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Mobile Job Story

Started by 123maxbars, December 13, 2011, 12:38:54 AM

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123maxbars

Well I had to share this story and was wondering if anyone else has had a similar exp. I sawed a week ago for a man with about 2000feet.  This guy said to me after I got there and set up my mill that he use to operate a sawmill and owned one a few years ago. So I load my first log and start cutting. Not to long after making my first few cuts into the log the guy is critisizing everything I do. He is making odd suggestions and is second guessing every thing I saw. I finally get tired of this whole situation and tell the man to tell me every cut I need to make on his logs. So for the rest of the day I load a log on my LT35 and he tells me where he wants it cut and how to turn it. At the end of the day I learn a few things about people and doing mobile jobs (this was my 10th mobile job since having my mizer). This was the worst experience I have ever had while sawing.  I understand that some people are picky, but this guy was the exception to that.  This guy was rude from the start of it and knew everything about sawing. I did really start to question him (in my mind) when he had me saw some beams for his barn out of the hearts of the logs. I also suggested anchorseal when I got there and he said he didn't use stuff like that on his wood.  And the quality of logs wasnt very good either. A few white pines where two years old and had knots almost every two to four inches on every face cut I made. And of course those pines had a few small waves in the boards due to all the knots, but he blamed the mill for not being accurate. Oh well I just needed a place to rant about this after keeping it to myself for the past few weeks. 
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
outofthewoods
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kelLOGg

You must be very patient. Maybe the best that can come from it is referrals. Some people are just difficult to deal with for reasons we don't know. Hope you got paid without a hassle. You might consider being tied up on other jobs if he calls again ;)
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

T Welsh

Welcome to the real world! Theres always one in the bunch that spoils. Most of my customers are salt of the earth type of people and I really enjoy meeting and sawing for them. and yes there was one that owned or used a woodmizer before and started telling my how to do every cut,he was younger than I was and I told him that he is bothering me and it going to cost him more if he helps,well he left me alone for the rest of the day and when I was done with his logs,he said he would have to take them to the people he was sawing them for and took 3 weeks to pay me >:( Like kelLOGg said,I will be tied up the next time he comes around :D. Tim

york

123maxbars,

What about your sawing,did he not like????
Albert

thecfarm

You did good. A lot better than what I would of done. It was worth it.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

ladylake

 
If sawing by the hour let him slow you down all he wants to, if by the bf pack up.    Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

tomsteve

Quote from: ladylake on December 13, 2011, 06:53:38 AM

If sawing by the hour let him slow you down all he wants to, if by the bf pack up.    Steve

i dont own a mill, but used this method in construction/ remodeling: quote a price for the job to be completed by me and quote a price if the homeowner is going to help in ANY way, which that quote was always higher and explained what i meant by helping, like standing there and telling me how to do the work. it is definatley aggravating coming across these folks, but always a sigh of relief when i'm done wiht the job.

Magicman

Thankfully, those do not come very often, and it sounds like you handled the situation with great style.  Congrats to you.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

beenthere

And sometimes the customer does know better what he/she wants and is right to ask it be done that way.  Just sayin....   ;)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Brad_bb

Yeah, there's two sides to this.  There are way more service providers out there who don't care about the quality of work they are doing, thus conditioning customers to have to watch every step to make sure they are getting quality work.  It's understandable when it's your wood, you've only got one shot at cutting it right.  After all, that customer doesn't know you from Adam.  Perhaps once you do some work for them, and they see your competence level, the future working relationship will be better.  They'll gain trust in you once you've earned it.
   Regarding the anchorseal, you might consider making it your policy in order to do a sawing job.  After all, if you don't use it and it affects the quality as it dries, who is the customer going to blame?  Not themselves for not using anchorseal, but your reputation will get dragged through the mud.   Make it part of the job, or you don't take the job and explain why.  Same goes for how it's stacked and stickered.  If they don't want it stacked and stickered with weight, then have a hand out you give them explaining how to stack and sticker and what the results will be if they don't.  Then they should not have reason to blame you for there warped wood down the road.
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

123maxbars

Quote from: york on December 13, 2011, 06:07:31 AM
123maxbars,

What about your sawing,did he not like????

