The Drycleaners in Springfield. I gave them multiple chances because I wanted to support a mom and pop business. They are Korean so I understand if there is a language barrier but Mr. Lee knows what he's doing and is very sly about it.
Incident 1: I brought in a blazer that needed to be fixed on one side as one of the loops became detached. I showed him the side that was fine and asked to fix the detached side to be the same. He charged $20 which I was okay with since I needed it fixed in time for an event.
When I picked it up, I checked the blazer and they cut off both loops! When I asked him why that happened he said that's what I wanted. Then I showed him pictures of why I need the loops since it's a tie-back blazer. He said he would fix it but it would cost $5 I told him no, I already paid $20 for him to fix the original issue and now it's a bigger problem. He was reluctant but had Mrs. Lee "fix" it by using serger thread for the loops. This of course was a temporary solution as even with the slightest tension, the "loops" break. Definitely not a good solution for a tie-back blazer!
During the event, the loops of course did not last and I brought it back to get fixed. I was already wary because of how he approached the initial incident. But surprisingly, he said if this continues to happen, bring the blazer back and he'll fix it free of charge "for lifetime". Okay. That works for me. I wish there was a more permanent solution but I guess they aren't capable or don't want to invest more time on it
Incident 2: I brought in a white dress shirt in addition to multiple other pieces to be cleaned. This white shirt in particular had visible neck stains and I asked Mr. Lee to focus on that. He told me he wouldn't be able to remove the stains and said I should go to target to buy a solution for it sigh. Again, these items were for an event so I just paid to get it laundered and pressed. When I went to pick up the items, he forgot to include the shirt even though I asked if it was in the bundle. When I got home, it wasn't, so I had to drive back to get it.
Incident 3: I want to preface, I bring in a lot of items to be cleaned whenever I visit Mr. Lee's establishment. Upwards of $100-$300 in cost each time as there are multiple suits, dresses, etc. I trust him to be honest when pricing out these items.
This time, I brought in a white dress in addition to 2 suits, 2 dress shirts, 1 dress, 2 x 2-piece dresses. This white dress was from Lulu's and can be found in multiple colours online (important for later). He charged it as a normal dress of $35. The total bill was almost $300.
I wore this dress for my wedding luncheon. The only place it got dirty was the bottom when we took photos outside. I brought the dress and suits, etc to be dry cleaned after the event and when Mr. Lee pieced together it was for a wedding. Guess what he charged for the dress? A whopping $150! I asked him why it was so much this time compared to last time and he said because it would be hard to remove the dirt on the bottom of dress and it would take longer we all know it's because it's easy to up-charge for "wedding" items. Sigh. I asked him if he could give me a discount since I always bring a lot of items for him and he reluctantly gave $30 off. I really should have walked away with all my items on principle, but again, wanted to support a local establishment.
When I picked up the items, I checked the white dress and there are still small stains at the bottom of the dress. He said he tried twice to remove the stains but was unsuccessful
Mr and Mrs Lee are nice enough people and I understand business can be hard. But these incidents have left a bad taste in my mouth and I'll always be wary moving forward. Am I justifying my experience? Absolutely. I shouldn't have to advocate for myself in these situations or be taken advantage of. I feel I've given them enough grace (and business!) over the years but sadly I've had enough. read more