The door unlocks by itself on schedule.
Lights, air conditioning and the sign turn on together. The first customer of the day finds the store ready, with no one having gone to open up.
Laundromat Means a Store Open Without You Having to Be There.
The door opens on schedule, payment starts the machine and, if something goes off normal, you find out before the first one-star review.
In a few words
ARX designs, installs and maintains the technology that lets a self-service laundromat run without an attendant: backup internet for the machines and payments, a door with a schedule and remote opening, cameras, an intercom for remote support, a leak sensor and an alarm. It works alongside the franchisor's system and repeats the same standard at every location.
Implementation: State of São Paulo: the capital, inland cities and the coastDesign and consulting: all of BrazilWe serve foreign companies that operate in Brazil
A full day in action
The technology no one notices.
The customer walks in, pays, washes and leaves without talking to anyone. They only notice the technology if the door doesn't open or the machine doesn't start.
You check every store from your phone.
Door open on time, cameras online, internet working at each location. All on one screen, before your coffee runs out.
The payment goes through and the machine starts.
The main internet connection failed and the backup took over on its own. The customer, on the store's Wi-Fi, which is a separate network, never noticed.
Questions get answered with no one in the store.
The customer presses the help button and talks to an attendant, who sees the store through the camera and guides them.
The store closes without locking anyone in.
An audible warning sounds first. The door locks for those outside and still opens from the inside.
The leak is contained while the store is empty.
A sensor on the floor detects the water, the valve closes by itself and you get a notice on your phone.
What tends to cause trouble
The problems of those who look after this space.
The internet goes down, and sales stop.
Payment by app, Pix or card depends on a connection. With a single link, any outage effectively closes the store, and you find out from the complaint of someone who paid and couldn't wash.
You find out about the problem hours later.
With no one in the store, the gap between the event and noticing it is long. In one reported case, the owner only saw on the cameras, hours later, what had happened.
No employees does not mean no work.
Cleaning, restocking, customer support and maintenance still exist and fall on the owner, who often has another job. Every unnecessary trip to the store is time the model promised to save.
What ARX does here
You choose where to start.
From a one-off adjustment to a complete project. Each solution works on its own and gets better alongside the others.
Internet and Wi-FiTwo internet paths with automatic switchover, and separate networks for payments and customers.Access controlA door with a schedule, remote opening and free exit from the inside.Smart camerasDoor, payment, machines and folding area, with recording kept off-site.AlarmsLeak, smoke, open door and after-hours presence, with a notice on your phone.Comfort and automationLights, air conditioning and sign on a schedule, with no one going to the store.Operations centerAll locations on one screen, with the same alerts.
Equipment
What usually goes into this type of project.
Examples. The final choice depends on your space and your budget.
It's the front door of the internet: protects the network, separates visitors and already delivers Wi-Fi.
Discreet, for reception, hallways and covered entrances.
Reader, controller and credentials: what you need to control the first doors.
If the sensor detects a leak, the valve closes by itself and you are notified.
What hardly anyone tells you
Before asking for a quote, it's worth knowing.
The franchisor's system doesn't cover everything.
It usually handles payment and machines. Door, cameras, leaks and backup internet are up to you. These are two worlds that someone needs to bring together, preferably before opening day.
A camera alone only shows you afterward.
Recording doesn't alert anyone. What shortens response time is the right alert reaching a designated person: door open after hours, people in the store after closing, internet down.
Opening overnight is a decision, not a default.
Running all night raises revenue and risk at the same time. Closing overnight, with an automatic lock, is a legitimate design choice. It is worth deciding by looking at the neighborhood and the foot traffic, not the brochure.
Rules and precautions
What needs to be respected.
The exit is always free from the inside.
A door with an automatic lock in a store open to the public must open from the inside at any hour and unlock in an emergency and during a power outage. We check this behavior with you at handover.
Cameras with notice, faces with care.
Post a notice that the store is filmed, define who sees the footage and how long it is kept. A customer's facial registration is sensitive data: whoever adopts it takes on the obligations of the LGPD (Brazil's data protection law), even when the idea comes from the franchise network.
The customer needs to be able to talk to someone.
Without an attendant, the remote channel is all of the support: a help button, an intercom or a visible phone number in the store. It is what lets you guide the customer, record the problem and refund the amount when the service doesn't happen.
Questions and answers
What happens if the laundromat's internet goes down?
Without a connection, payments don't go through and the machine doesn't unlock. That is why we install two internet paths, usually fiber and mobile network, with automatic switchover. Payment and machines stay on a network separate from the customers' Wi-Fi and the cameras.
Can I open and close the store without going there?
Yes. The lock follows a schedule and accepts remote opening, with a record of every command. Lights, air conditioning and the sign follow the schedule. From the inside, the exit is always free, including during a power outage.
Who helps the customer when no one is in the store?
Someone needs to respond, even remotely. ARX installs the help button, the video intercom and the cameras. Support can be handled by you, your team or a contracted operations center. ARX is a technology company, not a customer service company.
I'm a franchisee. Does ARX work together with the network's system?
Yes. The franchisor's system normally handles payment and machines. ARX handles everything around it: backup internet, door, cameras, sensors and alarm, respecting the network's standards manual. For those with several locations, the same standard at every one.
In which cities does ARX install in laundromats?
Installation is done in the State of São Paulo: the capital, the interior and the coast. Design, consulting and retrofit design serve all of Brazil, which suits franchisors and owners of several locations in other states.
Shall we talk?
Tell us what you want to solve. ARX replies clearly, with no obligation.