By Jessica Christensen
A week after the fire, Clark''s Tuxedo Shop in Provo is doing the best it can to provide good customer service.
The fire department got a 911 call about 4:30 a.m., August 2, from a passer-by telling them about the flames in the tuxedo shop at 261 N. University Ave.
'The cause is still undetermined, but it is believed that the fire started in one of our delivery vans parked behind the store and it spread to the store from there,' said Nancy Heslington, store manager.
She said more than 300 tuxedos were damaged by water, smoke or fire. Although there are several locations in Salt Lake, the Provo tuxedo shop is the main store and houses all the tuxedos. Storeowner Keller Clark estimated the damages to be $350,000 to $400,000 and said the store will collect almost enough from insurance to get everything cleaned and looking new.
In the meantime, good customer service is a priority. Last week, the only thing Clark could do was refer his customers to other stores.
'Doug at DC Tuxedos has been very helpful,' Clark said. 'I appreciate his efforts in resolving problems.' The owners of Gingiss Formal Wear also heard about the fire and offered to help Clark''s any way they could.
'Gingiss worked out something with our owner so if were paid off here, they wouldn''t have to pay anymore down there,' said Krysta Nope, an employee at Clark''s Tuxedo in Taylorsville. 'We were really relieved.'
Now that the tuxedos are in the process of being cleaned, Clark said he is giving the customers three options.
First, they will offer to rent the customer any other suit in the warehouse they are temporarily operating out of. 'Given that they rented a $29 polyester, we''ll put them in our nicest Ralph Lauren at $79,' Clark said.
Second, Clark''s will refer them to another tuxedo shop that might have something close to what they were looking for.
'We try to fit everyone as closely as possible,' said Michelle Siple, a Gingiss employee. 'So far everything has been going well.'
Finally, if the customer doesn''t like the first two options, Clark''s will completely refund their money. Clark said his biggest concern isn''t the money; it''s his commitment to his customers.
'We made a commitment to the customer and I feel strongly that we have to keep the commitment,' Clark said. 'If a guy needs a tuxedo for Friday and it''s a style that got burnt in the fire or smoke damaged, we have to provide it for him so he doesn''t have to go running around thinking ''What am I going to do now?'''
Clark''s family and friends and some local church groups have put in a lot of volunteer hours to help get things cleaned up.
'We''ve been working night and day to keep the commitments that we''ve made and I think people understand that and have cut us a little slack and I appreciate that,' Clark said.
Clark said they are taking orders this week and he hopes to have everything recovered and up to speed by the end of this month.