ZIPS Dry Cleaners

I am a regular customer of Zips. I typically spend close to $ 50+ a month or so. The main reason I keep going back is due to the prices. You cant beat them. I have 2 dry cleaners within walking distance of my home, and the both clearly cut corners. Royal Cleaners and Mt. Vernon cleaners. Both press your clothes and do not clean them. They both suck. I started going to Zips, and time and time again there are problems. The first time I had one, it was a brand new $ 300+ Calvin Klein dress suit. It was only worn once, I take it to Zips… ruined. When I brought it to the Latina manager who’s there in the mornings, she immediately placed the blame on me. She offered no apology and told me I brought it in that way. I laughed in her face and asked to speak to someone else. A white woman, manager, came and stated it may have been manufactures defect and graciously wrote me a letter to take back to Macy’s to return it. Thankfully, Macy’s has a no questions asked return policy and I was able to get a new suit for my wife.
The next issue I have with Zips was a pair of black slacks that ripped along the backside seam. I brought them in to be tailored, as it was a fairly simple job along the seam, and I get my pants back with a 2 or 3 inch piece of cloth sewn between as a patch, which was a completely different material, different color black, and made the pants at least 3 inches wider in the bottom. I mean, who would do such a thing? A professional tailor? I was at a loss for words and pointed this out to the tailor who eventually fixed the issue. I’m pretty sure that tailor got fired. The new woman is actually pretty good.
On this last occasion, and the experience which prompted me to write this review, I took back 2 shirts that were damaged, and attempt to recover a cloth belt that I didn’t get back for my wife’s dress, which was of course in the belt loops when I dropped it off. I get to the clerk and have her address the returns first. I point out the broken collar button my the first shirt, a manager type guy comes up, punches up a couple things in the computer, then puts in a special repair ticket for it. Cool. At that time, the Latina manager walks up. I then point out to her a hole in my shirt that of course was not present when I dropped it off, and she states, «Were going to have to see the video of when you dropped it off so we can see if it was there before.» I again laugh in her face. I asked, «So, you think its reasonable for me to video all my clothes before I drop them off at the dry cleaners?» She nods yes. I proceed to tell her how absolutely ridiculous she is and request to speak to the original manager I was dealing with. My bring my clothes in with the expectation that I get them back cleaned, and not have to bring them back for any other reason. As a manager, if you think someone who wears shirts and ties everyday would be petty enough to quibble over a pinhole sized hole that they created, you are crazy. Well, at least that’s not my style. Given our previous interaction, I let did not want any parts of her power trip. I stated its simple, you fix it, or you’ll never see me again. She eventually opened another ticket for it. Oh, and thankfully, they found the belt. I didn’t expect to get it back.
Customer service is what I expect. I could care less about the actually damage, were human, it happens. But the fact you would blame it back on the customer without even investigating the issue is just dumb lol. Its bad business. I’ve had positive interaction with the employees aside from the Latina manager, so I’m going to give them one last try.

I thought I would give this place a second chance by dropping off a pair of dress pants to have a simple button repair with clean and press done. After paying $ 7.00, I was told to come back in a week, which I did.
Lo and behold, after the worker brought out my pressed pants, I checked the waistband and of course, the button was still clipped on with a safety pin just like when I left it a full week ago, and not repaired. I was told that I could come back the next day and it would be taken care of.
I have lost any interest in giving this incompetently run place any further business of mine, as it has proven twice now that they don’t deserve it. I would give this place zero stars if possible.

