One saw, one chain solution

[THALL10326]

He's probably just organizing his thoughts. That could take a while...a long, long while.

Hey Bob, you know me, I love fussing with Space. He seems to think that that dayumm chain should cut if he pays to have it sharpened. I think if I pay him to win my case he better dayuum well win it,:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[volks-man]

Hey Bob, you know me, I love fussing with Space. He seems to think that that dayumm chain should cut if he pays to have it sharpened. I think if I pay him to win my case he better dayuum well win it,:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

don't space call it a blade?

 

[THALL10326]

don't space call it a blade?

Well can't fault him if he does, alot of folks call them blades. Heck I hear that all time, can you sharpened my blade. In the fall I know its a chain, in the summer and spring its usually a mower blade..

 

[volks-man]

Well can't fault him if he does, alot of folks call them blades. Heck I hear that all time, can you sharpened my blade. In the fall I know its a chain, in the summer and spring its usually a mower blade..

can you fault them for sharpening the chain on their mowers?
sounds silly like that huh?

wasn't ZORO a blade of some sort?:greenchainsaw:

 

[THALL10326]

can you fault them for sharpening the chain on their mowers?
sounds silly like that huh?

wasn't ZORO a blade of some sort?:greenchainsaw:

Well I try to avoid all sharpenings as much as possible. The most boring job in the world. Saturday is the big day for mower blades. Here they come, can you sharpen my blade now, my grass is knee high. I say well no wonder, look how dull ya blade is,LOL I don't have any mower blades for them to buy so I usually do them if I'm not busy. Chains now, a dull chain is the best selling tool in the world for selling a new chain,hehe

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

I love having to go through 20 questions with customers.
On mower blades vs. chainsaw bar and chains.

A recent experience with a customer.
Them-I need a new 20" blade
Me- For a mower or a chainsaw?
Them-chainsaw
Me- You mean the bar or the chain? which one?
Them- A 20" bar
Me-For what saw?
Them- A Stihl, you sell Stihl right?
Me- Which model?
Them- It's a farm boss or something
Me- I walk them over to the 290's, does it look like this one?
Them- Yep that's it
Me-Ok yep I've got it.

This is a verbatim conversation with a customer last week.

Since most 029's in the area were sold with .325 chain we rarely run into one runing 3/8's

 

[spacemule]

Hey Bob, you know me, I love fussing with Space. He seems to think that that dayumm chain should cut if he pays to have it sharpened. I think if I pay him to win my case he better dayuum well win it,:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

Actually, I've got finals I'm working on--no time to argue. :hmm3grin2orange:

Fyi, I don't really call them blades.

 

[THALL10326]

Actually, I've got finals I'm working on--no time to argue. :hmm3grin2orange:

Fyi, I don't really call them blades.

Fair enuff, you go finnish them and when ya get done you get back here, we gots some fussing to do,

 

[THALL10326]

I love having to go through 20 questions with customers.
On mower blades vs. chainsaw bar and chains.

A recent experience with a customer.
Them-I need a new 20" blade
Me- For a mower or a chainsaw?
Them-chainsaw
Me- You mean the bar or the chain? which one?
Them- A 20" bar
Me-For what saw?
Them- A Stihl, you sell Stihl right?
Me- Which model?
Them- It's a farm boss or something
Me- I walk them over to the 290's, does it look like this one?
Them- Yep that's it
Me-Ok yep I've got it.

This is a verbatim conversation with a customer last week.

Since most 029's in the area were sold with .325 chain we rarely run into one runing 3/8's

Great post. I get that all the time....

 

[reachtreeservi]

Tom, What would you say to a guy who buys 1 or 2 saws a year and loads of chains when he says " If you'll give me 10 % off list I'll buy it today." ?

 

[THALL10326]

Tom, What would you say to a guy who buys 1 or 2 saws a year and loads of chains when he says " If you'll give me 10 % off list I'll buy it today." ?

10% off, good buying repeat customer, I say which one ya want. I rarely charge list to repeat buyers. I gotta keep those cats coming in over and over. 10% off on repeated sales year in and year out is fine by me. I figure these buyers has earned it. Repeat customers are your base and they have to have a reason to remain your base.

Now the flip side to that is the folks I've never seen in my life. I get alot of people come in from out the blue that start demanding discounts right away. I don't know them, they don't know us so how they figure they are due these discounts they are demanding is beyond me. We try to work with them but until they become part of our base they aren't due the same as those that are our base.

Heres an example Reach. Last week a man comes in and wants a SH86 shedder/vac. I've never seen this man before. He wants it I can tell but he has something on his mind. Finally he goes is that the best price you can do. I go well is there a reason I should give you a better price than the next guy. He smiles and goes well yeah, my neighbor wants one of these too. I go ok, where is your neighbor. He goes I'm serious, he wants one too, we will buy two at once. I go ok, you buying the second one for him. He goes no but I promise you he will be here tomorrow to get one. I laffed and said ok, tell ya what. Its sells for 269.95. I'll sell you one for 249.95 or two for 239.95 each. He goes well I'm not buying his too. I said ok, your price is 20.00 off. He laffed and said ok. He took his machine and left. Would you believe the next morning his neighbor did come in and get one too,LOLOL

I felt like telling him if your neighbor had trusted you you could have saved another 10.00 dollars. I did give his neighbor the same 20.00 off...

