ComplaintsforUniFirst Corporation

• Initial Complaint

  02/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Currently have an agreement with UniFirst to supply uniforms, supplies for our fleet maintenance department. I have noticed for some time UniFirst will adjust pricing, add unknown charges on the weekly invoices. Also charged for services never rendered. I have asked multiple times for notification in writing in advance regardless price increases, etc. What UniFirst is doing is price gouging, unscrupulous billing practices on their customer. When I question them on this I never get a response to my satisfaction. They have severed any respectable opinion I once held and we will not renew the agreement. I see why they D minus rating with the BBB.

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The terminal I manage has recently switched uniform providers to Cintas. Unifirst routinely fails to drop off complete sets of uniforms for the mechanics and often fails to change the rugs and claims they were not loaded on the truck. All of these issues previously had been handled via phone. Since this left no " record " of non satisfaction Unifirst threatened to charge WBT appox $40,000 in contract buyout charges. I agreed to maintain one employees uniforms with them and drop all other items. Since then, only 2 jackets have been delivered in a 2 week period of his ***** items. Yet we have received invoices for $60-$80 each of those 2 weeks. This week no items were delivered but an invoice for $61.75 was handed to me. I have received emails from their manager stating adjustments will be made and uniforms are coming but it has not happened. The resolution I seek is termination of the contract with Unifirst. They have not provided quality service as your BBB rating clearly shows. Lastly, I offered to inventory the items returned to them and the service rep declined. This being said, I refused to accept any shortages since they were not identified with me.

  

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  UniFirst takes pride in consistently conducting business in an honest and ethical manner and we take customer satisfaction very seriously, which is how we have become a leader in our industry.  Our local UniFirst management has contacted the customer to discuss their concerns and the details of their complaint, and as a result the parties have agreed upon a resolution that mutually satisfies both parties.

  Customer response

  03/19/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. Unifirst was very cooperative in resolving this matter and went beyond the bounds of the resolution I requested.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 1/21/2022 we entered a 5 year service agreement with Unifirst. During this time we have encountered many errors and inaccuracies in billing. There are many discrepancies for quantities of items received and whether we are being billed accurately. We tried to work with the branch manager to ********************************* to remedy these issues. Unifirst did make some improvements but the same issues continue to repeat. They have a very high staff turn over. We asked to amicably end our contract early while they work through their billing and staffing issues. ******** asked for 60 days to improve the issues. We granted that. We are now past that 60 days and have the same issues. I asked again to mutually part ways on 1/10 and she abruptly stated she is putting us in breach of contract, drafted premature cancellation forms, demanded inventory to be picked up 1/15 or they will be billed as lost. She now states all communication is ceased and must go through their attorney. She does not want to hear about fair issues that effect the quality of their service. We are the end user and it is very challenging to not be able to trust their billing and have a reliable service provided.

  

  Business response

  01/24/2024

  UniFirst takes pride in consistently conducting business in an honest and ethical manner and we take customer satisfaction very seriously, which is how we have become a leader in our industry.  There were some accidental billing inaccuracies that did occur along with a staffing issue on the Towtally account.  Those billing issues were immediately addressed by local management, and the staffing issue has since been resolved.  We believe all issues have been resolved in a mutually agreeable manner for all involved and hope to make ********************** a fully satisfied UniFirst customer once again.

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My issue is with the criminal sales tactics used by local Unifirst service providers. I contacted Unifirst to get Shirts made and service for just 4 employees. The rate and duration I felt was extremely too long and high however the local GM assured me thats only because they need to recoup the cost of buying the shirts and adding my logo on them. The duration of the contract helps them recover those expenses. Now that my contract is coming to an end (fully paid), ** being additionally penalized because Im not willing to renew my contract as my business model has changed. They are now demanding an additional $2,315.87 for custom merchandise. Now I agree its in small print in the Terms and Conditions however the local GM told me the reason I paid so much every week and I had to have a minimum duration was for them to pay for those already. Why am I being forced to pay for those alterations in full now twice? This is intentionally misleading and deceitful business practices. Customer #*******

  

  Business response

  01/07/2024

  UniFirst takes pride in consistently conducting business in an honest and ethical manner and we take customer satisfaction very seriously, which is how we have become a leader in our Industry.  Regarding the Biomedical account, on 01/04/****** local UniFirst management spoke with ************** and **************** in good faith about their concerns and the details of their complaint in an effort to come to a mutually satisfactory agreement. It is our belief that UniFirst and ************** and **************** have, in fact, resolved the issues at hand and have worked out our differences in an agreeable manner for all involved.

