Hmmmm, me thinks you own or run a corporate bike shop
Bottom line is he was being sold something he didn't need rather than trying to repair something. They
have to make a living too, right? So yep, it sounds like most bike shops to me, corporate or otherwise? You can't change my mind with a guilt trip, I've experienced it first hand.
I have personally seen some NASTY steel rims made almost perfect by the right person. Granted steel rims aren't the best thing in the world, but a majority of the time
they don't require replacement unless they're rusted through, or the braking surfaces have been splayed outwards from a bad impact. The odds of both rims being that bad are slim,
and there are NOS alloy rims out there if the OP wants to stay with the current rim size.,,,,BD