Everything You Need to Know About Uniform Service
There is a lot of information about work uniform service out there. However, until this post, there wasn’t a central hub where business owners, purchasers, chefs, service managers and anyone else looking for uniforms could go to find comprehensive information.
With so many choices both on uniform type and service provider, we wanted to create a guide to help you simplify uniform rental and make it easy for companies of all types and sizes to determine the kind of service they need.
What Is Uniform Rental Service?
Uniform rental service gives your team clothes to wear every day of the work week without the need to launder or repair them. Clean garments are delivered each week, and the dirty ones are picked up and taken back to be washed.
Your company will have a specific date and time for each delivery to make things as easy and convenient so you can focus on your job rather than managing a uniform company. Plus having a consistent route representative ensures personalised and friendly service each week from someone who knows your business.
How Does Uniform Service Work?
Each service provider has a different uniform rental program, but we all have a few things in common. We try to make our service as easy on our customers as possible while providing the most value for their money. Take a look at some common steps associated with uniform service.
- Measure each employee to ensure the right fit
- Uniforms are ordered with no up-front inventory charge
- The company logo and employee name tag are printed or embroidered
- Uniforms are dropped off weekly on a set day and time
- Dirty garments are professionally laundered and sorted
- Inventory is tracked using RFID/Barcoding technology
- Damaged uniforms are repaired
Why Does My Company Need Uniforms?
Companies across the world wear uniforms to work every day for many different reasons. From employee identification to safety and beyond, there are plenty of reasons your team should wear uniforms.
Employee Identification
Whether your team is at your facility or out in the field, it’s essential that customers can quickly identify your company’s employees. Having both a company emblem and a name tag on your shirt gives customers peace of mind knowing they’re actually talking to a team member who can help them.
Brand Awareness and Recognition
Uniforms help improve brand recall and recognition just as effectively as advertising can. Most of us immediately recognise uniforms on drivers and he companies they represent even when they’re not in their trucks.
Safety
Reduce Decision Fatigue
Most of us make many decisions throughout the day both big and small. However, the more choices we make, the less time we spend thinking about the next one.
This is called decision fatigue, and it’s the reason influential people like Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama and Michael Kors wear the same outfit every day. The less time they spend deciding what to wear, the more time they’ll spend making more critical decisions. Learn more about decision fatigue.
What Types of Uniforms are Available?
From the classic blue-button-down-shirt-and-blue-pants uniform to chef coats, hi-vis shirts and FR clothing — there is a work uniform for every job and application. Take a look at some of the most common types below.
Industrial Work Uniforms
Perfect for mechanics, manufacturers and service companies — these work uniforms are available in several different styles such as short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, work pants and jeans. They are durable, comfortable, long-lasting and can be identified with a company logo and name patch.
FR Clothing
Flame resistant (FR) uniforms are compliant and often required by OSHA in many industries including electric, oil and gas, chemical and other workers who are exposed to combustible materials during their daily activities. FR uniforms help protect workers from severe burns and death on the job and are available in several different styles.
High Visibility Apparel
Hi-vis uniforms comply with AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 standard and are often required when employees work on the streets and in low-light and potentially dangerous settings. There are a variety of high visibility shirt and pant styles sure to fit your needs.
Food Service and Food Processing
From chef coats to aprons and polos for wait staff, there are plenty of culinary apparel options available for grocery store and restaurant team members. Cooking is a dirty job and kitchen staffs appreciate having clean clothes each week without the burden of removing stains and doing laundry.
Should My Company Purchase or Rent Uniforms?
Most of this guide is about uniform rental service, but purchasing is always an option as well. Companies like ours offer direct sale on our full product catalogue for both businesses and individuals.
However, rental has a few distinct advantages over purchasing including:
- Less management and cleaning time
- No up-front investment
- Image enhancement
- Convenience
Who Should I Partner With for Uniform Service?
Depending on your location, you probably have two to three choices for your uniform service provider. Some are local and family-owned while others, like Spotless and Alsco, are national and have locations across the country if not the globe.
Local Vs. National Uniform Companies
Local and family-owned companies like Cleantex tend to provide more personalised service because their owners live in the same communities as their customers. A recent survey said service and personnel quality is better at local companies than national chains.
Local companies are also more likely to quickly resolve issues because customers can call and speak to a representative rather than an automated answering service.
Other Things to Consider
There are plenty of other factors to take into account when choosing a uniform provider including:
- Product quality
- Service quality
- Company reputation
- Customer recommendations and reviews
- Proximity
Be sure to do your due diligence before partnering with any uniform provider to ensure you made the best choice
How Much Should I Expect To Pay Per Week
We have a cost of uniform service guide on our site, but we can give you some information here as well. Uniform rental for ten wearers typically costs $40-$200 per week. The range is so big because a lot of factors like uniform style and material can drastically change your investment.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ins and outs to uniform rental service, but hopefully this guide helped you feel more knowledgeable about everything uniforms. There are plenty of reasons to use a uniform service. Just make sure you choose the right type for your application and the right company to provide the service.
Have more questions or want to learn a little bit about how we do uniform service? Contact us today to talk to a uniform expert.
9336 6944
