Depends on what you're washing, delicates like wool require special care, some people also prefer their regular laundry have all the extra's like fabric softener etc, some people want their greasy work clothes extra clean so longer cycles are needed, white towels may benefit from a small amount of bleach etc etc.
People are particular with laundry, that's what most of those extra options are for with the exception of washing specialty items. You have certain expectations for how laundry should smell, feel, based on how you had it done for you until you became an adult or learned to do it yourself - people who were used to all the fancy shit are not going to be satisfied without it.