Before you decide on your next healthcare laundry provider, run a quick “Friction Test”—because the real cost of linen service isn’t always on the invoice. Ask one question internally: How much time does our team spend managing linen today? If the honest answer includes constant follow-ups, recurring shortages, unclear ownership, and that familiar phrase—“we’ve just learned to live with it”—you’re not just dealing with inconvenience. You’re paying for friction in the form of wasted labor, interrupted workflows, and avoidable stress on clinical and EVS teams.

A true partner doesn’t simply deliver linen; they reduce the day-to-day drag by preventing issues, communicating clearly, and fixing problems fast—so your caregivers can stay focused on care.

In healthcare, laundry service doesn’t “support” operations; it is part of the operations. When laundry carts are off, par levels slip, or communication breaks down, the impact shows up immediately: staff time, patient experience, and the daily rhythm of the building.

Colin Wetlaufer, President of CITY Healthcare, put a refreshing truth on the table: “When we talk about responsiveness, we screw up as much as everyone else, but the difference is what happens when we make a mistake… When there is a large quantity of laundered items getting delivered every day, things are going to happen. The difference is in how we correct those issues.”

That’s the real separator. Not whether problems happen, but whether your provider anticipates, communicates, and fixes issues fast enough that your team doesn’t feel the weight of them.

The easiest way to spot a vendor vs a partner

A vendor focuses on deliveries. A partner focuses on outcomes: continuity, predictability, and fast recovery when something goes sideways.

Mark Ballo, CITY’s Director of Service, describes it as a consistency game: “Culture is being consistent, making sure that our customers are consistently above average satisfied."

In healthcare laundry, “consistency” isn’t a slogan. It’s the difference between:

• floors staying stocked without drama, and

• your nurses and EVS teams are hunting for basics.

Below are the tells, or the signals, you can see before selecting your next laundry provider.

9 signs you’re dealing with a vendor...not a partner

1) They talk about features, not failure plans

Vendors sell “what we deliver.” Partners show you “what happens when we miss.”

Partner signal: they can walk you through a real example of a service miss and exactly how it was corrected—who owned it and the timeline.

2) Their communication model is a portal, not people

If the primary answer to “Who do I call?” is “submit a ticket,” you’re likely buying friction.

Partner signal: named contacts, escalation paths, and clear expectations for response time.

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3) They can’t explain how par levels are protected

Vendors react to shortages. Partners prevent shortages by monitoring usage patterns and helping adjust pars.

Partner signal: they proactively ask about census changes, new service lines, seasonal surges, complete routine audits, and department-level needs.

4) Their quality story is “trust us.”

In healthcare, “clean” should never be a mysterious process.

Partner signal: they can explain standards, controls, and what verification looks like (and what happens when the product doesn’t meet spec).

5) They avoid specifics on accuracy

If they can’t explain how they reduce mess-ups and misses, you’ll live in a loop of “we’ll watch it.”

Partner signal: clear route-building standards for each account, checks, and accountability measures.

6) They oversimplify implementation

A vendor says, “We’ll transition you smoothly.” A partner shows a plan.

Partner signal: a documented rollout: training, standards, communication cadence, and a “first month” check-in rhythm.

7) They treat exceptions like your problem

Vendors make urgent needs feel disruptive. Partners expect them and plan for them.

Partner signal: clear process for urgent requests and how they keep you stable during disruptions (weather, equipment, staffing).

8) Their service review cadence is vague

If reviews are “as needed,” they often become “never.”

Partner signal: scheduled reviews with the right people—not just sales—plus action items and follow-through.

9) They can’t define “responsiveness” in measurable terms

“Responsive” isn’t a feeling—it’s how fast problems are resolved and how reliably they stay resolved.

Partner signal: they can commit to realistic expectations (and explain how issues are tracked and closed).

The “Friction Test” for healthcare linen programs

Before you decide on your next laundry provider, ask one question internally:

How much time does our team spend managing linen today?

If the answer includes: constant follow-ups, recurring shortages, unclear ownership, and “we’ve just learned to live with it,” that’s friction—and friction is expensive.

A partner reduces that friction so clinical teams can stay clinical.

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