WHAT WENT WRONG
Stain removal: Getting it right first time
You could call this feature ‘missed opportunities’, say Roger Cawood and Richard Neale as they emphasise the importance of stain removal in reducing customer complaints
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n the authors’ experience, failure to remove some of the most obvious stains tops the list of customer returns. While stains such as permanent marker and some dye stains cannot safely be removed, it is common to find simple stains that can literally be removed in seconds with the high-pressure water spray. We have also seen cleaners where over 20% of the garments on the stock rails had advice notes attached; in this instance it is very much a case of using stain tickets rather than the spotting table! If you feel your turnover is below par, some root and branch research into your overall quality and customer service should reveal the areas that need to be addressed. Most cleaners believe that if their customer complaints are few and far between, then customers are satisfied. This is a dangerous assumption; there can be few of us who have not been out for an evening meal and have not nodded in approval when a waitress asked: “Is everything OK?” when in fact the food and service was mediocre. The truth of the matter is that many of us find complaining embarrassing and next time just go somewhere else. An honest, down-to-earth appraisal of your service might just solve the problem of a less than satisfactory turnover.
At the counter Starting at the counter, careful inspection throughout production is the key to improving your performance and ‘getting it right first time’ and if it starts right there is a much better chance it will finish right. Good lighting is essential (minimum 500 lux at every stage if stains and physical damage are not to be missed. Every garment should be systematically examined all over with every pocket being checked internally. Any stains or physical damage should be discussed with the customer, and if necessary, a record made of damage. Some cleaners attach coloured spots to stains to help the operator. During busy periods when inspection might be limited, tell the customer you will contact them before cleaning if you find any issues. If you miss physical damage, it may be difficult to prove responsibility retrospectively.
Preparation for cleaning It is the operator’s responsibility to systematically inspect every item, check care labels and pockets (if the linings have not been pulled out at the counter), and pre-spot soil/stains or remove stains before cleaning. Some stains and particularly champagne,
SPRAY THERAPY: Many simple stains can be removed in seconds with a high- pressure water spray
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white wine and refreshments containing sugar can easily pass unnoticed by the customer and leave no visible trace when dry. Some cleaners use an ultraviolet lamp or device to help reveal this type of staining. This can be particularly helpful when dealing with wedding gowns and some high value items. Commonly known as developed stains, this type of ‘invisible’, water-based staining is not normally removed in drycleaning but when exposed to the heat of drying or finishing, the sugars may caramelise and leave a brownish stain that can prove difficult to remove, particularly on delicate fabrics such as chiffon. Wetcleaners are onto a winner here as, in most cases, this type of staining is removed in water-based cleaning processes.
DEVELOPED STAIN: A typical developed stain that appeared on this silk fabric during finishing
In addition, there are of course other stains such as absorbed food stains, which for one reason or another may not be noticed during reception and pre-spotting, but which are accentuated by drycleaning. The problem for the drycleaner is that, if stains that were invisible during reception are missed during final inspection, the customer may be completely unaware that the garment was in fact stained, leading, in their mind, to the quite justified complaint that “these stains were not on when I brought it in”. As many cleaners will know to their cost, if this type of complaint is not handled sympathetically and professionally, it can develop into an acrimonious situation from which the cleaner is unlikely to emerge unscathed, particularly if witnessed by other customers waiting to be served. In addition, it is also possible that any low-level faint stains may go unnoticed by the customer and then gradually become masked by soiling only to be fully revealed after cleaning, once again leading to difficult conversations at the counter if missed during final inspection.
After cleaning When items are removed from the machine, every garment should once again be systematically looked at all over, ideally on a table. This is critical as any stains that have developed in machine drying may not have become fully heat set, but if not removed at
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