In Singapore’s tailoring scene, the interaction between clients and tailors often involves high expectations and meticulous craftsmanship. Clients seek perfect fits and styles, while tailors endeavour to meet these demands amidst various challenges–a dynamic that can lead to a range of complaints, from workmanship to service issues.
This article explores the common grievances of clients against tailors in Singapore and also offers a glimpse into the tailors’ perspective, highlighting the complexities in this craft-centred industry.
Common Complaints of Clients
When it comes to tailoring services, customers often have high expectations for quality, style, and service. However, like any service industry, there are occasions where these expectations are not fully met, leading to various complaints from customers.
Common grievances among tailoring clients include:
- Quality of Workmanship: Customers expect neat stitching, proper alignment, and a professional look. However, complaints arise when the stitching is not neat or the alterations don’t match their expectations, resulting in poorly fitted garments. For example, a customer receives a suit with uneven stitching and a misaligned collar, causing dissatisfaction with the overall quality.
- Miscommunication or Misunderstanding of Requirements: Sometimes, there can be a mismatch between what the customer expects and what the tailor understands, leading to dissatisfaction with the final product, such as when a customer asks for a slim-fit dress, but the tailor makes it too tight, misunderstanding the customer’s comfort level.
- High Prices: Tailoring, especially custom work, can be expensive. Customers might feel that the cost is too high compared to the quality or type of service received. A common example is when a customer is charged a premium price for a basic alteration, leading to a perception of being overcharged.
- Delayed Service: Timeliness is crucial, and customers might have issues with tailors not completing the work within the promised timeframe, especially for time-sensitive events like weddings or business functions. For instance, a tailoring business promises to alter a wedding gown within a week, but it takes three weeks, causing stress and possibly costly consequences for the bride.
- Fabric Damage: In some cases, customers might find that their fabric has been mishandled, damaged, or even misplaced by the tailor. An example would be when a tailor accidentally scorches a silk blouse while pressing it, ruining the garment. This type of accident is rare among experienced tailors, but when they do happen, the results can be devastating.
- Inconsistent Sizing Across Orders: If a customer orders multiple pieces, they might find inconsistencies in sizing or fit across these items, which can result in a massive inconvenience. For example, a customer orders three custom shirts, but each one fits differently, indicating inconsistency in measurements. This problem is more common among tailoring businesses that lack experience or quality control.
- Poor Customer Service: Customer service issues, such as not listening to customer’s needs, being unresponsive, or showing a lack of flexibility, can lead to dissatisfaction. Most clients need their garments on time for scheduled events and, for example, if a business is unresponsive to calls or emails regarding order status, it would likely cause customer frustration.
- Alteration Limitations: Customers might be frustrated if a tailor is unable to perform certain types of alterations or modifications they require. For instance, a customer wants to repurpose an old dress into a modern skirt, but the tailor says it’s impossible due to its design. While limitations are sometimes unavoidable, tailors should provide as many alteration options as possible to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Refusal to Correct Mistakes: If a garment maker makes a mistake and is unwilling to rectify it, or charges extra for corrections, it can lead to significant customer dissatisfaction. For instance, after a suit is incorrectly tailored, the tailor insists it was made to the given measurements and refuses to make changes without additional charges.
Common Complaints of Tailors
While tailoring is a craft that blends artistry with precision, it is not without its trials, especially when dealing with customer expectations and behaviours. Here are some of the most common complaints tailors have about their customers:
- Unrealistic Expectations: Customers sometimes have unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved with alterations or custom tailoring, especially regarding turnaround time or the extent of changes that can be made to a garment. For instance, a customer might bring an old wedding dress two days before a wedding, asking to transform it into a modern gown, which is a time-consuming task.
- Late or Last-Minute Orders: Tailors often face challenges with customers who bring in garments for alteration or custom orders with very tight deadlines, expecting quick turnarounds that can disrupt the tailor’s schedule. For example, a customer needs a suit tailored for a business event in two days, ignoring the business’ usual one-week processing time.
- Bargaining Over Prices: Tailoring, especially custom work, is a skilled craft, yet some customers may try to negotiate prices down, not appreciating the time and skill involved in the work. A common example is when a customer insists on paying less for a custom-tailored dress, comparing prices with off-the-rack options, not recognizing the bespoke craftsmanship.
- Lack of Clarity in Requirements: Some customers may not be clear in communicating their requirements or may change their minds frequently, leading to confusion and the need for rework, such as when a customer decides they want a different style of collar on a custom shirt after several fittings and alterations.
- Failure to Pick Up Orders: Occasionally, customers may delay or forget to pick up their completed orders, which can cause storage issues and financial setbacks for the business. For instance, a customer might forget to collect a batch of tailored shirts for months, taking up space in the tailor’s small shop.
- Misunderstandings Due to Cultural or Language Barriers: In a multicultural city, sometimes there can be misunderstandings due to language or cultural differences between the shop and the customer. An example of this situation is when a tailor misunderstands a traditional garment’s cultural significance and alters it in a way that doesn’t respect its traditional style.
- Payment Issues: Issues with delayed payments or disputes over the cost after the work has been completed can also be a source of frustration, and can strain the relationship between the tailor and the customer. For example, the customer disputes the agreed-upon price, arguing it should be lower due to minor dissatisfaction.
Conclusion
The world of tailoring is a delicate balance of client expectations and tailor expertise. While clients look for exceptional tailoring that reflects their style, tailors aim to deliver this within the realm of practicality and artistry.
The common issues faced by both highlight the importance of clear communication and mutual respect. Understanding these challenges from both perspectives is key to enhancing the bespoke tailoring experience.
