NIGHTMARE-Alain Bourgouin- Poster Science -London

[Mirosae]

What would you do?

I took two posters to Alain Bourgouin at Poster Science back in early March. I was told that the posters will be ready by the end of March. I am still waiting. And yesterday he hung up on me when I told him that it was the THIRD time he said ''will be ready by'' but another month goes by without any news from him and without my posters.

Alain never calls or respond to texts by the due date to tell if they are ready or not. And I am left waiting for another month.

What really angers me is that in early May I told him that I was going to pick them up and take them to another restorer if they could not be ready by the end of May. And told him not to touch them as I was going to pick them up. He said that the posters WILL BE READY.

I called yesterday. He was rude, short and told me (quote) I don't care when I said that I really needed my posters by the end of May and just  hung up on me.


And last night I received one email from him: Posters are not dry and need to be dry before I start restoration.

No apology, nothing. And clearly he has JUST started the work when he told me that they will be ready by now.


So. Question. WHAT WOULD YOU DO??

PS- I should add that clearly he has some issues and is running behind schedule with his clients. But I find it unnaceptable that he seems to be unable to inform his clients if there are any delays.  And his frustration is clearly showing.  It is just not good enough.

I will NOT recommend Alain. If you want an UK based restorer, find someone else.

[50s]

Sorry to hear this Rosa. Bag the guy out for sure, being honest about your experience. Poor service needs to be told/shared with others.

I see LAMP lists the "cream of the crop" 4 restorers. Of those, I would not use Debi Jacobsen. Also listed is PosterScience. I will now add PosterScience to my crap list too. I really think LAMP has problems sometimes

Quadbod said he would like feedback on Alain over at MPF, so would be good if he knows of your experience. I cant provide the link as I am banned, but hopefully this cached link will work

[paul waines]

Steve that link on MPF is from 2006...  Quadbod knows how things are now.


To be fair Alain "was/is" good at what he does, but in recent times, he maybe worth giving a miss..


I'm sorry to hear of your problems Rosa. If it was me, I would wait it through, as time is not so important. Quality of work must always be the priority.
Grin and bare it for now until you get the posters back, and don't forget. Once Bitten...   You do right to warn others, Thanks for the tip off. 

[Mirosae]

Thank you all for your kind words. I will do the feeeback in MPF Steve, good idea.   

And I agree with Paul, Alain is good at what he does, but that is not the point as I know Paul knows, it is how he treats his clients and how he goes about his business.

I had to write this as I recomended Alain in the past. I will have to wait.. and wait.. and wait  till i get them back.. eventually...

 

 

[paul waines]

Next to Quality of Work, customer relations should be paramount.  Your being paid to provide a service, and if either is poor, soon you will have no business..

[50s]

Customer relations to me is just as important as quality of work, if I need the poster ready by a certain day eg exhibition, it is all but wasted effort if it is not ready when said. If known it would be late it could have been taken elsewhere. Poor customer service will see him lose customers as much as sub standard work IMO.

The time and hassle involved in being bummed around can add up, possibly more than the poster is worth

[Charlie]

He was probably just finishing off everything for the Christies auction and set your stuff off to the side.  I can imagine this happening.  Most likely since you are a new client he has no respect for you and probably feels comfortable if you don't come back.  Plus you all ready paid him..

Sorry this happened to you...

[Ari]

There's lots of people I jus don't deal with anymore, not restorers as I rarely use them, well I can count the number of times on two fingers.
But some dealers never get my business anymore.
Not I might add for being ripped off, just simply the attitude.
I expect to be treated as an equal, and sadly some people seem so far shoved up their arse they can't see me as one, maybe because I don't spend thousands of dollars.
One dealer, I have up on years ago, he has never done me wrong as such, just the way he "speaks" (writes) to me. Is condescending and like he just doesn't have time or it's an effort to take time, and I don't ask silly questions. Anyway recently I decided to have another go, but straight back to the same shit. And I won't be back again.

Customer service isn't for everyone, I worked in retail for ten years, and saw many colleagues who were hopeless. Conversely, despite being out of the industry for three years, I still have old clients email or call me and ask for advice. It's not rocket science, but you just need to treat customers as equals and with the respect they deserve.

Anyway, as said above, wait this out, collect and don't go back. Plenty more fish in the sea.

