TMC's take.
October 22, 2010: Agreement is made with TMC representative to restore a dining room table, 2 leaves and 4 chairs. Country Pine is selected as stain colour.
December 23 2010: Client views work, feels it is too light. Client asks to take furniture home to live with before concluding agreement.
January, 2011: Client decides stain is too light. TMC agrees to re-do using a darker stain.
January 14, 2011: TMC completes work a second time.
January 25, 2011: Client deems the stain of the second attempt too light as well.
January 27, 2011: TMC & client agree before doing the set a third time, a sample, that requires client approval, will be created first. Dark Walnut the selected stain colour.
February & March, 2011: Sample is completed. Client takes sample leaf home to mull over it. Mulling takes weeks, before approval is given.
March, 2011: Third attempt is completed by TMC.
April 10, 2011: Client views third attempt. It is approved. Client signs a 'satisfactory completion and authorization of release form.'
April 30, 2011: Delivered.
July 2011: Client contacts TMC, indicates table is scratched by playing cards. Although TMC can not be held responsible for misuse, TMC agrees to service scratches.
July to August 2011: Difficulty arranging pick-up of furniture due to long distance and unavailability of client.
September 2011: Table refinished fourth time.
November 2011: Re-delivered.
January 2012: Homestars posting. (Client has not contacted TMC since receiving delivery in November.)
TMC acknowledges a sample was to be provided prior to refinishing the entire set. TMC believes this point is moot for two reasons. One, a stain was selected by the client and that stain was used as instructed. Two, TMC was willing to refinish the set multiple times in attempt to satisfy the client. TMC feels this is representative of strong customer service, and have observed, through experience, that finding a contractor that would service a client 4 times is exceedingly rare.
TMC is of the very strong opinion they made numerous sincere attempts to satisfy the client. Although, TMC is disappointed to learn of their thoughts, they feel the zero-score given misrepresents the actual effort TMC made.
TMC performs restoration on approximately 700 table tops per year and has never received a similar complaint about playing cards scratching a table top. In fact, complaints about scratched tops are extremely rare.
The claim TMC arrives late to avoid the light is completely false. The client lives near Simcoe, a 2-hour drive from TMC's office. Unfortunately, the distance from TMC’s office lead to the late delivery times.
Finally, comparing a new cherry set with the restoration process we use is an unfair and unequal comparison.
Reply created 17 Jan 2012
