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I am in the midst of trying to correct a uniform company "overbilling" issue. Long story short-we are still paying for employees that have been terminated months ago, excess amounts of mats in dealership,etc... Clearly the dealership management team is at fault for not reviewing the invoices and ensuring the charges have stopped. Old managers are gone and new ones and hired and training.
With that said-reading the uniform contract- "performance guaranty: customer may terminate this agreement for deficiencies in service by informing ---- in writing of the precise nature of the service defeciencies, allowing ---- at least 30 days to correct or begin to correct the defeciencies, and giving ---30 days written notice containing an explanation of the defeciencies that --- has not begun to correct."

I want this company out of here, because their drivers are paid on commission and I feel they took advantage of a disfunctional operation.

Has anyone had any luck terminating a very vague cancellation agreement, or had a similiar problem and had a good resolution. we have 2 1/2 years left on service contract with both stores.

Send your termination letter(certified) outlining the deficiencies and your efforts to correct. Close with an assumptive "our contract with you will be terminated effective xxx date".

When you send your final payment of any balance due, mark it on front and back "full and final settlement of all charges due under contract dated xxx.

Be prepared to return all rented items. There will probably be charges for unreturned items, and items that are torn or soiled to the point that they casnnot be used again.

That sounds all too familiar, right down to the drivers being paid a commission. We have 10 separate dealerships and I have been told that our store is not the only one with similar issues that you are describing. We constantly have clothes shortages for techs, advisors and parts personel on a weekly basis. Some how they still manage to keep our business. I had no part in contract negotiations and have only been here a little over a year, but I can say that not one week has gone by without a problem. I have brought it up to our corporate fixed-op guy that handles all our stores but it hasn't changed at all. I wouldn't doubt if we have the same uniform supplier. It wouldn't be the official uniform supplier of XXXXXX would it? XXXXXX? I don'tknow if I'm supposed to mention that on here, but they are BAD!!!!
(Better safe than sorry. JM)
[This message has been edited by dodgeboy (edited 12-19-2006).]

[This message has been edited by jimmuntz (edited 12-19-2006).]

When you cancel your contract make sure you read the contract carefully. The company willdo anything they can to drain you of as much money as possible. If your contract says youcan cancel due to poor service make sure you have evidence of lettrs sent to the company. It happened to me & I did have copies of letters & it did go smooth. The first time it was like a divorce.

Another thing that can get you is a clause in a lot of these contracts that automatically renews the contract unless you cancel within a 30 day window. Whenever I encountered this I would just line through it and no one ever said you cant do this. I just told them that if their boss had a problem with my changing the contract to call me. No one ever called.

This seems to be universal with uniform companies in particular.

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Frank Burrows
fburrows@absdata.com

1st before cancelling, I would contact the vendor to try to work out a credit with them for what you think you were over billed. If the company thinks you will work with them and not dump them you should see them willing to give you a cedit to keep your business. You will need this credit because they are going to hit you for every charge possible when you terminate your contract. A couple of things to remember: 1. If they credit you they admit that they overcharged you and you have every right to terminate the contract. 2. When they pickup your rentals you want a company manager to do it and not the driver. Go over every garmit separately get counts and damages agreed upon in writing. If not you will be treated with a bill that will get you some office time with your owner. Be careful and be smart. Cover all your bases because you don't do this often and they do. Hope this helps.

This is one area where your management has to be deligent on an ongoing basis. These guys don't make thier money on the work garments, they make it on all the add ons. The entire invoice must be double checked every week and call the head office whenever there is a noted deficiency. Any employee who leaves the company should be removed from the billing invoice the following week. The same for all the mats. They will fill every corner of the building with mats. If you don't need them, get rid of them and watch your invoice cost drop drastically.

Good luck......& here is the thing I found out, "THEY ARE ALL THE SAME." I have switched from one after my contract ran out with them, b/c of overcharges & poor service, got another & it was worse, so then I got out that contract early & now I am stuck with another one just as bad...just a continuous loop of poor service & overcharges.

[This message has been edited by tjsmith (edited 03-08-2007).]