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Booked Up

Started by Magicman, July 11, 2019, 10:07:32 PM

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Magicman

Welp, I was afraid that it would happen, hoped that it would not, but destiny is what it is. 

As most of you know PatD and I are taking a vacation.  PNW Travels....Again  Well it's too DanG hot to saw anyway so our best option was/is to travel now and resume sawing when the weather is nicer as in cooler.  I simply declared myself "Booked Up".  "Booked up" because I have learned that customers have absolutely zero concern about my time or my desire to take a vacation.  Understandably the only thing that is important to them are their needs.  This importance becomes very important when that customer is a business and is depending upon my services. 

So what is this all about?  I just told my largest customer that I was "booked up" until probably the end of August.  No, he was not a happy camper, but all that I could tell him to do was to work around it as best he could and I would see him in August.  Hopefully I will not loose a customer. 
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

mddillon78

I think you made a good choice.   If they domt understand maybe they aren't people you want to deal with.  I've turned down work just to avoid people I dont want to work with.
Michael Dillon
Dillons Woodworks - New Hampshire
Custom Sawmilling and Woodworks
Dillonswoodworks
Dillonswoodworks - YouTube

Southside

Honestly Lynn - who is going to step in and do that job to the same level you have been doing it?  It will take much more than just owning a mill to successfully produce what he needs given the conditions and log supply he has.  Would he give up his time to accommodate your schedule if things were reversed? I know it's been a very good gig, but you are not being unreasonable at all.  

Today I had a customer ask me if I could install the flooring and siding he was ordering from me - no - then he asked if I knew of anyone he could hire.  I called 3 customers I deal with, one is a one man show, one has a small crew, and the other builds 100 homes a year - all said the same thing - can't do it, too busy.  It's just business.    
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Peter Drouin

I'm taking bike week off told all my customers so, Some wanted to know If I could put there order outside the gate? No, I said. Some were not happy but I told them ahead of time.
Telling customers you're booked up would save some of there crying I guest.

A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Dana Stanley

You undoubtedly know the business very well, but I'm wondering if with that one customer, you may be better off to tell him why your booked up. He may understand better that he is second in line behind the family, than if he thinks you have a line of customers ahead of him. Just my 2 cents. 
Making Sawdust, boards and signs.
Woodland Mills HM-126
Kabota B-7800 with backhoe and loader
Ford Ranger, Husqvarna 455 20", Mac 610 24", other chainsaws 14", 23 ton log splitter
Matthew 3:10

moosehunter

I use "all booked up" whenever I need time off. It is so much easier than trying to explain why I need a day off. 

mh
"And the days that I keep my gratitude
Higher than my expectations
Well, I have really good days".    Ray Wylie Hubbard

SwampDonkey

'All booked up' is better than 'the next rainy day'. ;) Then, just don't show up when your expected to. Nothing makes a customer all the more uglier.  :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Magicman

Another customer called today, which makes three this week.  I have been trying all Spring and Summer to get this guy to go ahead and saw his logs.  He is a building contractor, busy, and trying to scratch where he itches.  Anyway, I told him the same story, Booked Up until the end of August/first of September.
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

azmtnman

You are "booked up." If you don't make your schedule someone else will!
1983 LT 30, 1990 Kubota L3750DT, 2006 Polaris 500 EFI, '03 Dodge D2500 Cummins powered 4X4 long-bed crew cab, 1961 Ford backhoe, Stihl MS250, MS311 and MS661--I cut trees for my boss who was a Jewish carpenter!

Magicman

True, and if they are satisfied with "second best sawing" then that is their option. 

My sawmilling does not and never was intended to provide me with a "living".  It has 3 objectives: 

1)  To support it's own maintenance and expenses. 

2)  To pay the operating expenses, upkeep, and taxes on my tree farm property. 

3)  Any $$$ after the above pays for our travels.  During that time my sawing is "booked up".
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

Beavertooth

I learned many years ago that when you work for yourself the only time you will get any time off is when you learn to say NO.   The public will work you to death if you let them.  I had to learn that saying NO a lot of times meant saying YES to my family which is far more important.  Not that you don't have to work to provide for them but that is not the only or most important thing in life. 
2007 LT70 Remote Station 62hp cat.

starmac

Years ago when I was running my shop, I never had time for anything but work, period.
Der season was coming around and I hadn't been in several years, a friend wanted me to go, and when I told him I couldn't cuz I was too busy. he said, well aren't you the boss. lol
I went deer hunting and my whole attitude sort of changed after that. lol
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

YellowHammer

Some customrs wait for the last minute.  Some customers will push just because they can.  Some customers just want to be priority.  Some customers will go to other suppliers.  Some customes really care about your well being, and some couldn't care less.

