Lan's Lapels
2026-07-09T17:07:00.054Z
UPDATE: Even though I was told to contact them to make things right, the owner doubled down on their claims that I lied about them ruining my jeans, and offered nothing more. More deception.I had been a long-time customer of Lan’s Lapel, but after this experience I will not be returning, and I would strongly caution others before trusting them with clothing they care about.I brought in a pair of jeans for repair and cleaning. They fit properly just a few days before drop-off. When I picked them up, they no longer fit and appeared to have shrunk. From my perspective, the jeans went in wearable and came back unwearable while they were in the care of the business.An important part of this is that when my husband dropped the jeans off, he told them they could be washed. He did not specifically request dry cleaning. I later learned that Lan’s Lapel apparently does not do wash-and-fold services for single items or under a certain amount. However, that was never explained to him at drop-off, and no one clarified that the jeans would instead be dry cleaned. Had that been clearly communicated, we would have taken them home, hand-washed them, and hang-dried them ourselves, as we have done before.When I raised the issue, the response was extremely disappointing. Rather than taking accountability or even seriously considering that something could have gone wrong, the owner repeatedly explained why their cleaning process should not have caused shrinkage. That may be their position, but it does not change the customer experience: the jeans fit before they had them, and they did not fit after.I also expect the business may respond by saying they “followed the care instructions” or that stretch denim “does not permanently shrink” through their process. That may be what they believe generally, but this is about one specific garment that changed while in their possession. Saying the process should not have caused the issue is not the same as resolving it or treating a long-time customer fairly.I paid for both a repair and cleaning, and both services became useless to me because the jeans are no longer wearable. I requested a reasonable $75 cash reimbursement to help by a new pair — not the full replacement cost, just a fair resolution. Instead, I was offered a $50 store credit as a “goodwill gesture,” while the owner made it clear they did not consider it compensation for damage.That distinction is exactly the problem. They offered just enough to make the complaint go away, without acknowledging responsibility or even leaving room for the possibility that something happened under their care.As an additional note, when I spoke with the GM, Elaine, on the phone, she mentioned that I could have purchased additional “insurance” for the jeans. This is something I had previously opted out of for sweaters because it cost almost double the actual cleaning fee, and the only stated criteria for offering it seemed to be that the item was “expensive.” Since their fees are not really published clearly, this is a hidden cost customers should be aware of. If you have an issue with an item and did not pay extra for this “insurance,” good luck getting them to actually fix the problem.Good customer service is not explaining why you believe you did nothing wrong. It is listening to the customer, considering the facts from their perspective, and making a reasonable effort to preserve the relationship. In this case, they lost a long-time customer over a modest $75 request to help replace an item they damaged.I highly recommend against Lan’s Lapel. If something goes wrong, there will be no accountability, and they will go on the defense no matter what, rather than stand behind the customer.
UPDATE: Even though I was told to contact them to make things right, the owner doubled down on their claims that I lied about them ruining my jeans, a... More