Most of the time when you’re in a laundromat, waiting on your washer or dryer, you’re probably wishing you could be doing something more productive.
Enter Amybelle’s Wash & Dry (3220 Balboa) who is stepping up to try and make a difference during our employment-challenged times.
Owners Elmer and Amy Capule are inviting neighbors who need career advice or resume help to stop by the laundromat to get free help from Amy, who is a seasoned human resources professional.
“We will be hosting individual resume critiques and helping with interviewing skills. We believe this will be beneficial to the Richmond community especially during these challenging times,” says owner Elmer Capule.
Free help is available every Saturday from 10am to 12noon, beginning January 2. So if you’re in the job market or are thinking about getting back into it, stop by Amybelle’s Wash & Dry at 3220 Balboa for a helping hand.
For more information or to schedule a private session, contact Amy Capule at 341-7097 or by email.
Sarah B.
You know why this strikes me as hilarious? It’s not the idea that the reason I can’t find a job is because I didn’t take my resume to the laundromat for some Laundry Resume Expert to give me wonderful pointers, although that is pretty hilarious.
No, it is rather the fact that these folks who run this laundromat are focusing on something ridiculous like this resume stuff, when they cannot be bothered to do the utterly basic stuff that goes with running a laundromat. For example, the operators can’t be bothered to make sure the change machines are filled. You would think that would be pretty easy to do– make sure the change machines are filled when you close up at night, at least. Nope, that’s too much to ask for.
Or how about running the laundromat at the scheduled/posted hours? If you say you are open at 6am, that does not mean “I’ll open it at 6:30 or 7:30 or whenever I get around to it.” If you can’t operate at your posted hours then change your posted hours!
Then of course there’s the endlessly busted, habitually quarter-stealing machines. I’ll never forget last month when the laundromat had a problem with the plumbing. It had no hot water for a week. But that didn’t stop the clever owners from staying open, with a little sign in the corner of the window saying how they didn’t have any hot water. Well– nobody wants to do laundry in your laundromat without hot water! They should have just closed down and fixed it. It seemed to me rather like they were trying to fool people into doing cold wash– especially all the people who couldn’t read their english-only tiny warning sign.
I wouldn’t be so PO’d as to write this except–guess what– I just now went to do laundry here, and, go figure, the change machines were empty. TYPICAL.
But oh yeah, I’d love these clowns to critique my resume!
I was thinking how I should apologize for my PO’d comment here, and say that I have been having this internal dialog about the laundromat since I saw their “Resume Critique” signs go up– this unfortunate blog was simply the catalyst/opportunity for my rant. I have 2 very young kids so I do laundry here about every other day, I spend a lot of money there. & I’m on a tight schedule, so it’s the little things that count. I would rather a biz like a laundry see itself as a community asset by doing the biz of laundry right, first and foremost. Can you dig it?
But yeah anyway, between my first and second post here just now, I put my laundry in the dryer there, and it stole a quarter from me. Typical. What am I gonna do, write a note to get my quarter back? That’s a lot of notes. I tend to reserve the note-writing for when I get a chance to unload on a blog comment like this. Or when the machines steal bigger money. For example, I wrote them a note when the change machine took my $20 but only gave me a few dollars in quarters before it went empty. You got to pick your battles I guess.
Methinks Mr Feroz needs to switch to decaf.
Dear Mr. Feroz,
First and foremost, thank you so much for your business. As a father of a young child myself, I understand what it is like to be on a tight schedule. Your feedback and candor is appreciated– please know you’ve been heard.
First, I am committed to keeping the coin machines maintained as much as possible. I have learned that our neighboring businesses are competing with my customers for the same coins. Do know, I have addressed this and will stay on top of it on an on-going basis.
Secondly, I do apologize if you have not been able to enter during the posted open time. Our laundromat has automatic doors that unlock by itself at 6am sharp. I will check this asap to ensure there is no lag in the schedule.
I really appreciate your business, Mr. Feroz. You are one of the reasons our lights are still on. If there is anything else you would like to address, please feel free to contact me directly at 341.7097.
Lastly, as for the resume and interview advice, that is something my wife has done professionally for over a decade now. She is passionate about helping others and particularly in this challenging economic climate, we’re simply doing what we can to give back to the community we’ve been a part of for almost 15 years.
Hey Elmer I know you are just doing your thing. I don’t mean anything by it. I would have deleted these sarcastic comments before you even saw them, except there is no delete. Maybe you can get the admin to delete them if you think they are bad for biz, that’s completely OK by me. I mean my comments are serious (and plenty of businesses pay for that kind of insight), but not serious. Also please note that I regularly leave a lot of great magazine and books down there on your table, the ones that people steal right away– so you know I’m serious about doing my part for the community here too.
Oh Miss TdJ, that decaf joke is too much, I never heard that one before. You are like the next Robin Williams or something. Have you thought about getting Elmer to book you at the laundromat? It works for the Brainwash downtown. But, they probably have a permit, or grease the right cops or something.
I can’t believe it, but here I am posting again about this laundromat.
Yesterday the laundromat dryer stole $3 from me. Normally, since I know first hand about these things, I put one quarter in and make sure the lousy dryer is working before I load it up. But I was in a hurry so I took it on faith that the thing would work, and I put 12 quarters in it with my laundry and went off.
I came back before the dryer quit running, as is mt habit, to take out some of the little stuff already dry and leave some of the heavier stuff in there. And what do I find but that the dryer has been running with no heat.
I do my civic duty of putting a note on the busted dryer, and leaving a note for Elmer about the problem. I then test a couple other dryers until I find one that seems to be working, and use that one.
Fast forward to just now.
Here comes Elmer to my door with my notes.
He had the audacity to give me the 3rd degree about this, as if he was going to intimidate me for calling him on what a lousy businessman he is. He did not give me a refund. Once he started to aggravate me I sent him away.
This clown has the audacity to put a copy of this richmondsfblog article in the window of his laundry. You’ll notice he doesn’t print out these comments and put that up there too. I wonder why?
Hi Mr. Feroz – I think your comments are better suited for something like yelp.com. Here is Amybelle’s page if you want to post a proper review there.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/amybelles-wash-and-dry-san-francisco-2
Sarah B.
of course you are right! Please delete all of this if you are so inclined.