Oh well.  

Do what you got to do, things will always work out.  

YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

stavebuyer

You have to draw the line and I agree "booked up" would be the simplest way to handle most inquiries. For very good customers I do add some detail to soften the "no" and find most understand. They are at the top of the list "as soon as I get back"..... 

Sixacresand

I been "booked up" since first 95° day this Summer.  
"Sometimes you can make more hay with less equipment if you just use your head."  Tom, Forestry Forum.  Tenth year with a LT40 Woodmizer,

78NHTFY

True story: my Dad (long since gone) was hauled in for a talking to by a new boss with the the new company administration directive to make sure all employees were making their job their # 1 priority in life.  He listened carefully to the corporate speak and replied as follows:  I base everything on the four F's---my # 1 priority is my Family;  my # 2 priority is my Tree Farm;  my # 3 priority is having Fun in life; and my # 4 priority is this (ADMIN language edit) job.   8)  That's always been the way I roll and am pretty sure most of us here on the Forum are the same.  All the best, Rob.  PS. He wasn't fired, and retired on schedule a couple of years later.   At his funeral, the church was packed full, with a crowd of people outside unable to get in.  
If you have time, you win....

Crusarius

Thats funny the fire department I volunteer at wanted the same thing. Chief said the only thing in my life that should matter is the department. I explained the 3 f's to him. 

#1 family!!!! No give here.
#2 Friends. Sometimes I give here but not if they really need me.
#3 fire department.

If its not good enough for you I can turn my gear in at any time.

He lightened up a bit after that. What was funny is it was during a board of directors meeting. the entire board agreed with me.

John Bartley

I started working for myself in 1989 and went full time in 1991.  By 1992 I had staff, full time staff.  We started taking a week off during the summer and again between Christmas / New Year.

I ran a power equipment sales service shop (Stihl, Briggs, Kohler, etc), and the only warning we gave was if we thought a job or an order might finish or arrive during the week off.  Otherwise we locked the door, put a sign in the window, left a message on the phone (without taking a message), turned off the facs' machine and set auto-respond for email saying that emails rec'd from x until x would be deleted without reading at our return.

There were basically two responses ... one saying "good for you, we hope you had a good holiday" and one saying "blah, blah, blah, we're not happy".  Customers from group number 2 were ignored, and those from group number 1 rec'd preferential treatment. Each year group number 2 grew smaller and smaller until they sorta' disappeared.

Good for you Magicman ... enjoy !!
Kioti DK35HSE w/loader & forks
Champion 25hp band mill, 20' bed
Stihl MS361
Stihl 026

Magicman

I have gotten a couple more sawing jobs this past week.  I told both of them September and they were satisfied.  One even said that it would be cooler then.  ;D

We are enjoying this cooler weather here.  55° this morning and forecast to get into the mid 60's.  I could stay "booked up" for that.  :)
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

captain_crunch

Good for you Lynn enjoy your time off 
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

Magicman

"Booked Up" worked well and allowed us to take an uninterrupted vacation.  I had almost caught back up with my sawing schedule when our family tragedy occurred (September 25th) and I have not sawn anything since then.  I may be able to resume sawing on a very limited basis this week.
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

edwin dirnbeck

With all due respect,times have changed. Amazon has changed customer expectations. People want what,what they want and they want it right now MY FREE ADVISE Take care of business first.You wil allways have time for fun.I know that this is not a popular message to receive,There are many people that that are hungry and looking to take your business. 

Old Greenhorn

Edwin, I don't believe you really know our Magicman. I am sure he is in good shape and has a solid handle on where he is going. Would that I could say the same for myself. :D ;D
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

Magicman

Quote from: edwin dirnbeck on October 22, 2019, 10:41:32 AMThere are many people that that are hungry and looking to take your business.
Don't fret Edwin.  We took our much needed vacation and then I came back and sawed $10,316 worth of sawing in August, and $2299 in September.  I'm doing OK and my sawing business is not going anywhere.   ;D   Also remember my business profile.  I am 76 years old and mine is supposed to be part time.   :)
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

WV Sawmiller

Edwin,

   MM is spot on. Most people won't invest the time and effort to run a sawmill. Look on the sawmill trader and local trade papers and see how many used mills with 100 or less hours on them are out there. It looks like a lot of fun (and it is) but they don't plan for lifting heavy slabs of wood and stacking tons of lumber in the normal course of a days work. Once they see how much manual labor is actually involved they shut down the mill and go back to their TV, Internet and cell phone.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

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