[Mirosae]

Thank you all...!  I feel better now, writing this felt soooo goood

That said, I confess that I'm finding the waiting rather difficult now..i just want them done and over with.. i want to move on...

if he doesn't call by the end of June.. aghhhhh .. aghhhh
    It is like having a recurrant nightmare.. !

[paul waines]

And I've just watched the Man who haunted himself....

[Mirosae]

Thanks Jeff - and again, thanks to everyone else for their views

Yes, you are right. I have two choices, and thought about them. I have made my mind up now.  Alain can keep them till the end of June. If by then, the posters are not ready I will go to see him and collect them. Will not care or listen to any of his stories. I will take them back home. But I figured that since he has started (or he said he had) I would be better off now watiting for them for few weeks.. down side, i will have to  go through this.... one more time..

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. It was very helpful...!!

[guest4251]

Hi Rosa,

Sorry to hear about your experience.

Kindly, If you don't mind. What are the titles of the two posters. Are these in horrible condition? That might take more than usual time?

Do you have before pictures that you can share with us.

Hope thing will work out.

Best,
dario.

[guest4251]

Doesn't seem to crazy from the look them??

Maybe the guys is super busy??

Best,
dario.

[Bruce]

Dario

I once had a restorer (now deceased) who took forever on a poster. Every call I would get an update on the progress (mounting, patching, touching up, etc).

Finally after 6 months or so I said, I don't care what the story is, send it back to me NOW or I am calling the police where you live (it was very valuable) and it showed up the next day and it was exactly as I had sent it!

[Mirosae]

That sounds painfully familiar Bruce.

And Dario is right. I know Alain is busy, and I understood that in March, in April and in May. What I don't understand is why, when I told him that I really needed the poster this week as he promised -all that I've got from him was (quote) ''I don't care''. And just hung up on me. He did not want to give me my posters back early May, when he had not even started working on them.

Looking forward to my next call with Alain.

[CSM]

Can't see this ever happening with Mr. Dario 

I do believe he would at least be honest in stating just why he is delayed or can't take on a project up front (how hard is that really?)

Because he's Canadian - and we're like that and that's the way it is

[CJ138]

He sounds like a DICK.  If I couldn't make the trip to retrieve my posters personally, I would advise him I was alerting the authorities and give him a deadline to have my posters back in my hands.  It seems as though you have been more than patient. 
Conor

[Neo]

If it was me, I would wait it through, as time is not so important.

I completely disagree.  Time is invaluable.  Once it passes, it never returns. 

Personally, I've only dealt with Poster Conservation and one of the main reasons is because the total time, from when I send posters to them when I receive them after restoration, is about 2 weeks.  They also have great prices, are always very nice to deal with, and they do great work.

That is really bad, Rosa.  From the lies about the promised dates, and on top of that being rude about it, that says a lot about him.  I'd say this line sums it up pretty well:  "And it was understood that if a man's word was no good, his "bond" therefore being no good, then he was no good either and he was not to be dealt with nor trusted."  http://www.downyonderantiques.com/Reflections/Reflections003.htm

[Mirosae]

Be true to your word.... indeed!!

[Matt]

I feel your pain Rosa.
I'm sorry but Dario is your answer.

[paul waines]

I completely disagree.  Time is invaluable.  Once it passes, it never returns. 

http://www.downyonderantiques.com/Reflections/Reflections003.htm

Once again Neo miss-conscrews what is typed.  I'm only referring to "time" with regards to the posters, not immemorial...    I would rather wait longer if the job was going to be first rate, rather than rush someone who may not do as good-a-job.  I'm sure others knew what was meant, I know Rosa did. And yes we know all the why's and wherefores of the situation.

[Neo]

Once again Neo miss-conscrews what is typed.  I'm only referring to "time" with regards to the posters, not immemorial...   I would rather wait longer if the job was going to be first rate, rather than rush someone who may not do as good-a-job.  I'm sure others knew what was meant, I know Rosa did. And yes we know all the why's and wherefores of the situation.

I didn't "miss-conscrew" or misconstrue anything.  I just disagree with you, which is obviously something you can't understand.   Whether it's about restoration time, especially in this case, or life in general, the same principle applies,  IMO.

[paul waines]

Everyone who posted on this thread did so without quoting anyone else's post or disagreeing with anyone else ... except you.
Strange that..

[Neo]

Everyone who posted on this thread did so without quoting anyone else's post or disagreeing with anyone else ... except you.
Strange that..

Yeah, I disagreed with you, and I quoted you, AGAIN! 

Bless your little heart, PW..

[paul waines]

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