Award of Excellence

If there was any doubt in your mind that Tulsa's Yale Cleaners was among the best of the best in the garment cleaning industry, you can put your doubts to rest.

Yale Cleaners has been awarded the 2017 Award of Excellence in Quality Cleaning and Customer Service from the Dry Cleaning and Laundry Institute (DLI), the premier recognition program for professional members of the Dry Cleaning & Laundry Institute.

"Receiving the Seal of Approval shows the high level of service and dedication that my family and staff commit to within our community," said John Rothrock, President of Yale Cleaners. "It's an honor and a privilege to help our customers look their best. We are humbled by this award and see it as a byproduct of our service."

To achieve the award, Yale Cleaners underwent a series of tests to prove that it meets rigorous, objective standards in cleaning and service. To be considered for the award, cleaners were required to clean and return a specialized Cleaning Performance Evaluation, successfully removing six common, but difficult, stains on a silk swatch, all of which were to be returned to the Institute for evaluation.

"Seeing the testing swatch brought back a lot of great memories from my days at DLI. I was able to completely knock out all six stains a lot quicker than I could back in 1992," said Bill Rothrock, manager of Yale Cleaners in Owasso. "There is no substitute for experience and modern-day stain removal agents."

In addition to the swatch test, cleaners vying for this top industry honor must provide continuing education for staff and adhere to a set of customer service principles.

"What really separates Yale from other dry cleaners is our customer first approach, said John. "This philosophy can be seen throughout the company. From our speed of service pledge; in by 12 out by 5, great money saving coupons, covered car-hops and caring staff. Our Mission is to serve our customers and deliver the best possible dry cleaning experience."

The prestigious Award of Excellence in Quality Cleaning and Customer Service is given to very few select dry cleaning establishments throughout the world. Simply meeting requirements is not enough to win – cleaners must go above and beyond to prove that they exemplify community service, continuing education and leadership within the dry cleaning industry.

The Award of Excellence designation began in 2005 as a way for professional drycleaners to demonstrate too their customers their commitment to quality in cleaning and service. The key to any drycleaner achieving the Award of Excellence honor is a dedication to their customers and to providing the best service possible. This is just one of the many things Yale Cleaners has come to be known for since its founding in 1944.