Customer Unhappy With Wood Bought From Me. What To Do?

[brenndatomu]

Send the girl in your avatar pic over to him for about 8 minutes, that will get the moisture outopcorn:

Wouldn't that actually cause MORE moisture?! :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[flyboy553]

My wood usually is stacked in 24 foot rows 4 ft high, making one row = 1 cord. I do not cover the tops until winter hits, and that is only to keep the snow off the wood. Actually, to keep the melting snow off.

This year I tried making the stackpiles like explained earlier, thinking I would use those when I deliver wood, and save the stacked stuff for when customers come to pick up their wood. Unfortunately, I sold all 48 of those stacked cords. I thought I had a good plan putting them on top of pallets, but I guess that didn't work. Not going to use that style anymore.

I guess the hassle of stacking is worth it's time, dang it.

Ted

 

[haveawoody]

flyboy553,

Yeah no way around it the single stack makes for the driest wood.
Red oak is such a Bas _ _ _d to cure at the best of times and i bet the two row and toss would have been fine on most everything else.

I stack on 3 pallets joined sets myslef in 1/2 cord lots so i can fork to a flattie and right to a customers house fork and all.
I stack 3 rows on them but the center row is never quite as cured as the outside rows so I'm always waiting an extra couple moths to be 100% sure it's all about the same.


Happens to all of us though even though we do the best to make sure it's what we would want to buy.
Sometimes sh_ _ just happens.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Something is odd. Dude is probably bieng straight up, but something else has to be off.

Yeah, it sounds like everyone is playing it straight.

But it got me wondering for the guys who split commercially...I've read here of welding your initials or something similar into the pusher plate on the splitter -- so you can identify it if someone steals it.

Sort of wondering if it's a good idea for the rare case that someone tries to pull a fast one like claiming someone else's green wood is yours.

That is all.

 

[MotorSeven]

Fly, up on pallets is a good thing, any air moving under the stack can do nothing but help. I think the issue was a combo of throwing it in a pile and covering it. Do you have room to criss-cross stack your wood like this?

If so it gets the most air flow of any other way of stacking, but it does take up more room.

 

[CTYank]

I think it's a combo of #4 and the tarp....it just could not get enough air to it. Your right, properly stacked the stuff he has will dry out just fine. If he is buying more, then giving him a half a load "no charge" would be a really good gesture.
Keep in mind if he is running a newer EPA stove they recommend wood that is 2 YEARS dry(I think that is a worse case scenario on drying conditions). Even your 23% is going to be a bit high for a new stove.....18-20% if I remember right is max. So you might want to give him some wood to try before you end up having a bigger mess on your hands.

Species matters. I've found that oak takes about twice as long to air-dry as other hardwoods. This is well-known in the lumber industry too. Proper air-drying assumes good exposure to ambient air-flow, of course.

Double-whammy there. That's how we learn.

 

[blacklocst]

Just a thought, why don't you try to burn some of the larger pieces with the highest moisture content and see if it sizzles and for how long. Just be straight up with him and tell him what you thought happened. Also don't be too generous with the extra wood, to me, it would seem like you got caught selling unseasoned wood.

 

[bubba3228]

Just a thought, why don't you try to burn some of the larger pieces with the highest moisture content and see if it sizzles and for how long. Just be straight up with him and tell him what you thought happened. Also don't be too generous with the extra wood, to me, it would seem like you got caught selling unseasoned wood.

+ 1
Seems to me you have many loyal customers that have valued your efforts and product for seasons past.
This customer needs to understand that in the business of seasoned wood there are variables that come into play. He needs to cut you some slack, it is obvious you had no intention of selling him an unseasoned product.


Also try not to be so hard on yourself.

Bub

 

[flyboy553]

I have been selling firewood for some 30 yrs, so it isn't really a learning curve thing, other than stacked wood drying way faster than piled wood and being able to see that first hand. This is the first customer I have ever had that has complained about the wood. At least that I know of. I spose if someone didnt like the wood they bought, they might just get it somewhere else next time without saying anything to me.