Yes after the job was done he said he liked the boards,

I appreciate the responses on here. I am a guess you could say "rookie Sawyer in training" and jobs like this really discourage a man.  But I will take the advice of others on here, if he calls again I will probably be covered up. 
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
outofthewoods
Youtube page
Out of the

slider

It sounds like you handled the job the best way you could .The only thing that caught my attention was the part about the waves in the knotty wood.When this happens to me I either slow down ,put on a sharp band or make adjustments to correct the problem.I'm not criticizing you but you need to find what caused that wave and correct it.I saw a good bit of knotty pine and it will give you problems if things are not just right.I think your Patience with a difficult customer is commendable.I bet the truth be known he had a much better time than you did.
al glenn

logboy

My father used to have a sign hanging on the wall of his mechanic shop with the labor rates.

Rates
Hourly....................... $60.00
If You Watch............. $80.00
If You Help.................$100.00

Turn out quality work at a respectable price and people will be happy. As far as Anchorseal goes, its really up to the customer to take care of their wood. The option is there if they want it.  If they say no, that's their choice and they take responsibility for the decision.  If they take the lumber you saw, sticker it with 1/4" lathe, and stick it in a sealed garage to turn into a ball of mold, thats their fault.  Or if they dry it too fast on uneven timbers/stickers without sealing the ends and it checks and warps, again, that is their fault. Its like driving your Chevrolet into the lake then blaming GM for doing a crappy job building it.   I offer a wave warranty. Once you lose sight of me waving goodbye the warranty on your lumber is over. For all I know the customer will leave the lumber in the truck to mold, or sticker poorly, or not cover the top, or seal the ends. Or they stick it in their home-built kiln and case-harden the whole batch.  None of the corresponding degrade is a result of the way it was sawed. I will help with knowledge and labor where needed when it comes to sealing, stickering, stacking, and drying. But its their choice if they refuse and they take personal responsibility for their decision.

You cannot get veneer from firewood logs. Period. If the customer has crap logs be honest. I've told people I will saw it but they would be better cutting it up for firewood and buying boards at the lumber yard.  Garbage in, garbage out.  Remember, knotty wood costs more to saw than clear wood due to the wear and tear on blades.  Charge more if you have to for crappy, knotty logs. You're not a charity, you're a business. Your equipment is not free to own or operate.

Its one thing to be knowledgeable, its another to be outright rude.  Remember, if he treated you that way he probably has a reputation for treating others that way.  While everyone is entitled to their opinion, some people's are worth more (and less) than others.  Its one thing to saw for someone who is knowledgeable and has info to share.  I welcome those opportunities, especially with some of the old timers who have a lot of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to sawing.  But I have no time for someone who is rude and belittling.  Sometimes they come to you because they burned the bridge with everyone else and have no alternatives.  They are welcome to take their business elsewhere.  Turn out quality work at a respectable price and 99% of people will be happy.

My 2 cents.
I like Lucas Mills and big wood.  www.logboy.com

terrifictimbersllc

When I read your post I had to check your location to make sure it wasn't someone I sawed for last year.  You did well to wait to vent here, congratulations.  I also wondered if you were sawing hourly or by bf.  I'm sure that distraction slowed you down.  Anyway there are all kinds out there and containing oneself is generally a good business strategy.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Jasperfield

If you had to wrestle with him for most of the day, but at the end he was happy with the results, it is somewhat likely that he has since bragged about his lumber and your sawing abilities.

mandolin

I don't generally saw for the public, but every once in a great while I do. If somebody wants me to saw their logs, we play by my rules. You bring your logs of me, I unload them and you leave. When I get them sawed, you come back, pay me, then take your lumber home. I don't want them standing over me while I work. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but that's the way it is at my mill.
2008 Hudson 228
1945 Boice-Crane Planer
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor
Husqvarna 455 Rancher
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Paper Maker

  You could have asked him if he stayed at the Holiday Inn Express last night. ;D

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