When a Customer Says “You Ruined My Blouse”

A customer comes into your shop holding a silk blouse. There is a yellow streak down the front and back of the sleeve, and she says your cleaning caused it. You cleaned that blouse more than a year ago.

Do you pay for a replacement?

The complaint

This happened to a DIA member who was new to the industry. The customer had taken the blouse out of their wardrobe to wear for the first time since it had been drycleaned and noticed the streak. Believing the drycleaning process had caused it, they asked the drycleaner to fix the problem.

For a business owner still finding their feet, it was a stressful situation. Paying out would have been a real financial hit, and it would have shaken their confidence in handling the next complaint. So they called the DIA.

What our Technical Officer asked

Our Technical Officer started with three questions:

• When was the garment cleaned?
• How was it stored after it was collected?
• Were there photos of the care label and fibre content label?

The answer was in the storage. The blouse had been left in its plastic cover from the day it was collected until the day the customer took it out to wear, more than a year later.

Why it happened

Plastic covers are only meant to protect a garment on the trip home. Left on for months, they trap humidity and stop air moving around the fabric. Over time that causes yellowing, mildew spots and oxidation, particularly on silk and other delicate or luxury fabrics.

This is a common situation. It is easy for a customer to assume the drycleaning caused the damage, but the garment left the shop in good condition.

The outcome

With a clear explanation from our Technical Officer, the member was able to talk to the customer with confidence. There was no payout [add amount if known], the customer understood what had happened, and the relationship stayed intact.

The member also came away with knowledge they can use the next time a long-stored garment comes back to the counter.

A tip for your counter

Tell customers to take garments out of the plastic when they get home. It takes five seconds and can save you a complaint later. Some drycleaners print it on the ticket or on a small tag on the cover.

Support when a complaint lands on your counter

Every drycleaner will face a customer complaint. DIA members do not have to work it out alone. Our Technical Officer and assessors help members understand what went wrong, explain it to the customer, and resolve it fairly.

If you would like to know how DIA membership could support your business, contact Catherine Cluning on 1300 134 511 or email info@drycleanersweb.com.au.