Help!!!!!

[daniabeach]

I really need help bad. Ok here's the situation, my attendant accidentally bleached 21 towels ranging in various sizes. The towels are from a yacht chartering service, the lady brought me all the reciepts that pertained to the towels. The towels were originally purchased 12/12/01 and this incident happened at the end of July, so basically 7 months old. the original prices are as shown:
Charisma towels by Fieldcrest (purchased @ bloomingdales)

Big towels-----19.99ech which 11 are stained
Hand towels---13.99ech which 6 are stained
Wash clothes--6.99ech which 5 are stained

I want to know how to depreciate these towels, I know the customer will never be back, but they might spread rumors around the docks, and I will deffinetly loose $$$. I really need to solve this problem A.S.A.P. I would really appreciate all the help I can get.

[SecretarytoBraveDave]

1st, it was an unfortunate accident, most customers can appreciate that accidents do and will happen. Is the customer irate? IS there anyway to barter your wd&f service for the cost of the towels, or do they want the funds to replace. If we were in this situation, we'd use the best customer services skills and hopefully the customer would be happy with the agreed settlement. We would pay the cost to replace without any depreciation. Sorry for your headache!

[rondo]

Go the the IFI (International fabricare Institute) web site. I think they have help on depreciation www.ifi.org

[Charlie]

My belief is that when we screw up, we should take the blame. In this type of situation I take one of two approaches.

1) Ask the customer what they think is a fair number, and they get to keep the towels.

2) Offer what you think is a fair number, and respond positively to a counter-offer.

Ultimately, you want to retain the customer. Think about the long term, not the short. If this customer is worth $500 per year, you are far better off to immediately offer a more than fair settlement, and maybe some additional compensation (like a free W&F), just for goodwill.

[Howard]

Agree with Charlie except for one SIGNIFICANT item - Never EVER EVER leave the damaged item in the possesion of the customer - it is a reminder to them of what you have done wrong and they will show it to people. Compensate them so they are satisfied and get the damaged goods back. If you need to tell them something like you have to retain them for your insurance company but don't let them keep them.

[LEEHUSTON]

Howard is right. Make good for the towels as best you can and then get them out of the customers hands. It is not worth losing alot of business or sleep over. Fix your mistake and move on.

[ndennis]

Here is my 2 pennies worth.

I know it sounds stupid BUT, no proof of purchase no refund. That is the law in Australia.

If you look at almost any reciept that you get from any store (Walmart, KMart or even some fast food stores) it states something along the following lines. Please retain reciept for future claims..

Ok I have said my little bit about the legal requirments.

Practicaly I have a different approach. I try and find out the age of the goods and then make an assesment and payment offer based on the customers behavour. In truth we nearly always offer new for old irrispective of the age and confition (unless we feel the customer is trying to have a piece of us), ie a pair of jeans that the customer said were brand new worn twice.

When I showed him the worn crutch and the fraying inner leg and the rather tattered bottom of the cuff he spluttered and said sorry wrong pair. Never heard or saw him again.

Over 20 years we have probably paid out about $2000

I have a document I believe was circulated some years ago by IFI that gives the expected life of garments and the method of calculation of payment.

An example: Life expectancy rates for certain articles.

Towels 2 years life expectancy


If anyone wants a copy please send or post your fax # and I will fax a copy to you.

[JSVLaundry]

Please fax me at (718) 259-5971

Attn: Vinny Jr.

[Charlie]

Howard -
Thanks for the heads up on keeping the goods! You are absolutely correct. It had never occurred to me.

Sorry, NDennis, no offense, but I disagree completely with the approach you mentioned, and for the reason you gave. "Never heard or saw him again".

When you take the simple approach of pleasing the customer, it is true that occasionally you will take it in the shorts. However, the overwhelming majority of your customers will remember that you did the right thing. They will recommend you to their friends and continue to use your business. The one customer that you saved $50 on by pointing out what an idiot he is, will probably never come back again (average annual value $600), and will tell all of his friends how lousy your business is and how you ripped him or her off. So you saved $50 now and lost potentially thousands in the future.

Exceed their expectations. Empathize with the customer. Feel their pain. Help them out with a solution - even if it may not be your fault. Take the high road.

Let your attendants know that this is your philosophy. Empower them to give appropriate refunds and settlements, if you trust them and their judgement. Give them guidelines, but live with their decision. They will be happier, and so will your customers.

OK, my mat is not center city in New Jersey. However, it is center city in a southern town of about 120K people, and this philosophy works around here. Yes, some people may take advantage. Let them do it once, even twice, then cut them off. Most people are honest and just want validation of their life and existence. Give it to them. Treat them right. It will come back to you in ways you can never imagine.

My final recommendation, modified. Buy all new towels, maybe even nicer ones. Give them to them. Give the old ones to the Salvation Army, or another needy charity.

