Chroming of a motorcycle header pipe with slight pitting

I live in the algarve and took my motorcycle exhaust in for chroming. When I got it back and started the engine with the said part on, I heard a pinging noise and found chrome had literally jumped off. I took it back and they said they would re chrome it. When I started my bike again the same thing happened. I have taken it back again and he said this will keep happening because the metal is too thin where the chrome came off and will not re chrome it . Can someone out there please let me know if this is true or if they just do shoddy chroming.

Done properly the adhesion to the steel exhaust pipe should be such that it can not be peeled off under any circumstance. This has nothing to do with thickness of the pipe or the plating. The answer is: shoddy work. Find another shop.