I would like to preface this with, I work in customer service myself and I am not a high maintenance client by any means. I just expect the machines to work, the place to be clean and to receive the full service of what I am paying for. I am washing my personal belongings there after all.
My partner and I were there this morning. It is his neighborhood spot. He's been going here since he's been a kid. So he gave me the scoop already, on how it's changed the last few years. & this was my first time being there.
Upon entering I noticed 4 dryers out of service with a few washers also taped off. The woman (Laura) who works there already seemed to be making a few other customers uncomfortable, but naturally I was minding my business and just wanted to get in and out.
The place was already bustling so most of the folding tables were occupied. Laura and 2 other women she was chatting it up with decided to move our cart and a basket of another customer to set up to fold paper towels and have her meal at the only 2 tables available instead. It had been 2 hours already and our things had already been moved by them several times.
So, logistically, 3 folding stations are being used to chat, fold paper towels , and eat by 5 individuals- no actual folding of clothes is happening. One station available & there are TWO of us with twice as much laundry we EACH needed a station.
I kindly asked Laura if I could take the one she was having her meal on to make our life easy. She told me no it was already in use. So one of the other women opened her station up to us. (that originally wasn't even hers because she too moved another customers things ) But hey! There was solution - I was fine with it.
My partner left for a moment in which the ladies started to gossip in Spanish about how we were rude by asking for extra space. Made comments & assumptions about how my partner and I were moving as a couple and how things are "generational" - a bunch of crap I surely wouldn't dare speak on at WORK! I thought it was interesting how comfortable she felt to speak about me while I was standing right next to her folding, & only when my partner left (he is Mexican and very much Mexican presenting) I am white passing Boriqua, so I'm sure they assumed I wouldn't understand. I can only imagine this has happened many times before to others.
Laura then sent one of the ladies to go look throughout the laundromat to confirm whether or not there were other tables available, in which she confirmed there truly wasn't. Their group seemed to grow as two gentlemen joined to chat and have breakfast. One guy just ended up taking the station that originally the women offered up to us.
It was all just truly uncomfortable, inconsiderate & inconvenient.
My key take aways
- the machines are barely working and are heinously expensive
- the place is bare minimum on hygiene and cleanliness.
- employees are rude and create busywork that inconvenience customers
If you absolutely need to, spend as little time and money in that place as possible. read more