My rant of the year

[gixxer1237]

My brother has been selling wood and sense I'm laid off I have been helping. We get a call on a half hedge half walnut cord, cut to 16". We got 2 year cut seasoned split hedge and 1 year cut not split walnut. We trim it all down to 16" load a 20% over load and deliver it to the guy. He seems happy at first for the large load. Then he starts complaining as we unload(50 feet from the garage because he doesn't want our "junk" trailer messing up his driveway). The hedge has to many strings on it, and the walnut is to wet. We told him exactly what it was when my brother called him back. We weren't going tp take the order, but they guy said one year seasoned would be fine. So my brother calls around and finds a friend with tons of split 2 year seasoned in a shed walnut that he will trade for our walnut for 25% more wood. OK, fine we tell the guy that thats what split hedge look like. He wants it chainsaw split, everything over 5"(he calls it fireplace sized). Not for that price. So he argees to keep the hedge, we tardeout the walnut, and deliver it again, for no extra charge. He says " I order 3 cords a year and I want the nect one right". This is about the time my brother, the calm buisness man, sent me to the truck. Sitting in the truck I look around and notice that there is no stove here, and he has rolls of packing wrap in the garage. I'm thinking this guy is resaling the wood in those little bundles for campsites. OK I can deal with that even, but we try very hard to meet what are customer wants, with a little extra wood, and quality stuff. We got enough walnut and hedge ends to stock a train from KC to Topeka that no one wants, walnut we are loosing time on, and are hedge has fibers hanging off. What would you do with a customer like that?

 

[Mike Williams]

Think you have to decide if he's worth the trouble. If he is too picky and you are having to spend a lot of extra time and money dealing with him it may be time to tell him to find another supplier.

 

[stackwood]

With trouble customers like that I double my price or walk away.

 

[John R]

With trouble customers like that I double my price or walk away.

+1

 

[1harlowr]

Next time it will be something else. Either charge extra for the headache he is or that's the last wood he gets.
Someone that buys only 3 cords a year isn't worth it

 

[freemind]

Selling firewood isn't a real profitable endeavor anyway. When you have a crappy customer like this, I would find someone else to spend my time on. Preferably a good customer who comprehends the english language.

Just think about the time alone that you have wasted for one sale. How much wood could you have been cutting/splitting while you were screwing around with this guy? My bet is, you have wasted twice the amount of time you needed to, and that means that was one load you could have sold to someone else. In theory, you lost a sale messing with this guy.

 

[gixxer1237]

My brother fixed it. He told hi that whats going to happen is he will be charged 25% more, and we will basicly sell him a cord, cut it from 18" to 16" and the 2" lose will not be made up. So hes going to eat about 8 cubic feet. He said he would think about it.

 

[pacman]

Give him what ever he wants then when he calls you back you can tell him you dont have any more to sell him

 

[rmihalek]

When (if) he calls back, tell him the price is now $350 per cord with a $50/cord delivery fee and an $100/cord complaining fee.

 

[GeeVee]

I'd want to know if he was re-selling it as bundles....

Have an unknown call to see if he's selling.

 

[1grnlwn]

I would figure out where he is selling it and beat his price. Cut out the middle man per say. Maybe you could even market the chunks for half price in a mesh bag.