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Code of Practice: Code of Practice Statement

Members of NALI agree to honour the spirit and provision of the code and undertake to observe the following basic principles:

  • To maintain the highest possible standard of cleanliness, service, safety and performance of equipment.
  • To train staff to be competent, courteous and helpful at all times and conversant with the equipment installed in the launderette.
  • To display in the launderette premises the price charged for each individual service and instructions on how to use the launderette equipment.
  • To investigate any complaint promptly and sympathetically.
  • The refund the amount of any coins inserted into the launderette equipment and lost due to machine failure.
  • To pay fair compensation for any loss or damage to articles due to machine failure or negligence on the part of the launderette proprietor or his/her staff.

THESE UNDERTAKINGS REFLECT NALI’S DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARDS OF QUALITY AND SERVICE ARE MAINTAINED BY NALI MEMBERS AT ALL TIMES.


CODE OF PRACTICE

FOR SELF-SERVICE LAUNDERETTES AND COIN-OPERATED DRY CLEANING.

PRODUCED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF THE LAUNDERETTE INDUSTRY LIMITED.


INTRODUCTION

Members of NALI provide a very important and essential service to a wide cross-section of the community.

  1. In order to minimise the number of complaints and to ensure customer satisfaction and the effective handling of disputes, members of NALI set themselves clear objectives in their customer relations policy and undertake to apply practices, standards and procedures designed to achieve the level of service set out in the Code of Practice Statement.
  2. Members will display, in a prominent position on their launderette premises, a symbol proclaiming their Association Membership and therefore their adherence to the Code.
  3. A paper copy of the Code of Practice is available to the public through either the launderette or the NALI Secretariat.

    CLEANLINESS AND MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT

  1. Members will ensure that premises and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and inspected at least once a day.
  2. Launderette equipment – washing machines, tumble-dryers, self-service dry-cleaning machines and all ancillary equipment – will be maintained in good working order. Any malfunctioning equipment will be repaired as quickly as possible.
  3. Faulty machines will be clearly marked “Out of Order” where possible.

    4. STAFF TRAINING

  4. Members will ensure that staff will receive appropriate training and instruction in the working of the launderette plant and equipment.
  5. All staff should be made aware of the Code’s provisions and their part in honouring not only the letter but also the spirit of the Code.
  6. Members will ensure that staff employed in launderettes are competent, courteous and capable of assisting customers whenever necessary. Staff will also be made aware of the procedure to be adopted for handling customer complaints.

    7. NOTICES AND INFORMATION

  7. Members will ensure that their customers are made aware of the nature, extent and price of the services they are purchasing and will comply in their advice with the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Any notices will be promptly replaced if they are damaged or defaced, subject to availability.
  8. Members will prominently display instructions, which advise customers how to get the best results from the use of the launderette equipment.
  9. The price for each individual service will be cleanly displayed. Members will, as far as possible, inform customers of future price increases.
  10. Members will prominently display a notice stating their normal opening and closing hours and the time of the last wash. Advance notice of arrangements over public holidays or closure for maintenance will be given whenever possible.
  11. Where self-service dry-cleaning machines are installed, cautionary notices will be clearly displayed for the Safety of Coin-Operated Dry-Cleaning Installations.
  12. Members will display a notice to conform with the Company’s Act giving details on how the proprietors may be contacted in the event of an emergency.
  13. A notice will be displayed advising customers of the location of the nearest public telephone in the event of a 999 emergency. (Fire, Police or Ambulance)

    14. PROVISION OF FACILITIES

  14. Where self-service dry-cleaning machines are provided, hanging rails for clothes will be installed on the premises.
  15. Seating facilities will be available for customers to use wherever possible.
  16. A first-aid box will be readily available on the premises and members will ensure that the first-aid items are replenished as necessary.
  17. A bin will be provided for the disposal of empty soap packets, etc.

    18. HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS

  18. REFUNDS

    19. From time to time, faults may occur in launderette equipment and any monies directly lost by customers due to the malfunction of launderette plant or equipment will be refunded promptly.

    COMPENSATION

  19. Members will exercise reasonable care and skill in the daily operation of their launderette premises and they will not seek to restrict, either by display of a notice or by other means, their liability for loss or damage to articles caused by their negligence, the negligence of their staff or by machine malfunction.
  20. Members undertake to pay fair compensation for loss or damage to articles due to negligence on their part or the part of their staff or where due to machine failure. What is fair is a matter to be determined according to the individual circumstances and facts of each case. Both parties should take into account depreciation, wear and tear that had occurred to the article before the loss or damage, as this may affect the article’s value when assessing compensation.

    21. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES

  21. It should be noted that the onus is on customers to satisfy themselves that their garments are suitable to be washed and dried or dry cleaned, according to the garment’s labels where available.


    22. STEP ONE

  22. Customers with a complaint should in the first instance contact a member of the launderette staff, or the proprietor personally or in writing. If this is not possible, the customer should contact the Secretary of NALI.


    23. STEP TWO

  23. If a complaint cannot be resolved between the customer and the proprietor, it should be referred in writing to the Secretary of the National Association of the Launderette Industry. NALI’s Conciliation Advisory Service is readily available to provide conciliation where for one reason or another, disputes cannot be resolved by the parties concerned.
  24. If the dispute involves technical considerations, NALI may offer the customer a test at an independent research establishment. The fee, which must be pre-paid by the customer, will be returned providing the findings of the report substantiate the claim. A copy of the test report will be made available to the customer, who will be expected to abide by the report findings – which are binding on the member.

    25. CODE COMPLIANCE

  25. The Association will keep a record of any complaints to which it is referred and handled under the complaints procedure and make details available to the Office of Fair Trading. The eventual outcome of any action that is taken will also be recorded. Any member who is found to be persistently in breach of the provision of the Code, will be reported to NALI’s Council of Management for appropriate action.
  26. The address of the Secretary of the National Association of the Launderette Industry and to whom all correspondence should be addresses, is:

    Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, Bloomsbury,
    LONDON. WC1H 9BB