WHY do they wait ???

[tramp bushler]

... Why do they wait till they are putting the last stick of wood in the stove to call for more firewood .? especially when it,s 30 below in an area where it gets 60 below ...without the wind !!!

 

[Mike Van]

Because deep down inside, they're hoping Al Gore was right - Everything will warm up, and they'll never have to buy another stick of wood!

 

[builder1101]

i'm guessing yoru the guy they called for the firewood?

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Yup, always happens

A lot has to do with the economy being poor and the holiday bills coming in this time of year. A lot of people don't have the sense to budget and just get caught short, both in $ and wood.

Many people also don't have a clue as to what a cord of wood looks like. That big 4 cord pile that was going to get them through the winter just turned out to be 1-1/2.

The thing that stinks right now, is holding on to every customer is important, especially the regulars, with all the hacks out on Craigslist, more than willing to provide junk for cheap and quickly. It may vary by area but around here that's how the wood business is right now.

If a regular calls with a outage I'll scrape something up for them, that's a big part of the business and why they stay regular customers. One timer emergencies, I send elsewhere to one of the other reputable guys I know that will treat them right.

Take Care

 

[Curlycherry1]

When I sold wood I used to have a stack of business cards with me and a staple gun. I would ask then where they were going to pile the wood in their garage and I would ask to put a business card about 18" up from the bottom of the pile. I told them when they see one of my cards become visible, to call me so they would not run out. Worked like a charm and my repeat business was 90% of my sales.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

That's a great idea if you are stacking for them.

Ian

 

[tramp bushler]

I got some business cards , almost all gone now . and some business card fridgerator magnets ......... ... The guy I delivered to last night was out . The first round off the truck , he wheeled to the side split it up and headed in the house ... Came back out with a big smile on his face . . His financial system isn,t so reliable tho . He had to win at pull tabs to buy wood .. Nice guy tho .... After seeing the wood , beattle killed white spruce .. he gave me another name and # , called them and thats where todays load goes .. I hope this keeps up .......... I just need a skidder so I can have my wood decked so I don,t have to fall ,limb buck load on the sled , bring to the truck,load the truck .... I,m handling the wood too many times ....and not getting any out ahead ....

 

[23putts]

I have been in the Screen Printing/Embroidery business for 15 years. I tell all my customers there is a two week turn around. When they order they always needed it yesterday.

Welcome to the easy life of having your own business!

 

[demographic]

As there's lots of people who are struggling financially they tend to have to wait for cheques clearing before they can spend money.

I don't know about anyone else but its been quite a hard year financially for me anyway and there's been times when I've had to take the short term cheaper option on things just because I can't afford the more sensible longer term good ideas.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

It all started in larger cities with the Supermarket. Everything they could want for groceries was all in one place waiting for them on the shelf. Now it is the Super Wal-Marts in nearly every small city across the US. Everything they want for the house inside and out can be found under one roof waiting for them including groceries. People no longer have to stock up on anything. People will go there 6-8-10 times a week to pick up something they are out of that day.

It is the difference between a consumer mentality and a producer mentality in America.

(Paraphrased from an Amway presentation) Fortunes have been made relying in the fact that people will buy neccessities today use it the same day and go back again tomorrow for more.

It is to convienent for most people to go to the store to get it and let the store keep it in stock rather than to have extras of anything around the house.

Some of us have grown up hearing "Waste not , Want not !"
Others grew up hearing "Spend it while you have it !"

They do it because they haven't been affected badly enough by their buying habits.

 

[curmudgeon]

why do they wait...short answer,cause they can.some people have trouble looking a day into the future let alone a whole week.good news is they called you.

 

[Dalmatian90]

t is to convenient for most people to go to the store to get it and let the store keep it in stock rather than to have extras of anything around the house.

I've figured out there's very little you need to pay full price for if you plan a bit.

I have about two dozen cans of Tuna in the cupboards right now. But I noticed the brand and style I like is on sale for $1/can v. $1.67 for what I usually buy...so I'll grab another dozen tomorrow when I'm out on other errands (the shelf was empty and I didn't want to wait to re-stock or get a raincheck today).

I almost never buy yogurt now, unless one of the brands I like is on sale. It was Buy 1, Get 2 free today for one I like today, I'll be eating a lot for the next several weeks But it's not a necessity...it's a nice treat when on sale.