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Letter to Unifirst:******************* was my initial representative and I was told that I was not obligated to anything regarding their service and I could cancel at any time if I was not happy. I was told that since I am a very small business, they wanted to help me out. Called ******************* a few times and then started calling customer service because I could not get a return call. Last phone call to ******************* was 10/13/23, left message for him to call me - ************, no reply from him to date.I am very disappointed in the service I have received from Unifirst. I couldn&#**;t even get my representative to call me back regarding holy, stinky towels and invoicing that was never correct. The driver never had the soap needed for my 3 compartment sink on his truck. He blamed the people who loaded the trucks for the missing items. I was delivered ***** towels when ******************* said that it wouldn&#**;t be on the list even though it was on the initial paperwork I signed. He said this would be removed. Several weeks went by and the driver kept trying to drop off ***** towels.I told the driver about the towels and the problem with them, he told me to throw them away. I did not do that I simply put them in the dirty bin for pick up. I expressed this concern to ***** in customer service.The billing department had my shop address incorrect, and the business next door kept getting my mail because they have H31**33363736383633**H Service, and it had their address on it. Therefore, they would open my mail.In the beginning I was able to reach *******************, and nothing was ever resolved, then I would try reaching him and never received calls back but ended up getting *********************** in the picture.Multiple times I would call *************************** regarding the incorrect invoicing, issues with the service. I have the emails regarding the wrong invoicing.I spoke with a different customer service rep because ***** was not available and told her I wished to cancel my service because of the issues that were not taken care of. Neither one of the reps told me there would be a cancellation fee.Then I received a call from corporate office making sure everything was picked up from the driver and she indicated all invoices had been closed and said the account was closed. Not one time was I told about a cancellation penalty and that I signed documentation regarding this. Driver came by one last time and told me he was to try and twist my arm and get me not to cancel the service, his exact words.The first time I was made aware of a penalty fee was from ******* who took over *****************#**;s position, is what I was told and he sent this through email. I feel like I was tricked into signing a document that the supposedly cancellation fee was not disclosed to me. Unifirst did not explain or show me any documentation of a cancellation fee.******* said the dollar amount that they were sending to collections for was to recoup money for the account. There is no dollar amount to recoup. The driver literally services the next-door business same day. Again, there are no outstanding invoices so what is there to recoup? Every single item was returned to Unifirst.******* said he had the agreement in front of him showing where I signed but what I thought I signed was the agreement of product and the days of service. Again, there was no mention of a cancellation penalty and I saw no such agreement.Paying the ridiculous amount of $8,318.72 for an early cancellation fee will put me out of business! I cannot say it any plainer, I was never told or even pointed out that there would be such a fee.I have attached emails between me and Unifirst regarding the invoice. All calls regarding the towel service were being recorded and documented according to the reps I spoke to. Please review these. I am asking you kindly to dismiss this ridiculous amount so that we can both move on.

  Customer response

  01/08/2024

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  11/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Been Invoiced incorrectly and have contacted multiple local managers and even corporate offices