New to the area, enamored by the closeness and $ 1.99/item promise, I decided to try out zips with my lab coat cleaning. I have previously made the mistake of washing it myself, leading to bleached out embroidered stitching and lack of starched edges. However I figured for a dry cleaner, this would be an easy task so I entrusted my brand-​new lab coat to zips to my chagrin. Although it was ready the next day, I picked it up almost 2 weeks later only to find that they could not find where it had been placed. Strike 1. I watched the clerk hurry around the building in search of my garment. At some point she elicited the help of a manager-​looking type person. Then that person asked elicited the help of yet another person. This one in plain clothes… possibly an owner? At that point, the clerk hurriedly came over to me to ask me if I was in a hurry so when the clerk came to ask me if I could wait b/​c there appeared some sort of problem with my garment, I told her no I could not wait. She walked away and there seem to be a mini conference in process across the room within my view but too far for earshot. I saw the coat; I watched the person in plainclothes, the presumed owner, pull it out of a select area of hanging garments and then appear to attempt to get something off the pocket.
At that point, the person in manager outfit came to me with the coat, presenting it to me with the pocket stained with a red spot. To me, he says, «it appears that you had something in your pocket and that it has stained the coat. Our alterations dept right here on site could possibly remove this pocket and replace it for a fee». To which I responded, «I do not believe I had anything with in this pocket especially not something red. And moreover, is it not the policy to empty people’s pockets before cleaning their clothes?». The clerk replied, «it’s not our fault if you don’t empty your pockets ma’am.» «Sir, why did no one call me? I dropped this 2 weeks ago?»
Shoulder shrug from employee.
«well, that’s great customer service, by the way. This was my first time here and I can’t say I have a great impression of your business right now». His reply «have a good day, «as he turned on his heel and walked away.
Unfortunately, before I had received my ruined garment I had already deposited another item therefore forcing me to return again. Again, I had to wait while a long line of people were served by 2 clerks. Thankfully, this garment wasn’t ruined although it took 15mins to pick up a prepaid item (Everyone has to prepay). While standing there, I witnessed another similar conversation to my previous visit regarding an item that had been dropped off for alterations and picked up two weeks later only to find no alterations have been completed and no one had contacted her to relay this. The same manager guy from before dealt with her about as well as he dealt with me. No offer of reimbursement, no apologies, no nothing. I won’t be back!

Don’t trust them with alterations. I brought two pairs of pants here to have the legs hemmed (quite possibly the simplest task you can ask for). When I came back on the due date, 5 days after I’d dropped them off, my pants were not ready. When I came back 5 days after that, they were «done.» I brought them home and discovered that one of them had been hemmed with the wrong color thread, and the other had had only one leg hemmed — the other leg was pressed at the appropriate length, but no one had actually stitched it!

Friendly service, cheapest dry cleaning around. If you point out a stain when you drop off your clothes, they will do their best to get it out.
This place is great for your day-​to-​day dry cleaning, but the volume of work they do effects their overall performance, leaving jackets and outerwear unevenly pressed. Take your suits, dresses, and more expensive clothes elsewhere, but your oxfords and slacks here.

The price is great and usually they do a good job with the clothes (timeliness, pressing). However, if you want stains out this isn’t the place to go unless you specifically point out everything you want them to fix. Even then they sometimes get to it and sometimes don’t. They have also «lost» my items multiple times and had to call me when they found them again, which can be inconvenient if you are trying to grab things quickly before work or need a piece for a specific event.
But hey, I’m a poor student and you can’t beat the price!

I’d had some not so good luck with dry cleaning my clothes at this and another ZIPs in a different location in the past few months. However, since ZIPs is a franchise, I had a much better experience getting my problem solved here than at the other location in College Park. I would like to thank the owner Lorie for handling the situation with grace where my yellow dress shirt was returned by accident with black ink on it. She personally called me to apologize for the incident and offered a solution to reimburse me for my garment.
This was the only time I’d ever had a problem here; the prices are very affordable and the location can’t be beat.

For the most part I have been satisfied and needless to say with their low prices I put almost everything in the cleaners now as I hate ironing. Their service prior to a recent visit has been fair to good, you might ask for a crease in pants and it be returned without the crease or they return a wrinkled garment. Well beware of their dry cleaning on clothes that should only be laundered. I had two blouses on their second time being cleaned by them that were returned with rips in the fabric that gave the appearance the material was dry rotted. I waited 10 days for the manager to return for her to put the blame on «perfume that I might have worn» and in no way did they damage the blouses. These were quality blouses brought new a few months prior… I think they forgot I was the customer or they get hustle often by the community that they think everyone is lying. Their rude assistant manager even had the nerve to say I brought them in that way… Make sure you tell them to laundry wash items that should not be cleaned with a chemical-​soft cottons, as they do not have the insight to make the proper decision and you will be left with ruined clothes and the BLAME.

Took my wedding dress here. Beaded with a cathedral train and sat in an attic for 12 years. Other than a few areas on the hem where they could not get the stains out, the dress came out perfect. Other companies wanted hundreds of dollars to clean it. I paid two bucks! Will definitely be back!

Zips is ridiculously more affordable than the other local cleaners, but they are also fast and friendly. I appreciated that they let me know when they simply couldn’t get a stain out of a garment, rather than charging me for it and not saying anything. Very good service, wonderfully convenient location, and great prices. I will definitely be giving them repeat business.