High-adhesion primer, in other words.

A light scuffing with sandpaper can't hurt, first, if they'll really tack it off well. The big question is whether ehre will be chairs, etc., scraping against it, in which case a chair rail may save you a lot of repeated touching up later. Even a good high-adhesion primer won't protect from having the paint peel off if there is a lot of wear on the finish.

An oil-base primer and paint will give you a harder surface but it takes a long time to cure and if the basement has damp air it will be a LONG time. But it is usually the best way to go when dealing with adhesion concerns.

You can paper over it as well, and there is a padded wallpaper liner that can help hide the grooves if you like. But the painted look with the grooves left in is nice, kind of cottagge-like.

Now here's a thought-- you could do a small sample area yourself before paying anyone else to get involved, to decide just what are the best products and application approaches in your particular situation. THEN call in the troops and tell them how you want it done.

~S~