The Chair Has the Floor

It just occurred to me to ask here. Why I hadn't done so earlier, I don't know.

I recently had some furniture shipped to me from Chicago, and five pieces got damaged (one badly). It may not shock you to learn that this is the piece that was most-damaged...
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Fortunately, the other pieces aren't damaged nearly as badly.  But they're all damaged.  (You may have noticed that I've used the word "damaged" a lot.  There's a reason for that -- I'm not happy that so much furniture got damaged.)

The moving company has suggested one repair company, and he came over today to check things out.  He's been in business for 30 years, and lists a few good clients on his site.  Though it's just a list of names.  I can find no customer comments for him.  Zero.  Not on his website, not on Yelp, not anywhere.  I asked him for any "thank you" letters  he might have in his files, recognizing that those would only be praise, but at least they would have details about his work process.  He later told my contact at the moving company that he didn't want to give out any of his clients' private information.  Say what?  I didn't ask for private information, I wanted a paragraph from just one client who said they loved his work.  After 30 years, surely he had dozens of them.

I also think that for any service you use, it's good and proper to have a second opinion and estimate.  Also, as good as I suspect this repairman might be, he's recommended by the company that damaged my furniture.  So, I'm less inclined to take "Believe me, he's really good" as the definitive word.  (You said you were really good, too...)  Besides, with someone they use, it's in his best interest to provide a good price for them.  I'm more interested in someone whose best-interest is in the client and getting the furniture repaired properly.

To be clear, I suspect the guy is good.  I've seen some before-and-after photos on his website.  And if you're not good, you're not likely to stay in business for 30 years.  And even if he gives a good price to the moving company, if they had received a lot of complaints I wouldn't think (or hope...) that they'd keep using him.  And I had a thoughtful conversation with him.  So -- I do have the sense that he's good.  But I don't know.  And even if he is, I should still have a second opinion, as much as the claims office wants to go with him. 

(They're willing to do that, but the process is more convoluted, and there's no guarantee they'll approve the estimate I'd send them.)

Anyway, I've done some research and come up with a couple of furniture repair places that seem extremely good, one from Angie's List and one from Yelp.  I've asked a lot of friends, but unfortunately I have the bad luck of having a close-nit circle who are careful with their furniture.  So, I figured I'd check here, as well.  If anyone has first-hand experience with a furniture repair person in Los Angeles who they can recommend, I'm open to referrals. Ideally it would be someone on the Westside, though that's not essential.  

My furniture and I thank you.