Customer's Impressions

[Magicman]

We often try to answer questions from new or potential sawyers asking about "tricks of the trade" as they weigh their options about whether to take the step toward buying a sawmill and starting a business.

One item that is seldom mentioned is "selling yourself".  Communications with the customer whether by phone, text, or email need to be accurate and convey to the customer that you are a professional and as such are fully capable of meeting the customer's sawing needs.  That does not imply that you should overstate your capabilities.  Be upfront and honest.

When you drive up to the customer's location, do so in a relatively clean and well organized truck.  Meet the customer with a firm handshake and present him with with business card.  Look around and make favorable comments about his operation and take the time to chat and discuss his lumber needs.  Discuss the cut list and be sure that you understand his expectations.

There is little that makes a more favorable impression than unloading quality tools and work item from your truck.  I regularly get comments such as; "wow those are high quality cant hooks" when they see the Logrite tools.  (I wonder what they would think if you unload a black taped up wood handled tool that makes a junky impression.)

Wear presentable clothes and a wear a Wood-Mizer, TimberKing, Stihl, Logrite, Forestry Forum, etc. hat/cap.  I could have named them all but you get the idea.

I am just saying that we are professionals and if we present ourselves as such, we will be accepted as such. 

[starmac]

I know first impressions is important, but then again that means different things in different parts of the country, some places they will be just glad you showed up, much less be presentable.

[WV Sawmiller]

Lynn,

   All good points.

  I always try to give my mill a good washdown before I take it on a job (and after I return from one). I almost always get good comments on the appearance of the mill.  One of the first things I unload and put into position at the head of the mill is a fire extinguisher and I make sure to show it to the customer and tell him if things go wrong why it is there. I then give them a brief safety lecture and point out the more hazardous areas of the work and offer them a pair of gloves if they don't have a pair on.

   I briefly discuss stacking and stickering for best long term results. We discuss off-bearing and where to put the slabs, flitches, lumber, sawdust, etc. Then I make sure they understand the billing and how charges are computed.

   Then I place selected items at standard places where I find them useful such as a short cant hook for turning small logs and cants on the mill (when such is faster and easier than using the claw), my 12" dry wall knife, spray bottle of ATF, Carpenter's Square, leaf blower, etc.

   All this only takes a few minutes and we start on a good footing.

   When I get my calls from potential customers I probably send as many away as I take because they want something I can't or do not want to provide, they do not know what they want and have expectations that are unrealistic, they clearly want the wrong kind of wood for the applications, etc. I have a list of other business in the area who I refer such people to if I cannot provide the product or service they need or in some cases just because the other party is closer and better able to provide the service than I can. I tell people of a counterpart who can cut a 50" slab if needed, a guy with a team of mules if they need low impact help getting logs off their place, tree service people with skills and equipment to drop yard trees, etc.

   I'd rather refuse the job than ruin my reputation.

[Kbeitz]

Ahhh... You mean I can't use my junkyard tools and my Sanford and son pickup?

[WV Sawmiller]

  Yeah and next time you should probably try to wear two matching boots. :D

[starmac]

Appearance has a lot to do with what part of the country you are in. I needed a flywheel once in Arizona on a sunday. I had a worthless brother in law that knew of a business that the owner lived on the premises. I had heard of the place even in New Mexico, the guy was big in jeeps and x army vehicles. Since my bil knew him we went over there, his place had a short picket fence in front and a locked gate, we stood there and he yelled for him, he walked out and headed towards us, I told my bil to get in the pickup, we are out of here.

I truly thought theguy was NAKED, but my BIL claimed he had a tan speedo on, and we were in Arizona, I needed to get used to it. I told him I would drive back to New Mexico to get what I need before I buy anything from that dude. lol

I picked up a 13 year old runaway on the interstate once. I thought it was a girl, but it turned out to be a boy, anyway I called the law, we lived in a one leo town and it was technically his day off. He came into my shop and ask about the kid, wearing shorts a mickey mouse T shirt and his gun belt. I ask what he thought he was doing dressed like that and sent him home to get dressed before I turned the kid over to him.

[Ron Wenrich]

I think it all depends on your clientele base.  In my forester days, I met many different types of land owners.  My first impression was to look like I was ready for work.  I didn't show up in a suit, but I didn't wear shorts and a T shirt.  I also drove a middle-of-the-road type of truck.  I didn't want something really expensive, and I didn't want a rust bucket.  The impression could be that either you charge a lot, or you don't know what you're doing.

