Busted buttons--what can I do?

[millevanille]

So my dry-cleaner busted two (well lost one) of the sleeve buttons on a blazer of mine. It's going to be such a pain to have to try and track down replacements and get them put on at the tailor's.

I guess I'm asking--when I contact them about it should I probably expect the dry cleaner to give me a "who cares" look and send me on my way? It seems as if you have little recourse when your clothing gets damaged. Any thoughts? Empathy?

 

[NAMOR]

"it wasnt us who lost your buttons. Ask yo wife or yo kids"

 

[MikeDT]

Originally Posted by millevanille

So my dry-cleaner busted two (well lost one) of the sleeve buttons on a blazer of mine. It's going to be such a pain to have to try and track down replacements and get them put on at the tailor's. I guess I'm asking--when I contact them about it should I probably expect the dry cleaner to give me a "who cares" look and send me on my way? It seems as if you have little recourse when your clothing gets damaged. Any thoughts? Empathy?
Probably be much easier to get a complete new set of buttons rather than trying to find matching replacements. Surely you know how to sew on buttons? If not, it would be a good opportunity to learn. Don't most dry cleaners have some kind of disclaimer, garments are cleaned at the owner's risk or something?

 

[KObalto]

You should definitely expect some compensation for your loss. MikeDT is right when he says you're probably better off replacing all the buttons, but I would get a tailor to do it. I can't sew a shirt button, let alone a shanked jacket button (the wife handles the shirts

).

 

[stubloom]

The dry cleaner's responses will, most likely, depend on the type of dry cleaner you used (value cleaner, ordinary cleaner, pretender cleaner, or extraordinary cleaner). Given the fact that they didn't REMOVE your buttons prior to cleaning and then REPLACE them after pressing tells me that they are either a value, ordinary or pretender cleaner. If that's the case, you'll probably just waste your time and get frustrated to boot. Many cleaners also post signs that read, in part, "We are not responsible for....". In that case, you're also out of luck. You might have to buy a set of replacement buttons and ask a local tailor or alterations shop to sew them on for you. For more information on this subject.... Blog post: Does your cleaner stand for something? http://www.ravefabricare.com/true-qu...something.aspx Blog post: we are not responsible http://www.ravefabricare.com/true-qu...sponsible.aspx

 

[officeboy]

Originally Posted by stubloom

Given the fact that they didn't REMOVE your buttons prior to cleaning and then REPLACE them after pressing tells me that they are either a value, ordinary or pretender cleaner.

Really, you guys cut all the buttons off before cleaning and then sew them back on?

 

[millevanille]

Originally Posted by officeboy

Really, you guys cut all the buttons off before cleaning and then sew them back on?

I guess when you're talking high-end clothes in the thousands-of-dollars range, it wouldn't be unreasonable to pay for laundering done at that level.

Thanks for all the responses, fellas.

 

[MikeDT]

Originally Posted by officeboy

Really, you guys cut all the buttons off before cleaning and then sew them back on?

One could always attach buttons to a blazer with rings. There are small holes where the buttons go, and small split rings are passed though the shanks of the buttons. This is what they do with military uniforms. Then they can be easily removed and replaced when the garment needs to be cleaned. Obviously this could only be done with shanked buttons.

 

[stubloom]

Response to Officeboy: Removing and replacing buttons prior to cleaning is FUNDAMENTAL if your'e in the business of garment care. If your business is taking a garment, tossing it into a dry cleaning machine, machine pressing it and hanging of a metal hanger (possibly covered with a strip of cardboard), then anything goes.

On suits jackets, sport coats and coats of any kind you have to examine the buttons very carefully prior to cleaning to determine which buttons need to be removed and replaced (with the exact same color thread and same method of sewing).

Examples: Corozo nut buttons on most Italian made suits (Corozo buttons are dyed to match the EXACT color of the jacket or coat and chip/crack rather easily; metal buttons; shell and MOP buttons; signature buttons (designers logo imprinted on the button), fabric covered buttons, buttons with a thin raised edge, and leather buttons.

Damage any of those buttons (scratch, chip, crack, etc.) and you'll have a difficult time finding exact replacements. It's simply not worth the risk. Unless, of course, YOU JUST DON'T CARE (most often the case). Or unless you have a sign that says "WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE..." (saying, in effect, that YOU, our client, bought that Canali suit with the Corozo nut buttons so YOUR'E responsible for your own buttons...now get out of my dry cleaning store and don't come back).

Dry cleaners are not only in the garment care business...they're also in the risk assessment business. Taking unjustifiable risks with a client's fine garments (meaning risks that could EASILY be prevented with the exercise of care, skill, judgment and experience) is heresy.

 

[imatlas]

Does any other dry cleaner in the country do this? I use what is generally considered the best dry cleaner in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as far as I know they don't do this.

 

[stubloom]

Response to imatlas: As in every worthwhile endeavor, there are those that do it. And there are those that do it right.

I can think of no more than 20 cleaners in the USA (out of 26,000) who would do this as a matter of routine. For these cleaners, garment care is a craft, not production line operation. What they do and how they do it speaks directly to their passion, to their commitment, to who they are as individuals. No different than thinking about the Lobb or Cleverly commitment to the craft of shoe making. Or the Rubinacci or Steed commitment to the craft of garment making.