Behind on projects can = bad customer service

[Jim_Rogers]

I have a retired carpenter that hunts the land out back and he has helped me before.
I was thinking I'd see if he could help me some more this spring to get caught up.
Jim Rogers

[Andries]

Jim, you are in a sort-of good predicament.
You have many orders coming in.
People want you for your timber frame design skills.
Travel to teaching and expo events is filling your calendar.
We all have to adapt to the flow of business and our own abilities. 
Nothing stays the same for too long.
Find the extra help you need. The retired carpenter guy sounds perfect. Treat him well, and set up a working relationship that works for both of you.
Your CPA EWP client had an agreement that didn't include a hard deadline. You have a business to run, and you should probably stick to the original plan, or agree to let him find his timbers elsewhere. 
I agree completely with the comment that bad communication is the bedrock of bad customer service.

[dgdrls]

Hi Jim,
first and foremost take-care of yourself.

couple questions, thoughts;
Did the CPA client actually help you saw or just come and pick-up what was done?
How did you "fit-in" the previous 19 timbers?
Can you cut 10 timbers a week for him?  68 timbers, 7 weeks until May 1

D

[Banjo picker]

Too bad the OP for this didn't say how it ended.  Banjo

[Jim_Rogers]

Hi Jim,
first and foremost take-care of yourself.

couple questions, thoughts;
Did the CPA client actually help you saw or just come and pick-up what was done?
How did you "fit-in" the previous 19 timbers?
Can you cut 10 timbers a week for him?  68 timbers, 7 weeks until May 1

D

Dgdris:
He just came and picked up the timbers on weekends, sometimes Sundays.
I was sawing his order to do the 19 timbers. But as you know you have to deal with all that slab coming off the logs and all the side lumber. So some days I only sawed one log, with everything else going on, such as tool sales.
I would have to do two a day for a five day week to do 10 timbers a week. And my sawmill is in an open yard, no roof so if it rains I'm not out there.
I would think that with a helper I could do more than 2 a day, hopefully.
But, then it is the added cost of the helper.
I have been considering increasing my price to cover his pay.
Jim Rogers
PS thanks to everyone for all your advice.

[WV Sawmiller]

Jim,

  Can you hire help and still make a profit on the deal even if not as much as you had planned? If so I'd do it then get on with my other backlog of projects. I would be very reluctant to raise prices on this deal. Maybe in the future you have 2 rates - one leisurely and one expedited. You might even offer this deal to your customer since he is now the one basically stopped the work and is now proposing a time line. Good luck.

[Hilltop366]

If you have a idea how much a helper will increase production then you will be able to get an idea on the cost increase if any.

Not sure I made my point clear there, my thought is that even though your hourly cost go up by paying a helper and the increase in blade, fuel, lube and wear on mill your production also goes up. 

So you need an equation and some experience or advise (someone else's experience) to calculate the difference in the board foot cost of milling.

So do you get:

(1) No change in board foot cost = higher production = you make more.
(2) An increase in board foot cost = (a) cost not offset by higher production = you make less.
                                                      (b) cost offset by higher production = you make the same. 
                                                     
(3) A decrease in board foot cost = cost more than offset by higher production = you make more.

It would be interesting to know and be able to say what is the best route. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[Magicman]

But when it rains what does the help do to remain profitable.  Same when work is slack or you simply want/need some time off from sawing.  Most reliable/dependable help needs a job where they can depend upon the income.  Nothing is simple.

[doc henderson]

so you got your oak jobs that pay good, but you can only work every other day due to your neck pain.  so if a helper gets all your oak and plus some timber frame timbers, seems like a win win.  i agree you need to look at cost.  usually timber by the b.f. can be more profitable cause a few cuts and you got a high b.f. timber.  if you keep the side lumber there is more profit.  if your labor guy is retired , he may not care if he works 2 hours or 6 hours.  if he is contracted labor, then it saves you paying all kinds of insurance and taxes.  you might even have him work on shares if he has a tree to mill later.  or God forbid, you paid him the green stuff. I assume he will be able to acquire skills to run the tractor ect.  and knows his way around a work site.  If your accountant customer is a decent guy, and realizes he may have to go elsewhere, maybe he will step up some on the price.  good luck, and I hope to see a pic of your accountant on your happy customer thread!

[dougtrr2]

What would your customer think if he read this thread?  From one perspective:  You agreed to do the job for him, I am assuming he didn't put a gun to your head.  Now, life has intervened on both sides.  Weather, which should be no surprise, tax season, injuries, additional better paying work. He may have set the deadline just because he feels like you are dragging your feet. To me the only "right" thing to do is get his job done and out of the way.
 
Doug in SW IA