Thread: Can They Be Trusted

Those are the sawmills thats give us all a bad name. Right up there with mills that don't pay for logs or downgrade them just because they think they can get away with it.

That doesn't surprise me. Have heard a few stories coming out of the mid north coast lately. Not good for the industry.

Trust? Trust as a commodity disappeared a long time ago in Australia.

So many businesses are stretched to the limit. Combine this with the underlying cultural acts of bastardry and generalised scumbaggery that seem endemic here, I think this is unsurprising.

Signed receipts, a photo/s with the guy picking it up, the works.

No trust.

Originally Posted by Evanism

Trust? Trust as a commodity disappeared a long time ago in Australia.

So many businesses are stretched to the limit. Combine this with the underlying cultural acts of bastardry and generalised scumbaggery that seem endemic here, I think this is unsurprising.

Signed receipts, a photo/s with the guy picking it up, the works.

No trust.

Shouldn't make a difference if your business is stretched "to the limit" and its not acceptable to use it as a crutch to prop up bad behaviour - Carl and I haven't drawn a wage since November, but our log contractor gets his bill paid off, our grapple loader guy gets paid each and every load he drops off, the private landowner we get the odd log from gets paid within 30 days - mostly within 14 days, we pay our fuel as we use it -no accounts.

As for underlying acts of bastardry and scumbaggery...hmmmm...trying to word this nicely...but...nothing I reply to you is gonna get past the mods

As for trust, yeah, we don't 'trust' someone will pay for their timber, they have to pay before it leaves the yard.

After 40 years in the timber industry, I can honestly say, one of the most pleasant memories is the number of deals done with no more than a handshake. In many cases, the agreement would be for supply over a 3 year period or longer and valued at hundreds of thousands. Honour amongst thieves if you like, but never was a contract broken. As an agent, I dealt with many mills around Australia. The respect was mutual, it needed to be and we all new it. From time to time, "smarties" would try to make inroads ..... their days were numbered. A certain company in Tasmania comes quickly to mind.

To say that trust is a lost commodity is a broard statement. There are still many people and businesses operating that place their trust in each other. Life in general carries an element of trust. Loose it and you're on your own,
insulated in your own little world. A bit like Canberra.

I think that the behavior is widespread across the community.
We raised a few lambs once. The neighbour suggested that we should get one of theirs and one of ours "converted" to "fridge packs". Their lambs were quite small compared to ours. We had a Dorset ewe that would drop small sheep not lambs. She always had BIG lambs while the neighbour had wool sheep that were always a lot smaller. To do the conversion "legally" you have to get them killed at the abattoir then the nominated butcher picks up YOUR carcase takes it back to his shop and when you pick it up it is ready to put the different packs in the freezer.
Now...our Dorset lamb was twice the size as the neighbours.When I picked them up from the butcher there were 2 shopping bags on the counter. I looked at them stunned, because they were within a kilo of each other!. I expected that there should have been a lot more difference between the 2 bags on the counter.
So where do you start the investigation?......to many people had a hand in the whole escapade.
Message to self ......don't trust this system. Do get the job done with a travelling butcher who will come to your place and do the job on "your own" sheep.

Had an experience once with a butcher and a steer we had slaughtered.

Our steer just happened to have fewer ribs than any other steer ever born!!

Originally Posted by artme

Had an experience once with a butcher and a steer we had slaughtered.

Our steer just happened to have fewer ribs than any other steer ever born!!

My uncle was a butcher. He tells the story of dressing a steer for a customer. The customer returned to the shop, same day as the collection and abused the butcher for removing the best cuts from the beast. Fortunately, my uncle had saved the cuts in question, but had forgotten to inform the customer. Ecchymosis had rendered the fillet and one side of the Tbones inedible.

Originally Posted by Sigidi

Shouldn't make a difference if your business is stretched "to the limit" and its not acceptable to use it as a crutch to prop up bad behaviour - Carl and I haven't drawn a wage since November, but our log contractor gets his bill paid off, our grapple loader guy gets paid each and every load he drops off, the private landowner we get the odd log from gets paid within 30 days - mostly within 14 days, we pay our fuel as we use it -no accounts.

As for underlying acts of bastardry and scumbaggery...hmmmm...trying to word this nicely...but...nothing I reply to you is gonna get past the mods

As for trust, yeah, we don't 'trust' someone will pay for their timber, they have to pay before it leaves the yard.

Al

I'm with you on your approach.

I was going to give you a "like," but the facility has disappeared off the computer: It's gone from everywhere .

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Al I was going to give you a "like," but the facility has disappeared off the computer: It's gone from everywhere .

See here, https://www.woodworkforums.com/f36/button-181835

Originally Posted by Bedford

See here, https://www.woodworkforums.com/f36/button-181835

Thanks Bedford

I thought my computer gremlin had struck again .

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by rustynail

After 40 years in the timber industry, I can honestly say, one of the most pleasant memories is the number of deals done with no more than a handshake. In many cases, the agreement would be for supply over a 3 year period or longer and valued at hundreds of thousands. Honour amongst thieves if you like, but never was a contract broken. As an agent, I dealt with many mills around Australia. The respect was mutual, it needed to be and we all new it. From time to time, "smarties" would try to make inroads ..... their days were numbered. A certain company in Tasmania comes quickly to mind.

To say that trust is a lost commodity is a broard statement. There are still many people and businesses operating that place their trust in each other. Life in general carries an element of trust. Loose it and you're on your own,
insulated in your own little world. A bit like Canberra.

+1

The nature of the sawmill/ agent relationship is one of the things that will make or break a sawmill. A lot of sawmillers regard agents as "parasites" (and I've got to say I can name one or two who are). I look for agents who I can regard as partners, because they are: I need them to shift volume, they need me to have timber to shift, and we all make a living doing what we do best.

Same with customers: some of my guys are bigger, some smaller. I extend credit to any except the walk-in, never seen you before ones. Sometimes I have to wait to get paid, but mostly I don't: and I've never yet not been paid for product I've supplied. I think thats why my customer base is pretty loyal... I don't expect to fill every order they have, but I get to quote on them at least, and more quotes lead to orders then not. And I know my competition is cheaper then my prices for the most part.

Honesty and integrity are probaby the two most important attributes a timber agent can have. It serves him well with his suppliers and also his customers. In having those qualities, it allows him the right to expect the same in return. Personal or working relationships built on mutual trust are a force to be reckoned with.