I am not really over doing the amount of wood he is getting, just over doing my labor. He is buying 3 cord of unsplit wood, but now 2/3 of a cord will be split for him at no charge.

This is my plan as of this moment. He is coming tomorrow and we will get this all figured out and straightened out.

I will let y'all know the outcome!
Thanks for all of the advice! Comes in handy having others help me think things through some times!!

Ted

 

[kgip2k]

Well as a person who does not sell on any type of regular basis, I sold one load of wood so far. I made sure after the first cold spell I contacted the buyer and checked on how the wood was. He was happy, but I was fully ready to remedy if something was amiss... I guess that is just me and I fully believe that customer service is top priority in my mind.

 

[FLHX Storm]

I have been selling firewood for some 30 yrs, so it isn't really a learning curve thing, other than stacked wood drying way faster than piled wood and being able to see that first hand. This is the first customer I have ever had that has complained about the wood. At least that I know of. I spose if someone didnt like the wood they bought, they might just get it somewhere else next time without saying anything to me.

I am not really over doing the amount of wood he is getting, just over doing my labor. He is buying 3 cord of unsplit wood, but now 2/3 of a cord will be split for him at no charge.

This is my plan as of this moment. He is coming tomorrow and we will get this all figured out and straightened out.

I will let y'all know the outcome!
Thanks for all of the advice! Comes in handy having others help me think things through some times!!

Ted

I hate to say it, but it is possible the customer may be at fault. If he improperly covered the wood as in putting a tarp completely over the pile, there may have been a buildup of condensation that could have at the very least saturated the top splits on the pile setting their drying time back several months. Even a tarp placed only over the top is subject to condensation leaking through the tarp or developing under the tarp itself. When you have temperature changes from freezing at night to above freezing during the day condensation is bound to form.

If I were in the business of selling firewood that was seasoned, and I received a complaint, I would check to see what the customers method of storage was to be sure who was actually at fault. I am just a consumer, never a seller. AND I am a rookie at that!

I did start a new thread kind of on the subject but titled: "Keeping your seasoned firewood dry if you don't have a regular shelter for it. "
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/216789.htm

 

[danthe]

I do not sell any wood but I do supply a few face cord to some friends for camping wood. It is the scrap of the scrap but they are very happy...and get me many cold beer during the summer:msp_tongue:
I would go with what was previiouslly recommended by other members...give him another trailer of wood if you want him as a repeat customer.
Without doughting the quality of your wood, if he was to return and still not be happy...he would be off my list...some customers you would rather not have.

 

[flyboy553]

Problem solved!!

Well that guy came out today around noon, and we were able to put a nice solution to the end of this situation! He was very understanding, apologetic even, and all he wanted was to get the rest of his full cord. I told him what I wanted to do as was mentioned earlier in this thread. We argued a bit and he finally agreed to let me do what I offered:

A different cord of wood(dry of course) to replace the one that was a bit green.
The green wood will now be part of the 3 cords of rounds he ordered, with no charge for the splitting of them.

He had his moisture meter along, and we compared numbers. His MM seemed to be a bit inconsistent with it's readings. One time it would show 21% and then 5 minutes later same piece it would show 18.5, which was the same as my MM showed.

So in the end, all is good, everyone is happy, and I have a new steady customer who is already birddogging for me! ( a term I use for customers who advertise positively for me)

Once again, a huge thank you to all who contributed to this post with your wisdom and sage advice! You certainly helped me out on this one!! You guys are the best!

Ted

 

[stihl023/5]

Congrats on a good outcome.

 

[Iska3]

Good Move... It's worth the little extra splitting. He'll be telling his friends and you'll be cutting twice as much wood next year. It's not all your fault. If you think about it, we had a dry summer as far as rain goes but a lot of dew in the mid mornings. Most wood would never dry as is should have with normal conditions. Glad things worked out for you..

 

[7sleeper]

Learned something new again!

Great that it worked out.

7

 

[north1]

user must be satisfied and he is the best advertisement