I've traded with this establishment for two or three years and had been mostly satisfied till now. Upon putting on a dress shirt I'd had laundered at this business approximately two weeks ago, I discovered a button on the sleeve was missing. I could not wear the shirt because the sleeve could not be buttoned. I was on the way to an important business meeting and had to switch to another shirt, which did not match the suit I was wearing as well.

After concluding my meeting, I returned to the cleaners with the damaged shirt and was told that they would repair it but I would have to pay the cost of having the shirt laundered again. The reasons I was given for the charge were, 1. I did not report the damage and return the shirt within 48 hours of having had it laundered and 2. I did not have a receipt, (I had returned the receipt when I picked up my dry cleaning but apparently, the receipt they were referring to was the tag, which the cleaner attached to the shirt via one of the front buttonhole).

First of all, most people just don't have the time to unpack all their dry cleaning and examine each item for damages at the time they pick them up. In my case, I usually don't get a good look at my laundered or dry cleaned items till I wear them again. Second, as I put the shirt on, I hastily removed the tag, ("receipt"), and threw it in the trash before I discovered a button missing and long before I was told I would need a receipt. And third, this particular establishment keeps computer records of customer information and transactions. Therefore, if they doubted that I'd had the shirt laundered with them, they could simply glance at the record of transactions in their computer system. I should probably add that this is the first time in the two or three years I've traded with them that I have returned a damaged item.

The cost of having the shirt laundered again is miniscule but I am concerned that this establishment is so petty and has such disregard for its customers and the basic foundations of good customer service. As a former retail manager, I know how this situation should have been handled. Apparently, this establishment is willing to risk losing my considerable laundry and dry cleaning patronage over the cost of a single button. This is not sound business management!