Frustrating landowners

[Woodboogah]

I am dealing with some frustrating landowners who cannot make up their mind and keep changing the scope of work.  Originally all firewood hardwood logs and pine were getting cut then just pine then back to pine and oak then pine and firewood but they wanted it separate.  Now back to just pine.  I git a call saying they might want a bigger buffer where I already cut to the line.  To boot I didn't even by the stumpage   how would or do you handle this?  There is a little more but on my phone and its a PITA

[chester_tree _farmah]

Clear cut er! 

I used to do contracting and all I can say is some customers you just can't win with. Not sure how you are getting paid but I would suggest u meet with them in person so there are no misunderstandings and explain to them they need to make up their mind and if they can't you guys can:

1.  Settle up on the work completed so far
2. You can go to your next job and comeback when they have decided - AFTER the next job is complete.

Good luck!

[beenthere]

Maybe there is a reason for a signed contract... in the beginning, before work is done.  ;)

[chester_tree _farmah]

Maybe there is a reason for a signed contract... in the beginning, before work is done.  ;)

Very true! Things do change sometimes though and good contractors always try to make their customers happy but there comes a point......

[redprospector]

I do contract thinning, and since there isn't a real market for logs around here, I cut mostly firewood size stuff. In my contracts I include a charge of somewhere between $100 and $500 for "change orders", depending on the size of the job, the attitude of the land owner, and the mood I'm in at the time. The changes must be put in writing, and signed by the land owner, and myself. The "change order" is to include what changes are to be made to the original agreement, and any additional charges.
I generally will allow 1 change order for free, if it is one that doesn't cost me extra. But I still want it in writing, and that I made the change for free. Anything after that cost full price.
The land owners I work for don't do too many change orders.

[Woodboogah]

I am contracted from the person who bought the stumpage, so I guess like a middle man.  We are both dealing with the landowner.  The problem comes down to the landowner is getting info from someone who has no vested interest in the property.  Tells the landowner a bunch of stuff and they change their mind.  They have about 400ac so keeping them happy is important, keeping my sanity is getting hard as well as biting my tongue. 

[beenthere]

Good, if contracted, then go by the contract.

[Holmes]

Woodboogah it sound like your problem is with the contractor you work for not the land owner. All conversations about the work should be dealt with by the purchasing agent, and then the changes passed down to you by the agent. As one of my contractors said to me, " you work for me not the owner do what I say to do if they have any questions tell them to talk to me"..

[thecfarm]

 you work for me not the owner do what I say to do if they have any questions tell them to talk to me.
Sounds like where I use too work. We would have higher ups in charge of a build,car parts. They would come to me with a problem that HAD to be fixed NOW. They learned who my boss was,even the plant manger learned that too. I was nice about it,but I only have ONE boss. If they came to me and said,the Boss said to do it,that's all I needed.

[cutter88]

What seems to work for our smaller opperation is get in get out on a property I find if u go cut a patch of private and make a career out of a small job it gives a land owner way to much time to look around and think and start changing plans... We get in cut it and get out!!!

[stoneeaglefarm]

Do the best you can to keep from biting your tongue off, We have all delt with situations like this and worse, I have started jobs only to have folks not really understand what logging is and less than a few days into it have had to leave, Try to pick a section of the 400, agree on what to cut in a few acre area and then go from there, You can never be right all the time. Sounds like to many chiefs. Good luck.

[Autocar]

Redprospector [ Depends on what kind of mood Iam In ] :D :D :D The way it goes sometimes I believe you have the right idea  ;D.

[redprospector]

Redprospector [ Depends on what kind of mood Iam In ] :D :D :D The way it goes sometimes I believe you have the right idea  ;D.

Haha. When I was younger and did some hazard tree removal, I had a customer ask me; How do you determine the price to take that tree down, I saw you walk around it 5 times? I told him that I just walked around the tree for his benefit. I was just trying to figure out how much I thought my butt was worth on that particular day, and what the odds were that I'd fall out of that tree and loose my butt. I then multiply those two numbers and came up with a price.  :D
My mood has everything to do with how much I make on a job.  8)

[Woodboogah]

My contract is just what I get paid for what comes out.  Right now its just pine coming out.  A lot of stuff is staying in the woods that comes down, its frustrating because they have high hopes that they are going to get all the downed firewood them selves.  They have no equipment to do this.  They have told me that they dont understand why they are getting paid XX per mbf but its worth so much more.  That is what I have the hardest time trying to be nice, totally clueless.  I get the phone call saying " so and so just called and said they dont want the firewood cut or oak logs cut" then they so up and tell me themselves.  I am ona 137ac piece now out of the total piece. 

[CCC4]

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[BargeMonkey]

 Depends how badly you need the woodlot, and the relationship with the person contracting you. Your doing the grunt work end of it, if you cant make enough on the job to cover yourself then its time to put her on the trailer. Landowners only see the bottom line, if your doing a respectable harvest thats worth more than money right now in the long run. Personally I would skid till I had the last load, calculate my footage and have a sit down with all the parties involved. Sometimes being the nice guy gets you screwed, we have a "dont care" im loading it on the trailer attitude when it comes to games.

[chester_tree _farmah]

Depends how badly you need the woodlot, and the relationship with the person contracting you. Your doing the grunt work end of it, if you cant make enough on the job to cover yourself then its time to put her on the trailer. Landowners only see the bottom line, if your doing a respectable harvest thats worth more than money right now in the long run. Personally I would skid till I had the last load, calculate my footage and have a sit down with all the parties involved. Sometimes being the nice guy gets you screwed, we have a "dont care" im loading it on the trailer attitude when it comes to games.

Agree. What is that pine paying? Is it nice clear stuff? Do u have plenty of work otherwise?  If not I feel your pain.

[Peter Drouin]

[quote author=BargeMonkey link=topic=75540.msg1146608#msg1146608 date=14015545 Sometimes being the nice guy gets you screwed, we have a "dont care" im loading it on the trailer attitude when it comes to games.
[/quote]

[Ken]

Working with frustrating landowners is an unfortunate factor of working in the private woodlot sector.  I try to ensure that the contract spells out all that is expected and encourage landowners to visit often.  There are some people however who can never be satisfied.

[BargeMonkey]

 I know what your up against up there, we deal with wacky landowners out of NYC who have no clue, the plan changes 6x before I even start. Like a few of these other guys have also said, go direct to who ever is contracting you and set the story straight. I cant give nice pine away right now and still cover my fuel, so I understand your frustration.