When I went to mills, it was the same.  I looked like I was ready to work.  I had some guys that I had to take around to mills, and they dressed down to jeans.  But, they still didn't look like they were ready to work.  They usually didn't relate too well with mill operators.  You could always tell a salesman as soon as they stepped foot in the mill areas.

After appearance, you need to have a presentation that you at least know what you're talking about.  At the landowner level, I had to explain about different management techniques.  Many were just impressed that I knew what type of trees they had.  They also needed to know that I was knowledgeable in marketing.  At the mill level, I needed to know the basics of the industry, and some of the fringe areas like niche markets.  I also had to know what most of the equipment did, and how to operate it.  I also had to be receptive to other ideas, knowing that I was providing a service, and that required that I would try to meet the client's interests. 

As far as equipment, I've used many a cant hook with black tape.   That could be a mark of frugality or poverty.  Organization and cleanliness would be proper, no matter how old or worn the equipment is.  Most people I've worked with have been more impressed with results than with appearance or presentation.  You don't want to come off as all hat and no cattle.

[longtime lurker]

*sighs*

Mostly my work clothes are black from sap/grease/diesel. Its the climate - aprons are impossible - so I just wear and wash and wear but after a couple wearings a shirt just looks dirty straight from the wash. And I'm forever rolling around under something here with spanners or a grease gun in hand.
And I tear shirts all the time. Or burn a hole in them, or lose buttons or ... my shirts dont seem to last long at all.

And with Mary away I tend to wind up with whiskers. I figure I dont have to kiss my customers anyway and I had a beard for a long time so I just revert to scruffy and unkempt looking. With a few ribs hanging out like a stray in need of a feed, and probably in need of a haircut as well. I'm paid to cut wood, not make a fashion statement.

All in all I guess I'm just a disheveled and disreputable looking kinda character. I dont have much customer contact anyway but it dont seem to stop us selling wood. As Starmac said, appearance can be location influenced and this here is home to more millionaires per head of population then anywhere else in this country... and a lot of those millionaires sweat it out in the mud all day with their men, and a lot of them go barefoot because of the mud, and by the end of a day you cant tell whos the prince and whos the pauper.

My boots at least are mostly pretty good, i dont much mind what the clothes look like but I cannot abide bad boots so theres a pretty fair turnover of those.

[Cedarman]

No matter how you are dressed, wear a big smile.

[Kbeitz]

  Yeah and next time you should probably try to wear two matching boots. :D

After coming out of the muddy junkyard there is no way you could tell that my boots don't match. Ha...

[GAB]

  Yeah and next time you should probably try to wear two matching boots. :D

After coming out of the muddy junkyard there is no way you could
tell that my boots don't match. Ha...

Just tell them you have another pair just like them at home!
Gerald

[bags]

Magic hits on a good point of "selling yourself".

I don't move my mill much cause I mainly mill material for furniture. I keep my yard in order--- I want a client to know their pulling into a lumber yard and not a junk yard--- that makes a "big" first impression. After folks tell you what their looking for, I always ask what project their working on--- and let them "talk".

You'd be surprised at how many people really don't know what they really want, and think a board is a board. Being friendly and offering free information about different cuts of lumber goes a long way in selling yourself and your outfit. Quarter sawn for face frames--- riff sawn for table legs, and so on has the client feeling hes getting something for free and you really do know your *stuff..

I have a lot of completion for wide LE flitches up here, so I have to sell my mill work, and sell myself to keep folks coming back.







Saw on fellas.

[Crossroads]

My customers get a pint of honey from my bees with my business card. That always gets a smile 😀

[Jeff]

What must come first?  More customers, or more bees?  :D

[Jeff]

The related topics function led me back to something I posted years ago.

Should you trust your first impression? [VIDEO]

[paul case]

Good info here. Thanks for the reminder.

I think the appropriate atire would be clothes that are clean when you start the day. If they aren't dirty or at least dusty when you finish did you acomplish anything?

I have many clients that are happy we are here providing a service. My best advertising is I have sawed for a few other mills that do not custom saw for the public. When they get calls and they get a few they send them my way. I would say 1/2 of my first time customers are that way.

My $.02 worth. PC

[Kbeitz]

I make sure I'm cleaned up every night before I jump in bed. But If I put on clean clothes every day before I went back to the weld shop my wife would never catch up to her clothes washing's. Guess I'm not good at making a good impressions because she says I'm always dirty. It's what I do. There is no way I can work on junkyard stuff everyday and stay clean. Just think... 200 years ago most homes had no baths. So like it or not if you stop in to see me I might have dirty clothes on. It's just me and I'm not afraid to admit it and I'm not ashamed of it. Under my dirty clothes is a clean person or as clean as I can be...

