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How NOT To Choose Your Uniform Program For Your Organization

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you’re an avid Office Space follower, you have to remember the scene where Jennifer Anniston’s character expresses her feelings about here flare. If you haven’t seen the movie, here is a clip of the scene below.



She had been berated about here flare in other parts of the movie as well, and you could tell that it didn’t make her like her job.

Here is an article from The San Francisco Chronicle that discusses
The seven worst chain restaurant – fast food uniforms of all time. As you can tell there are some real doozies.

Don’t be a dud, choose Master Brands for your uniform program, and avoid being a laughing stock.

Filed Under: Communication, Image, Master Brands, Master Uniform, Master Uniforms, Professionalism, Restaurant Uniforms, Uniform, Uniform Program, Uniforms Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Project A Unified Image To Your Customers

June 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Did you know that 32 million people wear uniforms to work today? A couple of reasons for this is because it allows companies to project a unified image, and because it takes stress off of the manager in terms of what their employees wear to work. Uniforms also make employees easily identified to customers and clients.

From: Financial News Today.

If you are careful not to select a uniform that is ugly or difficult to wear, most employees will accept that they have to wear them without any problems. Uniforms let members of staff know that you care about their appearance and that you do not mind making an investment in them. Uniforms are good for morale too, as they encourage a feeling of togetherness in the workplace.

You will probably end up paying somewhere between $100 to $500 per employee for each uniform, with the difference in estimates coming down to how many items you need to buy and the quality that you opt for. That may seem like a lot of money but the average shelf life of a staff uniform is two years so, over time, it does not end up costing too much.

At the very minimum, you will need to buy a shirt for each of your employees as, being the most visible, that is the most important item of a staff uniform. You might want to tell your workers that they need to get a pair of black pants or a skirt, but be prepared for the fact that a few of them will not dress up to your standards because they are not going to want to wear their best clothing to work.

Spending some time to choose which colors are best is crucial since color alone can really enhance or diminish the appearance of an entire uniform. You need to choose colors that match, will look good with your logo, and which do no easily show up stains and dirt. It would be best to go with three colors at most, with one of those colors being the main color of your company logo.

Look for stain guard treated fabrics when choosing staff uniforms as these fabrics will last, and will keep their full colors, for longer. You will probably want to shell out a bit more money in order to get better quality items, because over the long run this will save you money. You will want to select a uniform that is comfortable for the area in which your employees work, so if they work in a hot area, you will want cool clothing, and if they work in a cold area, you will want warm clothing.

Filed Under: Branding, Business, Master Brands, Master Uniform, Masterbrands, Professionalism, Uniform, Uniform Program, Uniforms Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A Testimonial From a Happy Client

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This testimonial comes from Fred Kraut of Rocky Mountain Care.

Rocky Mountain Care

“I have worked with Masterbrand’s, their sales staff, and production team for over 5 years, and they are, by definition, truly a business partner. They have helped me to communicate my brand image in ways that link directly to our stated brand position , and executed in concert with our brand standards. They understand our business objectives and have been there to help communicate then in unique ways.

They are professional, sensitive to market needs and timing, and have never failed to meet a stated deadline. They will do what ever is needed to go the extra mile.

I highly recommend any business to explore a partnership with Masterbrand’s”

Filed Under: Branding, Business, Communication, Marketing, Master Brands, Partners, Professionalism, Sales, Testimonial Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Work Uniforms Have Their Benefits

June 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Uniforms aren’t just for fast food, Wal*Mart employees, and auto workers anymore. There are many companies today who require uniforms of all of their employees from their janitorial staff to top level executives.

From The Benefits of Work Uniforms:

I worked as a mid-level manager at a large company for many years. At a different company, I would certainly have had to wear proper business attire. But everyone at this particular company had to wear uniforms. It was my first experience with uniforms (outside of sports), and I have to say that I really like the idea. While some of you may bristle at the thought of such a major constraint to your wardrobe, there are actually many benefits that come with having to wear a uniform to work. For example, work uniforms allow you to:

1. Save Money
I had a friend who worked at the Gap while we were in high school. She worked three nights a week and on weekends, but never seemed to have any money to go out to lunch or to the movies. I asked her what she was spending her paychecks on. “Well, the store policy is that we have to wear Gap clothes when we are working,” she complained. “I don’t have a lot of Gap stuff, so I have to use most of my paycheck to buy their clothes!”

