Caught in the media spotlight
Privacy is a relic of a bygone era.
Nothing is sacred anymore. Everything you do or say is fodder
for public consumption, especially when it comes to the way you
run your business. The consumer watchdogs of the media are
always out in full force, hoping to publicly thrash the
reputation of dishonest companies everywhere. However, in times
when no such targets can be found, some reporters are content
to aim the crosshairs at whoever crosses their path. One
customer complaint is the only justification they need to hang
a business out to dry, or, in some cases, an entire industry.
The March 2003 article by Daisy Chan of
SmartMoney magazine is a good example of a media personality
generalizing the actions of an entire industry based on
isolated examples. The acrimonious tone of her article makes
drycleaners seem as if they don’t care about the
environment, the law or even their own customers.
Of course, that’s ridiculous. It may
be true that there are some unethical drycleaners out there,
but every industry has its share of bad seeds that reap trouble
for the majority that work hard and engage in honest business
practices. We all like to think that the media will be
objective and cover both sides of every story, but it
doesn’t always work that way. Like every other industry,
the media has its share of bad seeds; however, cleaners should
avoid falling into a similar assumption that every member of
the media slants his or her stories to suit a personal agenda.
There’s an important lesson to
derive from all of this: the camera or microphone is always on.
If you don’t watch what you say to reporters or
customers, then the rest of the world might do precisely that
when your quote later appears in the newspaper or on
television. Cleaners are certainly frustrated by the way
they’ve been treated in the past by some members of the
media, but that doesn’t mean you should forsake speaking
with reporters altogether.
After all, silence can inflict damage as
well. If you do not return a reporter’s phone calls, then
how can that person hear your side of the story? Don’t
conceal yourself from the media. It suggests that you have
something to hide. You also cannot assume that the media
representative you speak with will slant his or her story
against you. You can only assume that you’re better off
speaking your mind honestly and intelligently. Don’t let
your emotions taint the relevancy of your words, either.
Venting your frustrations by offering up harsh words to a
reporter or customer may make you feel better for the moment,
but, the world of print and television is an enduring one.
Those few seconds of clouded judgment can make you and the
entire industry look foolish for a long time to come.
 |
Who wants to be a restorationist?
“Restoration” is fast becoming
the buzzword of the year for cleaners who are looking to expand
the horizons of their businesses. But it really shouldn’t
be a new word to any garment care professional. Restoration is
what drycleaning has always been about. Of course, as it is
being used today, restoration applies to a specific type of
specialization, often working in concert with insurance
companies to repair damage to textiles caused by smoke and
water when a home or business is hit by some type of disaster,
such as a fire or flood.
Many cleaners have taken up the
“restoration” business as a specialty and met with
success. But it is not for everyone. Anyone considering
venturing into this area should, at the least, read Tom
Tanglos’s article on page 16 and honestly answer the
basic questions he asks.
Restoration also comes in to play in
another specialty — that of vintage clothing. Here again,
it is not a venture for the inexperienced and we recommend to
any readers who are contemplating handling vintage textiles to
read Dan Eisen’s article on page 38.
But “restoration” is not just
a specialty or diversification. Every cleaner should consider
him or herself a restorationist on an everyday basis because
that is precisely what customers are looking for when they
bring their garments in for cleaning — they want them
“restored” as much as possible to a like-new
condition. Restoration is not the latest invention in the
industry. It is the reason the industry was invented.
|
|
