In healthcare laundry, fast response and consistent service aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential. Behind every thermal blanket, fresh scrub set, and clean patient gown is a team that understands exactly what’s at stake. And at CITY Healthcare, Customer Care Manager Valerie Kunze is making sure customers feel heard, supported, and cared for—because in her words, “We’re not just laundering linen. We’re taking care of people.”

Behind the Linen: Patient Comfort Starts Here

Since Valerie joined the CITY team, her impact is already being felt. As a processor-turned-problem-solver, she sees the laundry operation through both a technical and deeply human lens.

“Here at CITY Healthcare, our primary goal is to take care of the patient—and we do that by taking care of the laundry that makes them comfortable,” Valerie explained. “Those warm thermal blankets you get before surgery? We take care of that. That’s part of the patient experience, and we take it seriously.”

With four kids of her own—all born via surgery—Valerie shares her understanding of the patient perspective in a personal way. “I’ve been the person in the hospital bed needing that warm blanket,” she said. “That’s why I take this job personally. We’re part of the care team, even if we’re behind the scenes.”

What Responsiveness Really Means

When CITY says it’s the most responsive provider in the industry, Valerie defines that in real terms: “It means when you have a concern or question, it’s not going into a void. You’re getting a real response—from me.”

And Valerie doesn’t just wait for the phone to ring. She’s actively out meeting with customers, solving concerns, and doing what she calls “damage control with a handshake.”

“I love solving puzzles,” she said. “I’ll dig through emails, reach out to our team, pull together every piece until I have a full picture. Then I bring the customer a solution. That’s how we build trust.”

Local Matters

One of the biggest differentiators CITY brings to the table is local service—something Valerie believes makes a huge difference for customers.

“I know the area. I’ve been in the hospitals and clinics we serve. If someone’s short on something, I can run back to Pine City and deliver it myself. That’s a big deal in healthcare—being able to act fast and being close by.”

CITY isn’t a massive corporation with layers of red tape. It’s a family-owned company with real people, and Valerie embodies that value in every customer interaction.

“When you call CITY, you’re not getting a robot or sitting in a queue,” she said. “You’re getting me. If I need to show up in person, I will. That’s what makes us different.”

Real People, Real Conversations

From day one, CITY’s leadership made one thing clear to Valerie: responsiveness and communication aren’t optional—they’re the standard.

“That message was drilled into me right away,” she said. “If we’re not responding, we’re not communicating. That’s not how we do things here.”

Whether she’s solving missing-item mysteries or walking a customer through a new delivery schedule, Valerie brings energy, empathy, and a deep commitment to CITY’s mission.

“Yes, we do laundry. But at the end of the day, we’re taking care of people.”

That’s what CITY Healthcare’s Customer Care division is all about. And with Valerie on the other end of the call—or right there at your front desk—you can expect a service experience that’s not just responsive, but truly human.

At CITY, we keep it clean. We keep it simple. And most importantly—we keep it personal.

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