National Clothesline

Facing a future without perc

A man who had not been feeling well visited his doctor who, after a thorough examination, told him, “I can give you some good news. You’re not a hypochondriac.”

The drycleaning industry got some similar “good news” this month. The industry’s often maligned but still favored cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene, is being tagged as a “likely human carcinogen.” An independent panel of scientists has concurred with the Environmental Protection Agency that exposure to perc may lead to the development of certain types of cancers. Exactly what kind and how much exposure is still a matter of debate in the scientific community, but while they debate, the “likely human carcinogen” label is likely to stick.

This should come as no surprise. After all, the industry hasn’t been “feeling well” about perc for some time, what with the constant barrage of attacks from government regulators, environmentalists, media and, yes, some within the industry itself. We have maintained that perc is safe when used properly and we still believe that. However, we have to admit that safe operating practices are not always employed. Too many cleaners do not even meet minimum standards of regulations that have been on the books for 15 years or more. Just ask any inspector.

The constant criticism from outside the industry and the failure to achieve universal compliance from within have left the industry’s defense of perc in a weakened state. The “likely human carcinogen” label will tear another hole in the defense. Expect perc’s opponents to be emboldened.

The “good news” is that this is not a death sentence, exactly. Perc will not be banned tomorrow, although its phase-out in various locales may be accelerated. So there is time — time to consider the options. Fortunately, there have been many developments in cleaning methods over the past 15 years and many cleaners who have implemented those methods in day-to-day operations. Improvements have been and will continue to be made. That is the future.

Proper training avoids critical errors

In an age where everybody has a cell phone equipped with a camera and a computer hooked up to the Internet 24-7, things can spiral out of control in a hurry. One simple mistake can propel you to instant infamy.

Not convinced? Just ask Southwest Airlines if they wish they had handled things differently with Kevin Smith. He was recently booted off one of their overbooked flights for being too obese for the seat — even though he arguably met the company’s “Guidelines for Customer of Size,” i.e. he was able to lower both arm rests on either side of him and fasten his seat belt. At the time the situation occurred, he simply left the plane without incident.

However, later on he remembered he is a famous Hollywood director whose films have grossed over $158 million and whose cult fan base includes millions who avidly follow his work on television, comics, books and blogs. Naturally, he proceeded to rant on Twitter (where he has over 1.6 million followers, incidentally) about how he was mistreated. He generated a veritable ton (no pun intended) of negative publicity for Southwest who admitted they badly mishandled the situation.

Regardless of whether you feel sympathy for Smith or Southwest, the whole situation is sad, really. It could all easily have been avoided if the company’s employees had simply been trained properly how to handle such a situation. Too often, companies breeze through the training process in order to fill an open slot as fast as possible, but at what cost? It only takes one bad blunder to occur in the presence of a highly motivated individual and you’re left with a publicist’s worse nightmare.

This month, Harvey Gershenson continues his series on “The Importance of Proper Training” where he devotes special emphasis to handling customer complaints. Do your CSRs know how to respond appropriately when an irate customer screams “Your price is too high!” or “The spot didn’t come out!”? Everything from tone of voice to facial expressions to the precise answers to such questions should be written down in a comprehensive training manual and learned by all of your employees verbatim. There can be no exceptions. Indeed, it means extra work and frustration for you and a much longer training process, but just think of what headaches can haunt you if your staff is not adequately prepared.



								National Clothesline






						Facing a future without perc A man who had not been feeling well visited his doctor who, after a thorough examination, told him, “I can give you some good news. You’re not a hypochondriac.” The drycleaning industry got some similar “good news” this month. The industry’s often maligned but still favored cleaning solvent, perchloroethylene, is being tagged as a “likely human carcinogen.” An independent panel of scientists has concurred with the Environmental Protection Agency that exposure to perc may lead to the development of certain types of cancers. Exactly what kind and how much exposure is still a matter of debate in the scientific community, but while they debate, the “likely human carcinogen” label is likely to stick. This should come as no surprise. After all, the industry hasn’t been “feeling well” about perc for some time, what with the constant barrage of attacks from government regulators, environmentalists, media and, yes, some within the industry itself. We have maintained that perc is safe when used properly and we still believe that. However, we have to admit that safe operating practices are not always employed. Too many cleaners do not even meet minimum standards of regulations that have been on the books for 15 years or more. Just ask any inspector. The constant criticism from outside the industry and the failure to achieve universal compliance from within have left the industry’s defense of perc in a weakened state. The “likely human carcinogen” label will tear another hole in the defense. Expect perc’s opponents to be emboldened. The “good news” is that this is not a death sentence, exactly. Perc will not be banned tomorrow, although its phase-out in various locales may be accelerated. So there is time — time to consider the options. Fortunately, there have been many developments in cleaning methods over the past 15 years and many cleaners who have implemented those methods in day-to-day operations. Improvements have been and will continue to be made. That is the future. Proper training avoids critical errors In an age where everybody has a cell phone equipped with a camera and a computer hooked up to the Internet 24-7, things can spiral out of control in a hurry. One simple mistake can propel you to instant infamy. Not convinced? Just ask Southwest Airlines if they wish they had handled things differently with Kevin Smith. He was recently booted off one of their overbooked flights for being too obese for the seat — even though he arguably met the company’s “Guidelines for Customer of Size,” i.e. he was able to lower both arm rests on either side of him and fasten his seat belt. At the time the situation occurred, he simply left the plane without incident. However, later on he remembered he is a famous Hollywood director whose films have grossed over $158 million and whose cult fan base includes millions who avidly follow his work on television, comics, books and blogs. Naturally, he proceeded to rant on Twitter (where he has over 1.6 million followers, incidentally) about how he was mistreated. He generated a veritable ton (no pun intended) of negative publicity for Southwest who admitted they badly mishandled the situation. Regardless of whether you feel sympathy for Smith or Southwest, the whole situation is sad, really. It could all easily have been avoided if the company’s employees had simply been trained properly how to handle such a situation. Too often, companies breeze through the training process in order to fill an open slot as fast as possible, but at what cost? It only takes one bad blunder to occur in the presence of a highly motivated individual and you’re left with a publicist’s worse nightmare. This month, Harvey Gershenson continues his series on “The Importance of Proper Training” where he devotes special emphasis to handling customer complaints. Do your CSRs know how to respond appropriately when an irate customer screams “Your price is too high!” or “The spot didn’t come out!”? Everything from tone of voice to facial expressions to the precise answers to such questions should be written down in a comprehensive training manual and learned by all of your employees verbatim. There can be no exceptions. Indeed, it means extra work and frustration for you and a much longer training process, but just think of what headaches can haunt you if your staff is not adequately prepared.