Is it wrong for a client to do this? Was she being unethical?

Question

I am a Tailor. I make custom-made or made-to-order clothes for my clients.

And, I know many people who also do the same business that I do.....tailor friends, owning shops, doing dressmaking and tailoring, specializing in made-to-order clothes, etc.

And, because we live in a small town, everybody knows everybody; therefore, some of my customers are also customers of some of my fellow tailors who also have their own shops.

One day a client came to my shop bringing with her some of the clothes another shop had made for her. She claims she has brought these to that shop like 3 times to have some fittings adjusted but they just couldn't get the fit right! Now, she wants me to adjust the fitting of these clothes telling me she'll pay like as if she ordered new clothes from me as long as we get the fit right.

Now, I've heard that it is unethical for a client to have her clothes adjusted or altered by a shop that didn't make them originally.

True? False?

Answer 1

False.

Answer 2

If there were some sort of ethical issue, it would be a problem for you, not the customer. I am not familiar with the tailoring profession, but if there were any issue it would be something like tailors won't alter clothes that were made by another shop because they're stealing business from their fellow tailors. So if there's some sort of professional agreement among tailors, you can refuse her business.

As far as the customer's concerned, the previous shop didn't serve her well, and I think she has the right to get her clothes altered in another shop if she's not happy with the service. In fact, if the other shop didn't do a good job, maybe they should offer to pay for the alterations she gets from you (instead of having her pay you.). I think the customer has the right to take her business anywhere she wants.

Answer 3

Sorry, I have never heard that. I would think that they are now her clothes,and she can take them wherever she likes.
Perhaps you should encourage her to go back to the original shop to settle with them. And you could look at the clothes to see what is wrong, and if you think you can make it right, [i.e. is there enough material left to make an another alteration possible]. You might explain that there is an ethical matter involved.
Here is how I look at it, if we are unhappy with a repair on a car, we take it somewhere else, right?
And of course, I can site a TV show, one of the terrible brides was unhappy, with her dress, the original store would not help, so the show took the dress elsewhere.
But beware, lest you get the blame for the original mistakes, if there were any.
Just be as professional as possible, do not bad mouth the other shop, just state what is wrong and how your are going to fix it, should you decide to.

Answer 4

False. That is nonsense. The client paid for the clothes, and ws dissatisfied with the fittings, so she did the only sensible thing; she had another tailor do the work. Where is there an ethical dilemma?

Quite frankly, once she has paid for the clothes, they are hers to do with as she wishes. The only obligation she has to the original tailor is to pay for the work that was done. After that, it is none of the original tailor's business what she does.

Answer 5

Unethical, no. She's obviously frustrated by the other tailor's inability to fit her clothes properly. You should be flattered. You should of course, call the other tailor and explain the situation since you live in a small town and the news will get back to him/her anyway.

Answer 6

Easy answer, tell her you will do the job after you have been paid. If it were me, unless you are absolutely desperate for the money, refuse to do it, or else you will never hear the end of it, and she will make your life miserable in the meantime.

There are just *some* people who will never be satisfied, and sounds like she is a candidate for that classification. If you know the tailor where she got them made, you might give them a call and find out the skinny on that person.

Answer 7

False.

The client pays you for a service. In this case the service is to fix the fit. You may decide if you provide that sort of service or not simply depending on if it makes sense for you. There is nothing unethical about you deciding either way.

Even if the other tailor is a friend of yours you are not doing anything to make him/her any damage. It was the client who decided that one wasn't good enough.

Answer 8

If she is uncomfortable with the fit she is getting from the other store and she has already paid for these clothes from that shop, you should be able to make the alterations she has requested. It is just she went to a store and bought the clothes off the rack and you are altering them for her. The only difference is she had the clothes made and she is uncomfortable with the fit. Make sure she pays you for your work, even if she is still unhappy with the fit.

Answer 9

Talk to the tailor who she's referring to and see if she's just a very picky client. That's probably what is going on. However, she may be correct that the other tailor was just not up to snuff on what she really wants and you are who she chose to come to for help. Take on the project with those things in mind.

Answer 10

False. If the shop she has been working with can alter them correctly, I don't blame her for seeking another Tailor. I would do the same.

Answer 11

False