That’s perhaps an extreme example, but there is some underlying truth to the scenario. The biggest clothing expense for adults is most likely their business wardrobe. Suits, dresses, slacks, blouses, blazers, and ties are all very expensive, but also very necessary in most office environments. Even if you work somewhere that has followed the “business casual” movement, you will still have to shell out quite a bit of money for appropriate attire. Clothes don’t last very long before either wearing out or simply looking outdated, which means you will have to replace a good portion of your work wardrobe every few seasons or so. And don’t forget dry cleaning costs, which can really add up after a while. With a work uniform, even if it just consists of a company shirt or blouse rather than a whole outfit, you wouldn’t have to worry about most of these costs.

2. Save Time
I’m sure we’ve all had those mornings. You know the ones. You wake up late, scramble out of bed and into the shower, then panic because you can’t decide what to wear, or even worse, don’t have anything clean to wear. With work uniforms, you will never have to spend time trying to pick out the day’s outfit. Think of how much time this will save you each morning. You can sleep an extra 15 minutes every day! Depending on how many uniforms you have, you probably won’t be stuck without anything clean to wear, either. The company I worked for started each employee off with two shirts. Then we could purchase as many additional shirts as we wanted for $7 each. I had a total of eight uniform shirts, so I could go a pretty long time without having to worry about doing laundry.

3. Get More Accomplished
I don’t know about your office, but a friend of mine worked in a place that had a pretty active rumor mill and gossip group among the staff. She said that she would sometimes accidentally walk in on a bunch of women who gathered in the restroom to make malicious comments about the way others were dressed. I guess there was one young woman in particular that liked to show off her figure. It was just the usual combination of jealousy and pettiness that fueled these gatherings, but the bottom line is that work wasn’t getting done. If everyone in that office had to wear the same uniforms, it would be one less thing for people to waste time on. Granted, those who love to gossip would in all likelihood just move on and find other things to criticize, such as hair or makeup, but at least there wouldn’t be anything to say about clothes.

4. Be on Equal Footing
Finally, I think it’s important to mention that uniforms bring everyone to a certain level of equality. When wearing regular business clothes, it’s easy to note differences among the staff. The guy who wears Armani suits is probably making just a bit more money than the guy who buys his suits off the rack at J.C. Penney. These kinds of differences can bring unnecessary tension or resentment into the workplace. Uniforms help eliminate some of these more obvious disparities.

If a uniform program is something you think your company would like implement. Master Brands is the company for you, we offer a wide array of uniform products, and we don’t lock you into a contract either. We want you to do business with us because we’re worthy of it, not because you’re locked into a contract to do such. Check us out at Master Uniform.

Filed Under: Image, Master Brands, Master Uniform, Master Uniforms, Professionalism, Uniform, Uniform Program, Uniforms, Vision Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Reasons Your Organization Should Consider Uniform Implementation

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Does your organization require uniforms? Are you on the fence about this question? Are you looking for research to help you make up your mind? Well, here’s an article that should help you.

Click Here and read more…

Here is a snippet from the article:

So why is it that most of the organizations prefer uniforms? Here are five reasons which make uniform an integral part of work culture and also the lifestyle at times.

1.Industry demands: There are certain service industries which are focused on the customer, like the department store, restaurants or hospitals. These industries demand that the workforce look more united and eager to serve the customer, so the role of the uniform becomes very important. When the workforce is wearing a pleasant uniform the customers approach them more confidently.

2.Uniform as perks: In some large organizations, it is considered as an honor and a kind of perk to receive uniform. This results in considerable conservation of time and energy of the personnel, as he doesn’t have to choose again and again the clothes to be worn at the work place. Also a lot of money is saved since rarely will that personnel will be buying new clothes.

3.A sense of belonging: If the work force wears the same clothes to the work place then they share a feeling of commonness and belonging, which other wise gets very difficult to achieve.

4.A feeling of equality: Uniform brings every one to the same platform, no matter how rich or poor he or she is and thus inculcating a feeling of equality amongst those wearing the uniform.

5.Mutual growth: People wearing uniform are more caring for their fellows and colleagues, they care not only for their growth but the growth of their peers as well. Uniforms are very important and fosters traits which are very necessary for a person as an individual and an organization as a whole to thrive and prosper.

Filed Under: Master Uniform, Masterbrands, Professionalism, Service Industry, Uniform, Uniforms Tagged With: , , , ,

Hotel Uniforms Add Credibility

May 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ever notice that the nicest hotels always have the best uniforms. Now uniforms in hotels is nothing new, but you can always tell the class and the service level of the hotel simply by the uniforms they wear. Notice the extra effort that 5 star hotels put in to their support staff. From the bellhops to the valet there is usually a sense of royalty portrayed by those uniforms.

