About the Author
Tod Sorensen is a regional business manager at Girbau North America and vice president of Continental Girbau West, a full-service distributorship serving the Southern California vended, on-premise and industrial laundry markets. He holds more than 20 years of experience in vended laundry development and market analysis. Please contact him with any questions at tsorensen@gnalaundry.com or call 866-950-2449.