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We've been very frustrated with our current service provider (a large, well-known laundry company with a bad reputation for service). They bought out a company we used for decades, who gave us great machines and reliable service. Since they have taken over, our previously reliable machines mysteriously break down frequently, the dryers no longer produce heat (as if settings have been changed), our service calls go unanswered for weeks, frequently malfunctioning machines don't get replaced, and they hike rates without approval, despite this all being against contract terms.
We are looking into smaller, reliable companies that offer laundry room renovation, newer, eco-friendly machines, and a good monthly fee (we had a great fee with the previous contract and I suspect they may be intentionally trying to break the contract). However, there is little known about some of these smaller companies. What are your thoughts or experiences with Hi-Rise, Aces, Sky Laundry, NKR, Birchwood or the like?
I was at a building yesterday, never heard of Sky Laundry, but the President swore by them. I have no skin in this game, just reporting that until yesterday I had never heard of them and now they have come up twice in a day. They're at 718-639-7070 (as per the sticker on the washers).
We're approaching the end of a second contract with HiRise. Our payments are received monthly, the new machines have been pretty reliable and repaired promptly when necessary. Biggest complaint is that the dryers (energy efficient) take a little longer to dry clothes. Be very wary of some of the biggies, some are known to do excellent jobs in presenting refurbished machines as new. You should include a contract clause requiring machine replacement if a machine breaks down more than x times in a given period, and keep track of the service calls - when you called, what was wrong, which machine, how long it took to fix. Specify maximum response time to repair machines. Also, no automatic contract renewal clause, dryer duct cleaning should be done periodically by the vendor. Habitat has had several articles in the past regarding laundry rooms. Overall, we've been happy with HiRise and will likely renew the contract.
Thanks for all of the helpful tips. JG, FYI, we have an airtight contract with the terms you noted but this large (awful) laundry company seems intent to break every rule until they are caught. Also, our current manager does not keep up with things as much as s/he should so it is hard to enforce contract terms (though we have reiterated time and time again the importance of enforcement). Thanks again and we will update you once we make a change.
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