WINNING the argument

Even the most quality conscious drycleaner receives complaints. Most people don’t like complaining but clothes are very personal possessions and their owners feel strongly about them.

They may have spent hours searching the stores for just the right garment.

It may have been a special present, fit perfectly, or match several other items in the wardrobe. It is not surprising if they are spoiling for a fight when they believe you have ruined it! The first step in handling the situation is to diffuse the tension. Listen carefully while the customer pours out the problem. It is most important not to interrupt or contradict at this stage.

The situation will be much easier to manage if he or she feels they have had their say.

Don’t forget that they may have been put to considerable inconvenience and be upset because the article was not available for a specific event.

They will also have wasted time and expense with extra journeys to put the matter right. You will notice that, at this stage, I am assuming the customer is right. If there is any doubt about what happened, this is generally the best policy.

There is a lot of truth in a sign I saw last week at a client’s premises which said, “Nobody ever won an argument with a customer.” For drycleaners though, there are exceptions to the rule. I have no doubts that some people do deliberately abuse goodwill policies.

For example, a customer bought a torn Armani suit in a charity shop for £5. She hid the damage while leaving the suit for cleaning and then denied it had been torn when the manager phoned her before processing the garment.

Fortunately, one of the drycleaner’s part-time assistants had been in the charity shop at the time the suit was purchased, so the cleaner could refuse to take liability.

Large and slim

Another classic case of fraud involves two brothers, one short and slim, the other tall and large. Slim deposits a suit and passes the receipt to large who collects it two weeks later. As it appears much too small, he is able to claim convincingly that the suit is clearly not his.

This practice was only detected when two area managers, from different parts of the country, recounted similar incidents. Train your staff to acknowledge customers as soon as they enter your shop. You may only have one person covering the counter, but a simple smile and comment such as, “I’ll be with you as soon as I can” will reassure angry customers that there is someone waiting to listen to their problem.

After calming the situation, the next stage is to determine the actual problem. Many complaints will be justified and it is important for this to be established as soon as possible.

Many counter staff just want the complaining customer to go, so unsurprisingly, they do not try to find out the facts.

When the customer pauses for breath, take the opportunity to repeat what you understand the complaint to be. The customer will be reassured and may give you further details to confirm the diagnosis.

Once you are sure you know what the problem is, you can find a solution. It may be a fault you can correct immediately, a double crease, a poorly set hem or a missing accessory. If so, try to deal with the matter straight away as this saves the customer the trouble, time and cost of an extra journey.

If you are at fault and cannot resolve the problem immediately, offer to return the item at a mutually convenient time. This will go a long way to restoring confidence in your service. Note that unless you have pointed out a stain, tear or missing button, before you have processed an article, you are liable in law, for the damage or loss. This may not seem fair, but it is a fact. By way of illustration, I was in a London drycleaning shop when a very articulate customer brought in a cream coloured, ink-stained, Hugo Boss suit. Apparently a fibre-tipped pen had leaked in the inside breast pocket, stained the lining and soaked through the interfacing to stain the front outer fabric.

“You will be able to get this out, won’t you?” he said to the assistant,”the suit is only two weeks old and it cost me £520. I’ll have it done on your best service, but you will get the stain out won’t you?” This level of insistence was a clear sign that the customer was looking for a scapegoat, someone to blame who might pay for a replacement. Not surprisingly, the assistant was somewhat intimidated and I intervened. I politely explained that the ink had ruined the suit. It was a write-off and this was not our responsibility, but if the customer wished, with no guarantee, we would try to save it.

Somewhat nonplussed, the customer left the suit and whilst not rectifying the problem totally, we were able to make the suit wearable. Having agreed the fault and a proposed course of action with your customers, it is particularly important to keep them informed of the progress you are making towards resolving the matter. Where there is a delay, perhaps because the article needs the attention of a tailoress or specialist service provider or because a special trim needs to be found, it is far better to phone and say so, rather than have the customer return regularly to the shop just to hear that there has been no progress.

Keeping the customer informed of what is happening with the complaint, tells them that you are still trying hard to correct the situation and demonstrates care and professionalism. If you have a really unpleasant customer who storms to the front of the counter demanding immediate attention, the best solution is to ask them through to the office and deal with them in private.

Management should not hide behind their counter staff. If an assistant leaves the counter to seek the manager, only to return a few moments later to say that he or she is not available, the customer is likely to become even more upset. Remember they have made a special trip to see you, and they will sense that you are avoiding them. You will also upset your counter staff if you leave them to deal with the problem on their own.

Having carefully determined that you are not at fault and fully explained your reasons in writing, you may find yourself summoned to the small claims court. The description ‘small claims’ is misleading, as the court can settle issues up to £3000. If you find yourself in this situation, do ensure that you meet the deadlines for submission of responses and that these are as clear and factual as possible.

Demonstration of careful adherence to the Textile Services Association’s Code of Practice and Fair Compensation Guidelines will be significant supporting factors. However, I do feel that the registrar is likely to be predisposed in favour of the complainant (your customer) and you will need a very solid case to win.

Handling complaints is not always easy, and it may not always be possible to resolve the matter yourself, but the plus side of dealing with a problem speedily and satisfactorily, is that it will help build a loyal customer base who will reward you with their ongoing custom.