Vent: Bought a $300 hot towel cabinet that just collects dust

I thought adding a hot towel service would be a nice touch, so I got a fancy stainless steel one from a supply house in Cleveland. It takes forever to heat up, uses a ton of power, and maybe one client a month actually asks for it. What's a better way to spend that kind of cash on the shop?

3 comments

3 Comments

piper_flores693d ago

You ever notice how we all get these grand ideas that sound amazing in our heads but flop in real life? My buddy @cole_patel41 bought one of those fancy towel warmers for his shop last year, and he told me the same thing you're saying now. He said it sat there for six months before he finally unplugged it and used the shelf space for a plant that clients actually commented on. The worst part was he spent a whole weekend installing it and rewiring a spot near his sink. Now every time I see him he jokes that his hot towel cabinet is the most expensive paperweight he's ever owned. It's a tough lesson but sometimes the stuff we think will impress people just makes us look overprepared.

cole_patel411mo ago

Man, my own hot towel cabinet is basically a very expensive breadbox at this point. I fell for the same idea that it would feel super high-end. That money could have gone into way better stuff, like a more comfortable waiting area or even just upgrading the actual tools we use every day. It's a lesson in buying for your actual clients, not the fantasy version in your head. Next time I'm dropping cash on a big item, I'm gonna ask myself if it'll get used more than once a month.

fisher.kevin1mo ago

Yeah, the "fantasy version in your head" is exactly right. I bought a fancy water cooler for the same reason, thinking it looked pro. Clients just want the tap water to be cold. That money could have bought a ton of paper towels or something we actually run out of.