 

[spike60]

No way do I sharpen while-you-wait. For one thing, it's almost certain that someone else will call or come in while I'm doing it. Plus, that will just spoil people. They will think they can get a walk in shapening any time they want. And then a time will come when your too busy to do it, and they get pissed. It's best to set your own boundaries and stick to them.

I think most people that want it done immediately are really more interested in not having to make a return trip to pick it up. Few of them are in any kind of urgent situation where they have to finish a job. If it's really urgent, then buy a freaking chain! Most of my chains are only $17 to $20. And if they want me to "throw it on" I charge $5.

If someone I don't know drops off a chain, they pay up front. That way, I get paid whether or not they ever come to pick it up. Chains that hang around too long get used around the shop or given away to someone who could use them.

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

No way do I sharpen while-you-wait. For one thing, it's almost certain that someone else will call or come in while I'm doing it. Plus, that will just spoil people. They will think they can get a walk in shapening any time they want. And then a time will come when your too busy to do it, and they get pissed. It's best to set your own boundaries and stick to them.

I think most people that want it done immediately are really more interested in not having to make a return trip to pick it up. Few of them are in any kind of urgent situation where they have to finish a job. If it's really urgent, then buy a freaking chain! Most of my chains are only $17 to $20. And if they want me to "throw it on" I charge $5.

If someone I don't know drops off a chain, they pay up front. That way, I get paid whether or not they ever come to pick it up. Chains that hang around too long get used around the shop or given away to someone who could use them.

We've had to go to the pay up front method since we do a lot of chains, one day we did a quick count of how many were on the wall and it was over 400$ in unpaid chains.

 

[thejdman04]

good idea

 

[Haywire Haywood]

About the paying up front. If the shop manager where I go is there when I walk in, I could probably order a dozen 660s without any up front. Anyone else behind the counter and I'd better have my wallet with me. I asked him for a price on a 660 and he quoted me $100 off list. Anyone else and it would be straight out of the book. Can't blame them either way. The manager knows I'm good for it but the rest don't know me very well.

Ian

 

[joatmon]

Tommie/Spike/BOTI,

Why don't you guys do and exCHAINge? Yep. Keep 3 or 4 used, shapened chains in the most comon sizes, say 16", 18" and 20". Take an exCHAINge off the wall, slap it on, collect $7 and throw the removed chain in the exCHAINge to be shapened during a slow day bin.

Joat

 

[bump_r]

Tommie/Spike/BOTI,

Why don't you guys do and exCHAINge? Yep. Keep 3 or 4 used, shapened chains in the most comon sizes, say 16", 18" and 20". Take an exCHAINge off the wall, slap it on, collect $7 and throw the removed chain in the exCHAINge to be shapened during a slow day bin.

Joat

Beat me to it Reverend. I hand't come up with he snappy term but thought a chain-exchange would have been a great deal, EXCEPT for the litigious nature of things nowadays. Send out a chain with a bad link and it breaks -oh boy what a mess.

 

[PA Plumber]

Tommie/Spike/BOTI,

Why don't you guys do and exCHAINge? Yep. Keep 3 or 4 used, shapened chains in the most comon sizes, say 16", 18" and 20". Take an exCHAINge off the wall, slap it on, collect $7 and throw the removed chain in the exCHAINge to be shapened during a slow day bin.

Joat

That's a good idea.

It's kinda what some of us do anyway. We just do the exchanges at the "shop" instead of the dealer.

BTW, after following this thread for a while, I went a did a quick tally.
Looks like there are about 28 chains in the garage.
These chains cover 5 different bars for the saws I use.
Yikes, for the occasional job and firewood cutting, I guess I should be set for a while.

 

[mtfallsmikey]

So, Thall...where did the 2 chewed up saws come from...the Marriot Ranch? Seriously tho...I keep 3 chains for each saw, and I pitch it when I rock it...just did that to one from the 036, chain did not have 3 hrs. on it...oh well. You would like a customer like me...I replace bars/chains every one and1/2 yr. or so. I can't stand downtime.

 

[spike60]

Tommie/Spike/BOTI,

Why don't you guys do and exCHAINge? Yep. Keep 3 or 4 used, shapened chains in the most comon sizes, say 16", 18" and 20". Take an exCHAINge off the wall, slap it on, collect $7 and throw the removed chain in the exCHAINge to be shapened during a slow day bin.

Joat

That would work if the chains were pretty much all worn to the same degree. But that of course isn't possible. Some of the chains would be coming in for their first sharpening and some would be pretty worn back.

Bottom line is that anyone who only owns one chain is unprepared to cut wood. The only solution is to buy another chain or buy a file and learn how to use it.