Everyone Wins with KioSoft’s Technology in the Laundry Room

How it Started

FMB Laundry is a Baltimore-based route operator dedicated to providing the highest levels of service to both multi-housing and on premise laundry markets. Over the last 30+ years, they have been servicing not only apartments and condos, but also military bases, fire departments and assisted living facilities. They pride themselves on being energy efficient and forward thinking, and always concerned about their customers.

FMB Laundry started looking for an updated payment solution in 2017 when they realized it was time to move away from cash and toward credit/debit and mobile payments. With an increasing demand for mobile payment options, FMB met with with several well-known companies looking for solutions that would not only improve the bottom line for their customers, but would also increase the satisfaction level of the users.  After researching the products and services available, KioSoft stood out as the most advanced.

“It was clear to us that KioSoft were not only technology leaders in the present, but they also had a vision for the future of payments and a plan to stay on top. We were really impressed by the hardware, software and pricing, but most importantly the people.” – Charles McCurdy, Executive Vice President, FMB Laundry

FMB knew they were making the right choice in partnering with KioSoft when the company’s CEO personally flew to Baltimore to visit before the partnership was solidified.  From there, the roll out was smooth sailing. FMB started with selecting two pilot locations: the first was a coin operated location that was upgraded to include mobile app payments, and the second was a takeover from a competitor that was set up as app only.  KioSoft sent their technical team to help FMB with the installation of the two locations and remained on site for several days to ensure everything was up-and-running and that FMB personnel were well trained. The initial plan for FMB was to test the mobile app payment technology at the two locations for a few months and then decide how to proceed with future locations. Immediately after the installation, it became abundantly clear that the adoption results were staggeringly high. FMB accelerated its implementation plan and moved forward with upgrading numerous projects with KioSoft technology.

Our Partnership

FMB Laundry has been able to streamline their operations by implementing their KioSoft developed mobile app payment system. Before the app and partnering with KioSoft, FMB had to evaluate every property and carefully select the appropriate payment models for each location and machine type. The app makes this evaluation unnecessary. KioSoft’s mobile payment app integration is fully versatile and simple to set up as an ongoing payment option for FMB, regardless of the environment. Residents enjoy having greater control at their fingertips as they can easily add to their balance, start the washer and dryer cycles, and receive timely cycle alerts through the app. For FMB, two key advantages in working with KioSoft are: 1) the wide product offering to support any application, and 2) consistently stable connectivity in the laundry room with the wireless infrastructure provided with each solution.

“The younger demographic enjoys the conveniences of seeing machine availability, starting cycles through their devices, and receiving notifications through the app. Plus, the senior demographic appreciates that there are other options like card or coin available.”

The predictable technology has allowed FMB to secure new accounts and has given them more time to focus on branding and building relationships. With KioSoft as their partner, they can rest assured that they have the suitable, trustworthy product they are looking for. According to FMB, “everyone wins with KioSoft’s technology in the laundry room“. Management companies are empowered by being able to log into their Washboard Portal to see user statistics (such as app user accounts created and funds added); meanwhile residents enjoy having flexible payment options.

KioSoft Advantages 

KioSoft offers their partners the option to customize their own branded app. This was an opportunity for FMB to differentiate themselves in the market as trustworthy and knowledgeable professionals. KioSoft continues to work with FMB to develop unique features in the app and is always responsive to feedback with prompt solutions. FMB noted that KioSoft is able to maintain their leadership position in the industry by never resting on their laurels and always staying one step ahead of competition. When asked “why recommend KioSoft as a partner?”, FMB states:

“I’d recommend KioSoft as partner because of their responsiveness and vertical integration. KioSoft also does everything in-house. They have their own technology, programmers, support team, etc. and that resonated with us because we see our company as family. Working with them allows for quick and great results, top notch support, as well as ownership over our data and customers.”

FMB is appreciative of how KioSoft consistently has items ready in inventory for quick order as FMB prides themselves on their ability to deliver quickly while maintaining their own stock of readers and payment kiosks available for any new locations they obtain. Another key operational feature is the service call reporting and refund capabilities within the Laundry Manager app, as it helps save time for both the management company and the end user. This app also allows technicians to easily share information and to configure readers from their phones as an added convenience instead requiring a laptop. When it comes to efficiency at FMB, the download station is a prime example. KioSoft’s download station allows up to 30 readers to be updated at a time, so FMB can ensure all their readers remain up to date, providing the best customer experience.

FMB’s Future with KioSoft

FMB is excited for their future with KioSoft as they have seen revenue increases on every property that has been retrofitted with Kiosoft technology. It became clear to FMB, upon partnering with KioSoft, that coin was a limiting factor, as some property revenues skyrocketed post-partnership (especially if there was a younger demographic). Revenue increase plays a significant role in FMB’s overall satisfaction with KioSoft, but there are other factors like support, training, technology, and personnel that have helped build this long-standing relationship.

“KioSoft’s support is fantastic! We have always had an open line of communication where no matter how bold the ask, our request has always been satisfied. KioSoft has also always provided the necessary training at all of our locations and we’ve even sent our personnel to the KioSoft headquarters for further training.”

FMB has been in the business for 34 years so partnerships are very important to them. They feel as though their partnership with KioSoft is very strong and a key factor to FMB’s growth moving forward, namely with mobile payments. FMB believes KioSoft will continue to lead the payments industry and serve FMB well with their hardware, software, and support tools.