How to Get Out of a Uniform Rental Contract (part 2)
(This is the second part of a three part series on how to get out of a uniform rental contract early)
Option Two: This is referred to as a “Service Guarantee” exit-strategy. This is the route you take when you cannot stand to be serviced by this company another week. You are at the end of your wits and it is time to make a change. Don’t worry; there is hope!
To terminate an agreement with a vendor prior to the contract running out, it will not be easy. They do not want you to leave. So they don’t make it easy. If you miss one step of this complicated process, the whole case gets thrown out. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
The only way to end the agreement early is if you can prove there have been ongoing service issues. All this means is you need to formally document them. I have written a glossary on common “service issues”, i.e. examples you can use to in your letter to your provider.
Let me stress again…this is not easy! If any of these steps are missed, it throws out your whole case to terminate the agreement. It is intentionally written to be confusing. That is why I strongly recommend speaking with one of our specialists to walk you through this process.
But, if you would like to attempt this, then the process must be followed exactly as it is outlined in the contract. Let’s break down the language in the contract and outline the process, step-by-step. A typical rental contract reads similar to the following:
“Customer may terminate this agreement for material deficiencies in service by informing (name of vendor) in writing of the precise natures of the service deficiencies…”
This is what I was referring to as a “Service Guaranty” exit-strategy. What this means is the only way you can get out of the agreement is to write, in a letter, where the vendor has been dropping the ball for you. I am sure there are a thousand frustrating things they have done to you, which is why you want to break this agreement. Missing delivery times, garment quality, erroneous charges…it all adds up.
The easiest way to do this is to prove they have been invoicing you incorrectly. Once again, this is why I recommend having one of our analysts review your program. Believe me, these charges get creative. They have people at their corporate offices that sit around all day and dream up new and interesting ways to take your money.
If you are still attempting to fight this on your own, then begin by compiling specific problems you have been facing. Dates, times, emails, whatever you have. Review your service contract and compare it to a current invoice. Is everything on your invoice detailed on the contract? Is the pricing the same? The more detailed examples you can articulate, the better. DO NOT DO THIS OVER THE PHONE. It must be in a certified letter. Include a line implying the company has breached its agreement by violating the terms (i.e. agreed upon pricing, service guarantee, etc.).
Once the company receives your letter, it will be all-hands-on-deck. You will most likely have a Service Manager or District Manager in your place of business within 24 hours. They want to talk to you. Know why that is? Sure, they may just be blowing you away with world-class customer service. But is that really the vendor you know? Isn’t that why you are here, because they rarely fix anything you complain about?
Actually, they want to verbally discuss these issues with you because they do not want a paper trail. So we are going to make one. When they arrive, I would recommend politely asking the manager to leave, and if he needs to discuss anything, please do so by email. That way, you will have documented proof of what they say to you about each service issue you complained about. You will need this correspondence for the next step.
To be continued...
