Interview with deaf laundromat owner

Callie Frye, Daily Moth Reporter: I’m here at this laundromat, a business owned by a deaf couple. I’m going to chat with Kary, who will tell us about how he runs his business, how he went forward with this idea, and what the whole process looks like, like with new machines and more. He’ll be showing me around the laundromat, so join me and let’s check it out together!

Kary Krumdick, Laundromat Owner: We run on a card system, not quarters. You can use quarters, yes, but the card system is stronger. For people who come in talking and aren’t sure what to do, we have instructions ready right here. This explains everything, it shows step-by-step instructions. It’s pretty cool, and it makes the process easier.

If a customer comes in and there’s a communication barrier, there’s a sign at the ready with prices, machine sizes, cost per weight, etc. Here’s what it looks like.

You can see this washer is ready. Press on ready. You can pick from the options here. So let’s say I want the “Deep Clean” option. You’ll see the cost is higher for that one. If you want the heavy option, the price goes up again. Then click to pay. And it’s ready to go, you swipe your card and the washer will start. Our customers have options here. Some may wonder why certain options cost more. It costs more for hotter water, more water, and more electricity required, just like going to a restaurant and paying more for extra cheese. It’s the same concept here. Our customers accept that and they like the system we have.

There’s not much need to chat or write notes since we have this signage, that’s what it’s here for.

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Kary: These are the most popular machines we have, these two right here. These are the big 80-pound machines, which is equal to eight loads of laundry. You can throw up to eight loads in here at once. And there is a cost increase for this too, to compensate for the hot water. Larger loads are heavier and need more time. These machines are very popular due to the size. Smaller machines, less so. People have similar sizes at home or in their apartment buildings, so there’s less need to come here. But people flock to these big washers. They do well and help our business a great deal.

This is the office for general work that I do here. When I first bought this laundromat, I was heavily involved in every part of the process and I was on my own doing it. After one year we were growing, so I began the hiring process and brought in five employees. Now, those employees operate for me and I communicate with them directly. If a problem comes up that needs my response, we’ll text as needed. I don’t come into the laundromat often now, maybe once or twice a week. Once everything is good, I head back out.

Here’s my advice for deaf people in a similar situation. In my past, I was a teacher. If I as a teacher am stuck or conflicted with something, I can ask another teacher for help. If that doesn’t work, I can ask the principal for help. Or maybe I can ask a specialist for help. That’s the coolest part, having a support system. When I started this laundromat business, it was just me. If I needed help, I didn’t have that support. Just me! That meant I had to take on more and I had to work carefully. When it came to things like contracts, jumping right in could have meant a mistake, making backing out incredibly difficult. So be cautious, that’s my advice. Don’t jump into signing anything too quickly. That’s my piece of advice for you, be careful.