Here’s an article that only bolsters the point that I just made:
From Security Uniforms – Outfit Your Hotel Security in Style

Any hotel that wishes to look professional will need to invest in work uniforms for its staff. Security uniforms are one of the types that you’ll want to have for any security guards that you hire. You can choose from formal or informal shirts, with or without uniform pants. Hospitality uniforms for your concierges are also important and should be included in the hotel uniforms budget. Of course, your housekeepers will each need a housekeeping uniform, as well. Security Uniforms Most hotels that are of any decent size will have some security detail to handle rowdy guests and any other potential problems that can come up. Depending on the safety of the area, you may wish to have a couple of guards patrolling the parking lot to keep the vehicles secure, as well as several within the hotel. In most cases, you will want your security personnel to be readily identified, so using work uniforms that make them stand out as the ones to go to in case of trouble is useful. Security uniforms come in a range of styles, from a police style shirt with a badge holder, to the bright safety jackets that are ideal for parking lot security. For the more formal styles, dark uniform pants with a stylish blazer provide a great, formal look that is suitable to any high end hotel. If your guards wear badges, be sure that you choose work uniforms that are designed with a space for the badge to hang or, in the case of a blazer, store away for easy access in an inner pocket. Other Hotel Uniforms There are a number of other hospitality uniforms that can be used in a hotel. One of the most common ones we see among hotel uniforms are those used in housekeeping. A housekeeping uniform identifies the maids and lets visitors know who to talk to when they need extra towels, etc. It also allows for instant identification when a housekeeper knocks on the door of any room. As with security uniforms, there are a wide range of options for your housekeeping uniform. If comfort is the main concern, look at polo shirts with the hotel logo embroidered on them, along with comfortable slacks or even jeans. Some hotels will prefer to go more formal with black skirts and blouses with a half apron, but there are plenty of other options, as well. Don’t forget your front desk. The men and women who attend guests directly should also have a hotel uniform. Usually this will be a little more formal since they are there to impress the guests. Uniform pants for men, with skirts or slacks for women are ideal, and a dress shirt or blouse with the hotel logo custom embroidered on the chest or collar can add a special touch. A professional uniform, combined with a friendly and helpful attitude will help make a great impression and you’ll find that guests will be more willing to return and even to recommend your hotel to their friends and business associates. If you want your hotel to be taken seriously, you’ll want to invest in work uniforms for the various positions. Security uniforms, uniform pants, hospitality uniforms and other types of hotel uniforms should all be considered. To add a little something extra, have the hotel’s logo embroidered on the housekeeping uniform and the shirts used by the concierges. It’s the little details like this that really say something about the professionalism of a company and you can take full advantage of this. Impress your guests, give your staff a sense of pride . . . all with the right work uniforms.

Filed Under: Hotel, Master Uniform, Masterbrands, Professionalism, Safety, Security, Uniform, Uniforms Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Portraying a Professional Image In Your Organization

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

From: DORA’S DIARY: Portray a professional image

LOSERS
What image does your employees’ appearance portray? I recently spent a week in a client’s Conrad Plaza office. One of the benefits my client offers employees is a daily buffet lunch served on the premises by a catering company. I have no complaints about the food. It was comprised primarily of wholesome, healthy traditional dishes.

What I found interesting however, was one of the server’s attire. Given that appearances do count and that servers handling food do make an impression on the people being served, I was surprised to observe that for five days straight, one particular server proudly showed up to serve food in a thoroughly wrinkled, off-white chef’s coat, presumably his uniform.

The daily visual assault made me wonder what kind of place the food was prepared in and if by letting the caterer get away with crumpled uniforms my client was hurting, as opposed to helping the catering company’s prospects for future business growth.

What makes that particular catering company – and other service providers that ignore employee appearance – a loser? Unkempt employee uniforms are unappealing, make a poor impression and are not the way to attract new customers.

Master Brands, through our subsidiary Master Uniforms can help your company’s image with our no-contract Uniform Program. We offer a full line of uniforms for all types of industries. To see our catalog of products, visit this link. We can brand these uniforms with whatever specifications you need, from screen printing to custom sewing, to embroidery. Whatever your needs are, we can fulfill them.

Filed Under: Business, Image, Professionalism, Uniforms Tagged With: , , , ,