The peril of last-minute shopping
The holiday season has come and gone, but perhaps a lesson can still be learned
by it. Too many of us waited until the last minute to head down to the mall to
shop for the loved ones on our gift checklist. Inevitably, such procrastination
leads to paying more money for things that weren’t even on your list. Instead, you have to settle for what was left on the
shelves.
Hopefully, the same won’t be true of California drycleaners who have another kind of checklist to fill — a much more expensive one, in fact. With the New Year comes a new restriction
for cleaners. The countdown of the 15-year phase-out of perc in the state
continues unabated, and the California Air Resources Board’s amendment to the state’s Air Toxics Control Measure (ATCM) has stipulated that no perc machines can be
sold and installed in the state as of January 1, 2008.
That is only one of the requirements for perc cleaners in California. There are
more to add to the checklist, as well.
As of July 1, 2010, the ATCM will prohibit the use of existing perc machines at
co-residential facilities. That same date is also the deadline for removing
from service all converted machines and machines that are 15 years old or
older. According to regulators in California, 15 is the age in which such
equipment should be put out to pasture.
Finally, the perc phase-out ends on January 1, 2023 when all perc machines must
be removed from service because even the last perc equipment bought before the
deadline of January 1, 2008 will be 15 years old at that time.
As checklists go, it certainly is a costly and stressful one for the industry.
It affects every cleaners in the state who will have to pay to upgrade
equipment and, eventually, choose an alternative solvent and buy new equipment
for it.
That means it could be a hard year ahead for many in the industry, followed by
more to come. You can hide your head underground, or try praying for a miracle,
but the better solution is to start adapting now. There are many major industry
expos coming this year in every corner of the country (see the front page
story). Do yourself a favor and attend as many as you can and learn everything
you can about the alternatives. Don’t wait for the deadlines to loom any closer. Instead, take the time you have
left to sift through your options so you can make the choice that is right for
you and your business.
What Santa brought us this year
A year that saw disputes between cleaners and customers that resulted in bitter,
high-profile lawsuits ended on a happier note as another dispute was resolved
with humor and grace. It is appropriate that this particular dispute involved
Santa Claus, that icon of Christmas giving and good cheer.
As reported by the Associated Press, Santa, who it was revealed actually lives
in New Jersey, took his bright red Christmas togs to a Cherry Hill, NJ, cleaner
after making his rounds a year ago. When he returned to pick them up, he
learned that a mistake had been made and his seasonal suit had been given to
another customer. We’re not quite sure how Santa’s suit could be handed to another customer or why that customer didn’t remark on it at the time. Perhaps he thought it was an opportunity to become
one of those Santa imposters we see all over the place in December of every
year.
Santa wanted the cleaner to pay for a new suit, which cost him $374.50. The
cleaner demurred, arguing that used Santa suits can be had on line for $100.
The cleaner offered to pay for half the cost of a brand new suit. Santa went to
small claims court where the judge awarded him the full cost of the new suit.
The cleaner didn’t show up in court. Who can blame her? Would want to be seen in court arguing
against Santa Claus?
Judgment in hand, Santa showed up at the cleaners last month. “Merry Christmas! Have you been a good girl?” he asked the owner as he entered the store, followed by TV news cameras. Not
wanting to get on Santa’s naughty list — or the naughty list at small claims court, for that matter — she promised to reimburse him for the full price of the suit. Dispute resolved.
Unlike two other disputes we reported on last year, one a drawn-out $54 million
lawsuit against a cleaner over a pair of trousers and another a $300,000
defamation suit against a customer for being too aggressive in voicing his
dissatisfaction, this one was resolved with a little humor, some good publicity
and seasonal cheer. Thanks for the lesson, Santa.
