I swear......next time he calls, I will send him to GEORGIA!

[metalspinner]

Why is he staining it at all.  Why can't it just look like southern yellow pine???

In addition, pine is one of the hardest woods to stain evenly.  Is he drying the wood?

If one of my customers started swearing at me he'll here the dial tone quick. Go find somebody else to do your work.

[paul case]

If one of my customers started swearing at me he'll here the dial tone quick. Go find somebody else to do your work.

That is my take exactly.
I had one fella say''Hey dont walk away while I am ******@#$ talking to you''to which I replied ''I wouldnt talk to someone I don't care for like that I expect the same from you. The gate is that way>''.
He talks real sweet to me and has no bad words to say when he is around me now.

I dont like words with hair on them. PC

[Sixacresand]

They say if a customer files a complaint, most businesses  initially blame their vendors. Then they find an internal problem (operator error, kink in the stain sprayer hose, etc).  Then they never call the vendor (Postonlt40hd) and let them off the hook or appologize. 

[leroy in kansas]

My standard response to difficult individuals generally starts with a text,    "Dear Richard Cranium"  they generally get it figured out.

[Satamax]

I have sawed SYP logs from the same whack that varied from deep orange to light yellow and all were Loblolly.  Different trees growing in different soils will vary in color, and they may have grown less than 100' apart.  Customers and I have remarked about the different shades and colors many times.

I've seen a carpenter write on hiw invoices "wood is a living species, which comes in all sorts of collors, with different grains and defects. like any other living species.  If you want uniformised and standardised product, buy plastic"

I sometimes write that on the invoices now.

[Cedarman]

You folks make me appreciate ERC. Every board is the same. No variation.
Printed paneling and plastic boards sure make it tough on us.  I go for people that like character.  Why I like the forum, its got Characters. ;D ;D

[NMFP]

Short and simple..... Dont sell to him.  I had a customer 3 years ago that wanted me to cut some logs for him.  He dropped off 4 rock oaks and 6 white oaks.  I sawed them into 100% 4/4 because thats what he wanted, stickered and air dried for him.  When he picked it up, he informed me I didnt know what i was doing because I mixed the two species together and he couldnt tell which one was which.  I explained to him that rock oak and white oak both produce "white oak" sorts and that they are considered the same product in the end.  After many discussions and phone calls, I finally told him to take his buisiness else where.  He did and now..... he called me the other week wanting me to saw some logs for him because he cannot find anyone that will cut them for him.

I am a believer that the customer is not always right and that those that cause problems and issues tell others of the same nature.  I have been very successful with my business and these policies and I do not regret one moment of it.  I am in business to make money, not deal with all of the loons out there!

[WH_Conley]

Sometimes you are better off to fire a customer.

[WDH]

I agree with the plastic wood option if he wants everything exactly uniform. 

[Magicman]

You folks make me appreciate ERC. Every board is the same. No variation.

Maybe that was "tongue in cheek", but I have sawed ERC that varied from a deep purple to a light pink, and even a light orange color.

[Nomad]

     POSTON, tell this guy he needs to have the operation done to put a plexiglass plate in his stomach.  If his head is that far up his butt he can unbutton his shirt and still see where he's going.

[isawlogs]

 Magigman... You must have SRC  Southern red cedar.   ;D

[sealark37]

The customer is not crazy or off base.  He is simply trying to get a lower price.  I would simply apologize for my inability to meet his needs.  Let him decide if he can live with your lumber or not.  Regards, Clark

[Magicman]

Magigman... You must have SRC  Southern red cedar.   ;D 

Maybe it's even ERSC......Eastern Redneck Southern Cedar.   ;D

[drobertson]

It really is sad when our dear custormers begin to wrestle with the fact they want a sawmill, just not the day to day hassles that come with owning one. I think i have cut every species of SYP in this part of Southern Missouri and have to say the all the folks writting in are correct. soils change the wood color and the range of blueing that comes with pine.  The folks I sell to are extremely satisified with the quality of dimesional lumber and understand the variation that comes from different logs.  This fellow will soon come to realize this and be happy again.  Try to keep him, other than  this brief misunderstanding, custormers are good to have.

[submarinesailor]

Don't send him here, we have enough crazy people in Ga. :D

That's why I left clear back in 1986. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Bruce

[ellmoe]

     Customers like this is why I have a competitor down the street. I refer these customers to him. He is not quite as polite as I usually am. ;D

[Kansas]

Just send him to Kansas and I will sell him some fuzzy cottonwood. He will come back as a customer and you can sell it for just as much as you want to charge.

[Cedarman]

At the first call, I would ask if the problem is that he needs all the boards the same shade or just the boards that are on each individual shed not to vary.  If it is each shed needs to be the same, then impossible.  If just on each individual shed needs to be the same, I would suggest he stain the boards before putting them on, match the colors and then build.  He would then have each shed its own shade.
I would see what it takes to solve his problem.
If solvable figure a cost, if not, then it is impossible.  By talking with my customers, I have been able to solve a lot of their problems. Of course I charge a premium that makes me happy.  Price is almost never the issue if the customer gets what they want.

[Tom L]

At the first call, I would ask if the problem is that he needs all the boards the same shade or just the boards that are on each individual shed not to vary.  If it is each shed needs to be the same, then impossible.  If just on each individual shed needs to be the same, I would suggest he stain the boards before putting them on, match the colors and then build.  He would then have each shed its own shade.
I would see what it takes to solve his problem.
If solvable figure a cost, if not, then it is impossible.  By talking with my customers, I have been able to solve a lot of their problems. Of course I charge a premium that makes me happy.  Price is almost never the issue if the customer gets what they want.

great idea, and good business

[tcsmpsi]

But...it is the diversity in the wood structure that is significant of its beauty.   ;D

[Kansas]

Its why we let certain species of logs set to get a smoky appearance such as hackberry. Or let it sit longer and try for some spalt, in soft maple, sycamore, and hackberry. If there is one thing I learned when my house was built, the more diversity you have, the better things look.

This is my personal opinion. But seems to me, adding some sort of finish that just brings out the best of the wood,that is fine. But why stain?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Well my customer didn't call back today.....thank goodness. He didn't even answer my email.......thank goodness.

Spent the whole dad burn day putting a new power steering hose on the 555C and now have it running.....thank goodness.

And now....I'm gonna forget about the whole situation, take a shower, round the "Clampetts" up and go find the BIGGEST fried flounder I can find! 

[beenthere]

Thank Goodness!!

;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Thank Goodness!!

;D

That's pretty good Brother Been......got to give ya a