> OPERATOR SIDE by Pascal Berardozzi - Inforum
Litigation is unfortunately an integral part of the dry cleaner life and it is impossible to pretend to escape it. Also, it is necessary to prepare for it as best as possible according to the context of your point of sale.
Am I alone to manage everything or do I have staff in contact with customers?
Either way, a professional attitude is essential, along with training that is just as essential. Improvisation leads straight to conflict with increasingly demanding and procedural customers.
Our job often leads us to deal with valuable garments, but this value is sometimes more emotional than commercial, and a loss or deterioration, even totally involuntary, will certainly generate frustration and incomprehension that will be difficult to erase.
Appeasement and listening must be the key words to carry out the discussions around the solution to be found and the amicable report is one of the tools that make it possible to set the conditions for this calm and framed discussion. It will allow a reassuring protocol to unfold, allowing the necessary foundations needed for the litigation resolution.
The ideal is to avoid achieving the whole process. But this involves procedures that must be implemented before the service is provided, at the time of drop-off. The most important part concerns the taking of contradictory reservations. It will be necessary to be able to justify the prior identification of proven risks with clear indications provided to the customer and recorded on his drop-off receipt. It is then a delicate balance between analyzing everything and recording the slightest risk, with the possibility of turning off some customers, and knowing how to balance things out by mastering your art and taking a certain responsibility.
The report makes it possible to point out, from both points of view, the presence of these reservations and therefore the share of responsibility of each party. The customer was informed or the professional made the choice to take the risk.
Obviously, this speech is only valid for the dry cleaner who owns his point of sale. Staff will not be able to take such a decision, which is not their responsibility. They must therefore be rigorous in carrying out a careful inspection of each item dropped off.
All of this is ultimately just a question of balance and human relations. To each his own balance and policy. Relying on suitable tools and a clear and legible store display helps to resolve conflicting situations. The GestiClean software program, in partnership with the insurance Generali Paris Ouest Assurances, provides protocols for taking reservations and recording litigation that allow them to be limited and managed calmly.
> INSURER SIDE by François Leger - Paris Ouest Assurances
As a specialist in insurance for dry cleaners (with over 500 customers in the dry cleaning profession), PARIS OUEST ASSURANCES has acquired a reputation as an expert in this field.
Dry cleaners need a comprehensive multi-risk contract including a specific guarantee for goods entrusted by customers. To deal with possible litigation.
Two cases arise for Paris Ouest Assurances in the management of dry cleaning litigation:
– Either the dry cleaner made a mistake
– Or he did not
CASE #1
The dry cleaner made a mistake
If the dry cleaner has lost or damaged the garment during treatment, the 100% PRO DRY CLEANING BY PARIS OUEST ASSURANCES contract covers these events.
A report must be made between the dry cleaner and the customer. This report must be sent to the Paris Ouest Assurances department dedicated to handling litigation (by email: sinistrespressing@agence.generali.fr). The report creation and sending by email are automatically managed in GestiClean.
Then, we get in touch with the dry cleaner’s customer and, from that moment, we fully manage the file without the intervention of the dry cleaner.
Once the supporting documents have been obtained, we send the customer a compensation proposal based either on the scale displayed at the dry cleaner’s or on the invoices given by the customer.
Once this proposal has been accepted, the customer will come back to the dry cleaner to get the 60 euros deductible due by the dry cleaner.
CASE #2
The dry cleaner did not make any mistake
If the dry cleaner has not made any mistake, but his customer still wishes to make a complaint, the 100% PRO DRY CLEANING BY PARIS OUEST ASSURANCES contract also covers this specific case.As soon as the dry cleaner is covered by our insurance, he will be protected. The dry cleaner is considered the only expert on the litigation and his opinion will be explained to his customer via our letters.The most common disputes are due to mislabeling or manufacturing mistakes by manufacturers.We send a letter to the dry cleaner’s customer explaining the reasons why the dry cleaner is not responsible. We also sometimes advise the client to send his garment for expertise to the CTTN (Centre Technique de la Teinture et du Nettoyage).
To summarize...The idea of the 100% PRO DRY CLEANING BY PARIS OUEST ASSURANCES is to replace the dry cleaner in the procedures related to disputes. Thus, the contact person for the dry cleaner’s customer is no longer the dry cleaner but the insurer.
To find out more, see our article: Inforum’s partnership with Paris Ouest Assurances
> Presentation of the report management in GestiClean
> Paris Ouest Assurances / Inforum commercial offers
Dry-cleaning: How to manage litigation ?