August 27, 2004

Retail Round-Up

Cleaners4Less focuses on quality service, low prices

By Rosanna Mannan
Times Intern

Cleaners4Less, just two stores down from Lunardi’s, is a new Evergreen dry cleaning service that prides itself on low prices and quality service.

Co-owned by Essi and Hedieh Mansoori, the new business opened May 14. A native of Texas, Essi attended the University of Texas in Austin and received a degree in mechanical and petroleum engineering in 1978. He then worked for Mobil Oil Co. for eight years.

Essi’s engineering background has not only helped him improve the quality of his dry cleaning service, but also streamline and improve the process.

“I’m more independent owning my own business; there is more interaction with customers and though there are bigger financial risks, success brings more rewards,” Essi says.

In 1985, Essi worked without pay in a dry cleaning store for three months to learn the tricks of the trade. Later that year, he and a friend opened a Pearl Cleaners in Sausalito and in 1986, one in Belmont.

Drawn to Evergreen
After many years with Pearl Cleaners, Essi felt it was time to start his own dry cleaning business, so this year, he opened Cleaners4Less in the Evergreen Village with his wife Hedieh. He chose to locate in Evergreen because it is a growing community that he calls home.

Essi and Hedieh moved to the Evergreen area in 1987. They were drawn to the area’s diversity and scenic backdrop.

They have two children, Kiana and Aurash. Kiana is in first grade at Evergreen Elementary School. She enjoys ballet lessons at Dance Theatre International just down the street on Evergreen Village Square. Aurash is embarking on his last year at Chaboya Middle School. He plays on his school’s soccer team, as well as a local soccer league.

“Evergreen is a growing community that has a lot of potential,” says Essi. “The area is also clean and the hills offer picturesque scenery. It is a wonderful place to raise children and to open a new business.”

Essi makes his new business, Cleaners4Less, as unique as possible to differentiate it from the vast number of dry cleaners in Evergreen Valley. One way he does that is by offering flat rate, competitive prices. Any half-length garment, for example, is a flat rate of $4.25.

“There are ways to streamline profit, improve quality and keep customers happy by reducing operating costs,” notes Essi.

He has streamlined the business by computerizing everything in the store. Essi and Hedieh can even pull up customer histories to see how often they come and how many garments they usually have cleaned.

Customized information stickers
Another unique quality of Cleaners4Less is the innovative ideas Essi and Hedieh have to improve quality while helping customers.

Each order includes a “Did you know?” sticker to inform customers of dry cleaning processes. Essi and Hedieh created these stickers to provide customers with helpful hints on clothing care. August’s “Did you know?” highlights linen, for example.

“Linen comes from the stem of the flax plant and has a lot of the same properties as cotton…it does not lint, dyes well, is naturally resistant to moths and can withstand ironing temperatures as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Personalized handbags
Regular customers receive special Cleaners4Less bags that have their names imprinted on them. These busy customers can just come by the store, drop off the bag with their garments to be cleaned and leave.

This method eliminates time and work for both parties, allowing the customer to spend less time in the store and more time completing other tasks in their hectic schedule.

Essi and Hedieh’s plans for the future include opening more dry cleaning stores in the Bay Area, but they first want their local Cleaners4Less to reach maturity as a business.

Cleaners4Less is located at 4055 Evergreen Village Square, Suite 120, San Jose, phone (408) 528-7353.