I've been working at Swiss Cleaners for almost a year. And in that time I've come to really appreciate what it means to be a successful, family-owned business.

Swiss Cleaners has been around for 4 generations, more than a century. It began as a mom and pop shop in 1913, and I think that's a very impressive feat. The success of this company can be largely attributed to their attention to detail and focus on customer service. There is a lot of understanding, communication, and appreciation that comes from working within a small team of people. Having never worked for a family-owned business before, I was pleasantly surprised by the closeness of the staff here at Swiss. I was welcomed immediately. I can also see that same sincerity they've built with their customers. I'd say that 3 out of 4 customers who walk in the door are greeted by our front counter clerk by first name.

In just a few months I was able to know which customers liked to get their sleeves creased, or which customers liked their pants pressed a special way. It's been nice to build that kind of rapport. Our customers take care of us, so we take care of them.

Finders Keepers? Not at Swiss.

When clothes are processed we inspect them for tears, worn-out areas, stains, etc. These inspections are carefully noted prior to any cleaning. If garments have a little problem, e.g. a shirt with a torn pocket or a pair of pants with holes in the pockets we will repair them – and usually at no additional charge or maybe just a small fee. Nobody likes a torn pocket and we know that. 

Speaking of which, we check pockets to make sure nothing was left in them. A very critical step. Just one pen left in a pocket can do a whole lot of damage in a wash load. We regularly find jewelry, paper work, checks, loose change, even paper money. We have a system in place to get these valuables back to you. We don't keep anything we find. On average, we probably return cash and/or credit cards to about 5 or 6 customers every week. A few months ago we found $250. It was returned.

Celebrating 100 years of Swiss: 1913-2013

When Henry Kloter opened a laundromat from his basement in Rockville, Connecticut, in 1913, he probably never dreamed his great-grandchildren would still be overseeing the expanded family dry cleaning and uniform services business 100 years – and eight locations – later.

Not every business is fortunate to last four generations and still be going strong. We believe the secret to our success is to change with the times – while keeping our style of customer service just as old-fashioned as it was in 1913. To make each Swiss customer feel like our only customer.

To celebrate our centennial, we thought it only fitting to spend all year honoring our community of loyal supporters.

In addition to offering our regular, weekly money-saving coupons through our convenient smartphone app (and recently refreshed website), we gave Swiss customers a summer of deep discounts – typically 50% or more! – on our most popular services. We helped raise funds for the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce with donations to their silent auction event. And we expanded our fleet of Swiss Cleaners vehicles to ensure we’re at your door for pick-ups and deliveries precisely on schedule.

The most excitement came when we aired our first-ever TV commercials (hopefully you saw one, two or all three of them! Check them all out and subscribe to our YouTube channel), and then we ended the year with our “Check Your Pockets” event! At the start of the holiday season, we secretly hid ten $100 Swiss gift certificates in the pockets of ten randomly selected customer garments across all eight of our locations – guaranteeing at least one lucky winner in each of our service areas! Whether they were discovered dropped into a dress or tucked into a tux, the scavenger hunt was a thrill for customers and staff alike!

So what’s next for Swiss? We'll continue to explore greener, more environmentally friendly cleaning practices. Smarter and smarter smartphone app conveniences. And keeping you happy.

We know you have other options for your dry cleaning and uniform services. That’s why we’re especially thankful you have chosen Swiss to serve you.

We wouldn’t be 100 years old without you! Here’s to celebrating the Swiss bicentennial with you in 2113!