Most times I don't leave the Supermarket with less then a 40% savings off the regular prices -- and I have two things working against me. I don't have a big freezer to store stuff in, and I'm only myself here so I can take full advantage of some of the sales -- too much for one person. Bag of apples were buy 1, get 1 today but I didn't think I could eat two bags soon enough.

I try to stop once a week at the supermarket to pick up fresh(?) produce and just see what's on sale.

Of course, right now at my house...as long as I pay the light bill and the internet bill I could be fed, warmed, and entertained without leaving my house for two months if I had to. Maybe three.

 

[abckidsdad]

It all started in larger cities with the Supermarket. Everything they could want for groceries was all in one place waiting for them on the shelf. Now it is the Super Wal-Marts in nearly every small city across the US. Everything they want for the house inside and out can be found under one roof waiting for them including groceries. People no longer have to stock up on anything. People will go there 6-8-10 times a week to pick up something they are out of that day.

It is the difference between a consumer mentality and a producer mentality in America.

(Paraphrased from an Amway presentation) Fortunes have been made relying in the fact that people will buy neccessities today use it the same day and go back again tomorrow for more.

It is to convienent for most people to go to the store to get it and let the store keep it in stock rather than to have extras of anything around the house.

Some of us have grown up hearing "Waste not , Want not !"
Others grew up hearing "Spend it while you have it !"

They do it because they haven't been affected badly enough by their buying habits.

I think you hit the nail on the head there.

 

[isaaccarlson]

same exact reason my MIL waits for the hot water to go cold and the furnace to quit

before calling the gas company in the middle of a snow storm.

 

[indiansprings]

I had the same thing today, two customers that were going to be out by tonight which is forecast at -2 with wind chills up to -20. Snow and ice 6-8 inches deep, delivery was a #####, I mentioned in the future they need to give me at least 3-4 days notice and if they were short I could carry them for a week or two, they are good customers and have been for have been for a couple of years. I think it just boiled down to the money, have six rick to deliver Tues and its forecast to snow Wed and Thurs and stay cold, it's the busy time of the year or miserable time of the year depends how you look at it.

 

[loadthestove]

if they were short I could carry them for a week or two, they are good customers and have been for have been for a couple of years..

Hate to say it but this is the best way to lose a good customer,I have tried this in my business and it can come back to bite you.

You will lose in two ways.
you will lose the money of the present sale,because whether unintentional or not they may never get ahead enough to pay you.
Playing catch up is hard to do

once they have burnt your wood you basically have no recourse
and because they owe you and probably honestly cannot pay for ..two loads.. you will lose any future sales.
try selling them half a load or something to that nature...

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

Here's a method I have tried with mixed results.
October 260 a cord
November 270
December 280
January 300
Feb 320
March 320

April 220
July 240

 

[olyman]

Because deep down inside, they're hoping Al Gore was right - Everything will warm up, and they'll never have to buy another stick of wood!

 

[porta mill]

I had one of those calls this weekend. A guy called me Saturday night asking me to deliver him a load of wood Sunday morning .it was about 13 degrees and the wing was blowing like hell, when I got to his house it looked like he had only a wheel barrow load of wood left. He told me the last delivery he got from someone else was green had to mix it with would he already had to get it to burn.cot an call the next day he asked me if I could deliver him another load.

 

[olyman]

It all started in larger cities with the Supermarket. Everything they could want for groceries was all in one place waiting for them on the shelf. Now it is the Super Wal-Marts in nearly every small city across the US. Everything they want for the house inside and out can be found under one roof waiting for them including groceries. People no longer have to stock up on anything. People will go there 6-8-10 times a week to pick up something they are out of that day.

It is the difference between a consumer mentality and a producer mentality in America.

(Paraphrased from an Amway presentation) Fortunes have been made relying in the fact that people will buy neccessities today use it the same day and go back again tomorrow for more.

It is to convienent for most people to go to the store to get it and let the store keep it in stock rather than to have extras of anything around the house.

Some of us have grown up hearing "Waste not , Want not !"
Others grew up hearing "Spend it while you have it !"

They do it because they haven't been affected badly enough by their buying habits.

exceedingly true!!!