Charlie

[Pat_Hinkle]

Wow. I read all the responses, but my hat goes off to Charlie. It may not seem as "financially sound" at first, but I sure like the way he puts it. We have only owned a mat for 6 months, but I believe I would like to establish that kind of a customer service foundation. Thanks Charlie.

[ndennis]

Charlie I agree with you wholeheartedly. Just a little bit more info on the 1 pissant. Everytime he or his partner came in there was an arguement over some piece of laundry. It was one of the best things I ever did getting rid of him. They gave us a shower curtain. I treated it as such. Nothing but abuse when I gave it back to them. They told me then that it was used as a table cloth. Why dont these customers tell you. Charlie if you has a shower curtain would you wash and iron it?. I am not having a go at you Charlie. The customer was spending $20 a week on F & F. We may have
lost a customer but there is no stress when the customer would have come in. My staff refused to deal with either person when they came in. This customer was no loss believe me. I do not want to carry on but we always lost a shirt, a sock, a pair of undies. You name it we lost or put the wrong socks together.

As I stated Charlie I only argue when I think somebody is trying me on. I cannot remember when I have not paid new for old (comparable value) irrispective of age other than the abovementioned couple. Sometimes there are customers you just do not want

We have two mottos in our business. "It is company policy to blame the computer" and the other one is "If we stuff up, we pay up and we shutup". I hope this clears the air for you Charlie, and I take no offence at what you said. Every thing we do is is a learning expireince

[ndennis]

Charlie I agree with you wholeheartedly. Just a little bit more info on the 1 pissant. Everytime he or his partner came in there was an arguement over some piece of laundry. It was one of the best things I ever did getting rid of him. They gave us a shower curtain. I treated it as such. Nothing but abuse when I gave it back to them. They told me then that it was used as a table cloth. Why dont these customers tell you. Charlie if you has a shower curtain would you wash and iron it?. I am not having a go at you Charlie. The customer was spending $20 a week on F & F. We may have
lost a customer but there is no stress when the customer would have come in. My staff refused to deal with either person when they came in. This customer was no loss believe me. I do not want to carry on but we always lost a shirt, a sock, a pair of undies. You name it we lost or put the wrong socks together.

As I stated Charlie I only argue when I think somebody is trying me on. I cannot remember when I have not paid new for old (comparable value) irrispective of age other than the abovementioned couple. Sometimes there are customers you just do not want

We have two mottos in our business. "It is company policy to blame the computer" and the other one is "If we stuff up, we pay up and we shutup". I hope this clears the air for you Charlie, and I take no offence at what you said. Every thing we do is is a learning expireince

[Charlie]

There does come a time when it is better to simply let a customer know that, as much as you would like to be able, it is clear that you will be unable to deliver the level of service that he/she expects.

I just had this happen today. The first time in 9 months. I accept drop off dry cleaning. A customer, who wanted to switch because he was unhappy with his current dry cleaner, dropped off some shirts and pants, requesting Heavy Starch. He was unhappy with the first round, and we sent them back. He seemed happy. Today we received the second round. He was unhappy again, and showed me shirts he had received from another cleaner, which I admit were better starched than the ones my cleaner did.

I have talked about this customer in detail with my cleaner. With his system, it is clear that he cannot deliver as heavily starched a product as this customer wants. I don't want to switch cleaners.

So, I apologized to the customer, charged him for the shirts, which were certainly very well done and wearable by most standards, and told him that although I would appreciate his business, it was clear that I was unable to deliver the quality of product that he required, and that he would probably be happier with another cleaner.

He really did not like this option, stating that he could provide $30 a week of business. However, the bottom line is, I cannot deliver what he wants. If he continues, it will be his choice, and what I can do is what he will get, no more returns or reworks. Its clear to me that he has been unable to consistently get what he wants from the other cleaners he has tried as well.

I was careful to accept the blame upon myself for the inability to deliver the quality of product he wanted. I could have given him grief for an unreasonable level of expectation, but to no beneficial purpose.

So, I lost one. I'm not happy about it, but I'd rather let him go easily than deal with chronic dissatisfaction. I want to deliver a good product for a fair price. I will try to fit your needs as a customer.

However, business relationships are only successful long term when both parties get what they want. I can't continually lose money to keep a customer happy. The same goes with our business partners. Sometimes we beat them down so low on price that they are resentful. We need to work in partnership to achieve our mutual goals. When this doesn't work, then its time to part company, hopefully however without burning the bridge for an opportunity in the future when the situation may change.

Charlie

[Howard]

Good choice. We must all remember that not all customers are worth having. This is an excellent example of that!

[ndennis]

In 20 years we have only had 2 customers that I did not want to deal with. Both could euphemistically ( the politest name I can come up with with out calling them _____________)called "The customers from Hell.

You are right Howard, there are customers that we do not want, that business does not want.

Neil