[starmac]

A few years ago I picked up a load in Florida, going to a new Sams club they were building in Arizona. After securing the load I went in t get the paperwork, and the elderly woman listed off the rules for unloading which was a dress code. mainly consisted of leather shoes or boots and long pants. I  responded real serious like with, Mam, I have been doing this a long time and never once have I ever delivered a load without putting my pants on first. She got a big funny grin and said you would be suprised how many drivers show up in shorts and flip flops.

It got even funnier when I delivered the load, at the gate on the construction site, they had a gal on an elevated stand, where she could take my paperwork without me opening the doors on my truck, and give me instructions.
Instructions included the leather shoes, and long pants, plus the normal ppe, hard hat,safety glasses and vest, and I was to not for any reason get out of my truck. Their crew would unstrap my load and roll up the straps and lay them on my trailer, I could stop in the parking lot after coming back through the gate. I also had to sign paper work, stating I would not sue them if I wound up getting hurt.
I told her I wanted the load off of my truck, BUT if they hurt me sitting inside my truck, with all the ppe gear on, I was going to sue for everything I could get.
She laughed and said that document was not worth the paper it was written on and they knew it, but still required us to sign it.

[PAmizerman]

My biggest thing with customer relations is make sure you return phone calls. It doesn't matter if you can't do it or Don't want to do it. I return all phone calls. I've had a lot of customers over the years and I can't even count how many times I've heard. " Thanks for calling me back you are the only mill that called me back".  And most of the time I end up with a job out of it because I'll take the time to let them know what I would be able to do. People remember business that make time for them. Just my 0.02
And yes I believe appearance matters just as much.

[WV Sawmiller]

K,

   I think the point is to look and act professional on arrival then follow through on the job. We should dress and act appropriately for the work or service we are expected to perform. How I look when I first arrive and what I look like 1 minute after I start sawing the first log with the wind blowing sawdust in my face  will be totally different. Anybody who sees me working should expect to see a little dust and dirt because that is the nature of the work.

   I think a new customer does have a right and should expect to see me arrive on the scene with well maintained equipment, the right tools for the job, proper (even if worn down a bit) clothes for the job, the right safety equipment, etc. for the job we are doing. If I don't I can expect to have "come from behind" to prove myself whereas if I do I at least start with a favorable impression and just have to maintain it.

   If I pulled up to your junk yard to buy a part or some used equipment and you showed up in a fresh pressed coat and tie, based on the nature of the work, I'd figure you were some sort of shyster but if I spotted you in sturdy, worn work clothes and you welcomed me, asked what you could do for me then warned me about the hazards of the work site as we walked around I would be most likely be very favorably impressed.

   I always heard "You only have one chance to make a first impression."

PA,

   You nailed that. Failure to promptly return a phone call is a pet peeve of mine. If I'm out of town several days I still call and apologize and explain and see if they still need to talk. I think failure to respond is one of the most unprofessional traits people can exhibit.

[Crossroads]

What must come first?  More customers, or more bees?  :D

Lol, right now I have more bees than customers. When I get to the point that I need to get more hives. I'll be able to leave my day job.

[Dave Shepard]

I try to meet customers looking like a Sasquatch with a toothache. If that doesn't scare them off, then they just might be my kind of people.  :D

[SawyerTed]

I spent 30 years in vocational education and we taught exactly what Magicman is saying.  Remember FFA jackets?  VICA//SkillsUSA red Blazers?

We taught students that being skilled isn't enough-looking and behaving as a professional are equally important to being successful.

Appropriate is the key word-appropriate dress for the work you do but as professional looking as possible for that work. 

[Grizzly]

I try to meet customers looking like a Sasquatch with a toothache. If that doesn't scare them off, then they just might be my kind of people.  :D

:D :D  Your obstinate enough you make me wonder if I might get along with you just fine!  But........... I couldn't do it that way.

[Grizzly]

When I was in dispatch/sales/fleet manager position my customers never saw me. All business was done by phone/email/fax. But I noticed if I dressed the part I played the part much better. Many customers thanked me that I didn't need foul language and dirty jokes to have a laugh. It's all been said I think.......
-make sure to return phone calls
-do not spend time telling customers what you can't do; rather spend time telling them what you can do.
-first impressions are important
-knowledge is important
-good attitude is critical

Once upon a time (2001) I parked my rig and headed into the office to drop paperwork and such and the general manager saw me. Not realizing I was a driver he looked puzzled and asked if I was a new hire. I said no, I was a driver. He laughed and said you won't last long, you're dressed too well. I did not appreciate many of the drivers I had to be with out on the road, mainly in truck stops.