  Customer response

  12/01/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  Riverrun Gardens

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Unifirst has a service guarantee in their contract, and they have not done their job. We gave them several opportunities to correct the issues with service as well as billing and it has only gotten worse. Our driver, the manager ************************* and his manager ***************************** has been nothing but unhelpful. I have emails about our complaints, ****** has used foul language when here at our office, there has been countless billing issues, the drivers we have had did not service all areas they were supposed to and supposedly trained to. The current driver said ****** never showed him the other bathroom to service and he chose to never even ask us until I asked him why it hasn't been serviced. There have been numerous issues, and it is always something every single week. We are up to date with all payments and notified them weeks ago that we are done. A contract goes both ways and Unifirst did not keep their end of the contract even when given chances to do so. I contacted Unifirst customer service last week and was supposed to have my complaint escalated to a ***** (Regional Manager). Never heard from him. The customer service rep ******* even said that this isn't the first time and that they get calls all the time about the same issues which is truly sad. Her words were "This is not anything new". So, we are done. Dealing with Unifirst has been a constant hassle and extremely stressful. We are tired of being harassed by ****** in person about how we owe money for ending the contract and by email from *******. You'd think they show any kind of emotion about the issues they have caused but they don't. They just want that paycheck and commission. *********************, **** is done with Unifirst and wants the contract voided due to the "Service Guarantee". I have emails I can gather up as well that shows I have been bringing up issues since April!

  Customer response

  10/23/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  12/05/2023

  Regarding the recent ********************* concerns: many of the details noted by this customer are simply not accurate. ********************** takes pride in consistently conducting business in an honest and ethical manner and we take customer satisfaction very seriously,which is how we have become a leader in our industry. As so often happens in business, there are two sides to every story. In this case, UniFirst took several good faith measures to try and address/resolve the customers concerns but through our best efforts, we were never able to come to a mutually agreed upon resolution as the customer did not feel they needed to abide by the terms they agreed to.  Per our Agreement, there are specific steps to be taken by the customer if and when they wish to terminate service based on performance issues and these steps were not followed as agreed to by the customer per our contract.   In addition, if a customer cancels service before the end of their contract term and does not follow the agreed upon problem resolution and/or service cancellation steps, the customer is obligated to cover specified costs.

  Customer response

  12/05/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

   I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the level of service provided by your company, particularly in regard to the failure to uphold the customer service guarantee outlined in our contract. Despite numerous attempts to address the issue, the lack of response and action on the part of your management and customer service team has been utterly unacceptable. As per our records, multiple emails and phone calls have been made to both managers and the customer service department in an effort to rectify the situation. Regrettably, no meaningful resolution has been achieved, and we continue to be dissatisfied with the service we have received. In our last conversation with ******* just before Thanksgiving, he informed us that our account was closed and apologized for the erroneous invoice sent by Unifirst. Furthermore, ******* assured us that either himself or ****** would be collecting the items the Monday following Thanksgiving. However, to date, no one from your company has contacted us or arrived to pick up the items. It is evident that despite considering yourselves a leader in the industry, mistakes have been made time and time again, and the failure to follow through on your commitments has resulted in a significant inconvenience for our organization.  Not to mention it took someone from your organization months to even respond to our better business ***** complaint. Additionally, we have been made aware by your own customer service team that similar issues are experienced by other clients on a regular basis. I trust that you will take this matter seriously and address it with the urgency it demands. Again though, per *******, our account has been closed. We will not be paying another *****.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business response

  12/06/2023

  In response to ******************** most recent comments on this BBB matter, we do take these matters very seriously but have vastly different opinions as to the facts and many of the accusations levied by ******************* 
  
  Again, per our Agreement, there are specific steps to be taken by the customer if and when they wish to terminate service based on performance issues and these steps were not followed as agreed to by the customer.  If a customer cancels service before the end of their contract term and does not follow the agreed upon problem resolution and/or service cancellation steps, the customer is obligated to cover specified costs as outlined in the Buyout documentation delivered to ****************** by our local ************* Manager on 10/06/23.
  
  ****************** is correct that we closed the account (on 11/20/23), but this action was prompted by a series of events created by the customer which we are not at liberty to disclose at this time and does not release the account from any contractual obligations in the Agreement.

  Customer response

  12/07/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  It's interesting that you won't disclose information that pertains to the account for ********************* to us here at *********************. It's even more interesting that ****** and ******* did not even come pick up the items until yesterday at 11:38am, a day after we responded to your last message on here. Really shows UniFirst's professionalism and service and proves our point.

  Unifirst will not see another ***** from *********************, Unifirst did not follow through with their service guarantee and the paper trail I have will prove that. I have a paper trail and record of every phone conversation with customer service reps as well. Have a wonderful day.

  Thank you so much for proving our point. We greatly appreciate it.

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  09/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  UniFirst is a uniform providing service that bills weekly as they deliver. On a 9-6-23 delivery the bill was $102.64, which had made two price increase lately. I contacted the company and asked why and what could be done. A rep came and said because our business was an NFIB member they could price much better. He stated my future ******** would be about $50, maybe less. Next two weeks came in at $79.81 each. This week is $67.15. Still a ways from the $50 or less I was quoted. I have texted *****, the man that came to see me, twice now with no response. They are dragging there feet and I am sure will not issue a credit to us, like there needs to be.Thank you,************************* for ******* Farms-Dairy LLC WOW! As I am typing they got back to me and resolved the matter, hopefully. When I receive the monthly statement I will know for sure. Thank you for applying unknown pressure to them.

  

  Business response

  11/27/2023

  UniFirst takes pride in consistently conducting business in an honest and ethical manner and we take customer satisfaction very seriously, which is how we have become a leader in our industry. Regarding the ******* Farms account: once ********************** became aware of the billing inaccuracies, we acted in good faith to credit the proper amount to the customers account and negotiated an agreement renewal under NFIB member pricing.  We believe all issues have been resolved in a mutually agreeable manner for all involved and hope to make ****************** a fully satisfied UniFirst customer once again.

• Initial Complaint

  09/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have been unit first customer for approximately 6 years now they provide the work clothing to our service technician, there are never a consistent service with them, lots of times we are missing some clothing here and there, but starting this year 2023 the service really tanked, no consistency deliverys constant change of managers and delivery guys people that has no idea what is going on and some of them bashing the business, starting 9 weeks ago we changed the service with them and had our employee wash the clothing at home to address the missing clothing situation at the time we already had advised our service manager *** about the missing pants for one of our employee that was misplaced by Unit-first and never delivered, it has been 9 weeks that we have sent *** the service manager who came to out shop and had communication with us by email about the missing clothing. Every delivery person show up with no clothing and *** ignored our email , finally last week we informed *** that we would proceed with the cancellations of the service contract due to a excellent service guaranty in the agreement that allows us to cancel the contract if they fail to address the situation with 60 days and then coincidentally *** got back to us right way informing that the clothing was back ordered. But I was about to purchase my self direct from the clothing manufacturer web site and had delivered in my shop with 3 days after the order day.Today 08/7/23 I talked with another manager that insured me that unit first would not cancel my contract , and that he would fix the problem by giving me credit for the missing clothing while I'm paying in full for the service all this time and as a bonus he would give me 2 week free service, I have that on a recorder phone call as proof. This is my last attempt before I seek legal help.Thanks for the help in the advance; also now that I'm reaching Unit-First, I have encountered lots of online complaints about the poor quality service.

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Over-billing for products not delivered. We are an independent automotive garage. Unifirst Uniforms has been providing our uniform and shop towel service, including hand towels, floor mats, fender aprons, etc. A review of billing uncovered that for perhaps as long as 4 years we have been billed for products not delivered. Specifically, there are 7 shirts billed to myself (I am a co-owner of the business) that are neither on premises nor have ever been worn by me. I don't wear a uniform, but had ordered the shirts in case I decided I would want them. Additionally, one of our mechanics is being billed for 11 shirts but we have only 3 in inventory. In March 2023, a mechanic left our employment. We informed Unifirst of same and requested his uniforms be picked up and processed, and our account to be duly credited moving forward. In our April 10, 2023 invoice we were charged $149 for lost uniforms, assessed to said mechanic. We did not lose them, we returned them; Unifirst apparently lost them and then billed us. On 5/12/23 I sent payment in full of $641.41 for the April statement, noting the overcharge, but assuming it would addressed in the following statement. Unifirst cashed the check on 5/21/23. I have been repeatedly dunned for non-payment, despite sending the company copies of my canceled check, cashed by them. The overcharge and charges for undelivered product continue to be assessed. There has been no attempt on Unifirst's part to clear up this issue or even attempt to discuss or explain what might have occurred or why this issue exists at all. Communication has been zero. Given their apparent disinterest in helping to resolve this issue, I don't know what else to do but to file a complaint.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