I like to tell people...."The most instructive lesson in life is a mistake. The cheapest lesson, is making those mistakes with someone else's money..." 😁👍🪓🇦🇺
Hit the nail on the head Sir Chris‼️ Trust is everything. My 9-5 job I have over 70 customers a week and the trust I have built with them has saved me hours and hours of time in the last 25 years! I actually open some of these customers checkbooks and write out my own check, have keys and door codes to their businesses when they are not there! It’s the same trust I’m starting to build with Evans firewood customers. Great topic👍🏻👍🏻GNI
Chris-very wise words. Allow me to expound on it. Any true relationship, whether a friend/spouse/business etc.-requires two things: 1. Trust 2. Mutual respect. Just my brandy bottle philosophy 😁
Ive learned so much from this channel as i begin my journey selling firewood, and you are absolutely correct. Customers want to be able to trust you and trust that you will provide the service they are looking for.
Another great video Chris!! As I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy these sit down and chat videos! Thanks for putting this one together, such a great topic of discussion! We’ll see you soon! Andrew from NB :)
Hi Chris, most of your commenters praise your attitude to customer service and I totally agree. Just my two cents worth: I started and operated from scratch a LPG delivery service in my area, supplying both domestic and commercial users. I sold the business to a major energy retailer some years ago, and I still run into people in the street who state that they wish I was still looking after them. Trust and friendly reliable service is everything. As is empathy with your customers. In another activity which I still do, I have the trust of the managers of clubs and pubs (alcohol, poker machines, liquor stock rooms, etc) and a couple of supermarkets, to go wherever I need to without supervision. Real trust takes years to build, and can be destroyed almost instantly. I share and agree with your attitude to business and customers totally. I could relate anecdotes about another local business (now departed) with exactly the opposite values, but I'm not mean minded. Cheers, keep it up.
Spot on Chris, the news media reports what there purse strings wants. A very large majority of people don’t know what to think until they are told. Trust is the corner stone for a good life. Thanks for what you do.
In the beginning I started watching several firewood channels but it didn’t take long to narrow it down, drastically. The 3-4 channels I watch have different ways of doing things but all make sense to me. The other channels mimic what these 3-4 channels do. But best of all I watch the creators themselves and how well you/they deliver your ideas and discoveries. Personality means a ton to me.
Spot on, Chris. I am one of the few in the Mazda Rotary Engine world that will talk you out of parts you don't need. If you place an on-line order and it looks like 2 different engines, i am calling you to see what you are doing. I get all kinds of thank you responses.
Hi Chris. We are definitely in the trust business. I can't believe how much low quality firewood I see delivered in my area. Wet wood, shorted quantities, high debris content, etc. They sell for less, so the buyer can decide if its a good purchase. Most people trust that they will get what they are expecting. If not, they find a new supplier like you or I. Quality and service are appreciated !!
After watching you for several years, Ive learned a lot from your channel!! You're very knowledgeable about business and showing respect to yohr customers!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day
Hey Chris, great video. I just got done telling one of my RU-vid buddies that also runs a woodmizer that trust is super important 👌 Like your style and work ethic! Awesome backdrop!!
Trust is so important. Unfortunately we have descended to a fairly low trust society in many places. Well done for trying to build trust. (I think you audio recording volume was slightly high as per the distortion. Usually really good audio otherwise). thanks for your videos. I really want one of those trailers.
Excellenpoints! (again). Exciting by You, I started this little business, we are not making money almost at all yet, because we don´t have GOOD inventory yet. Well this is a kind of a chain reaction. My youngest (and only son) is starting his own business in wood industry. Yup, he is 13 but in Finland you can start a business that young. It´s called 4H business and you have huge reliefs by taxes and so on. He´s been with me in the forrest and his goal is to make money for the first car what you can own and drive in public roads albeit limited power. You can buy that when you 15. Go Chris!
You are on the money. I like your videos because they are real everyday stuff. You have a variety of topics, and they are entertaining. You are a good speaker. I watch a lot of youtube videos, but I start my day with you. I bring my second cup of coffee down to the computer and I watch you and if the Allen Family Firewood has a video up, I watch them. I watch all of Tony's and Bert's . You guys are real and I appreciate that. THANK YOU.
I to just love watching things I can learn from and have the same principal as me. I will never be tired of learning more, about the stuff I love doing. Like firewood. And you taught me alot and I've been burning for 40 plus years before watching you. keep the info coming
Excellent advice Chris for everyone who has a job or business trust is a thing that sometimes is taken the wrong way depending on the circumstances 😮😊❤
You are exactly right...trust. In the hay business it is good to have good hay but if its not as good as it could be I will make it known at the auction so people can bid accordingly! There are people that buy only my hay!! That must be a Carlson thing...vote with our feet!!!!
I have been a viewer of your channel because, you have up to this time, concentrated on providing entertainment and information that has not been political in any way. I hope you will keep providing this service.
You are very right. Chris, when you lose your trust in somebody, it takes a long time to heal up and trust him again. It does not happen overnight. We all trust on what you say. Very good video this morning.
Hi Chris,i think your a pretty smart guy,i have learned a lot from your channel in the fire wood business(which i only cut for myself)last couple of years i have picked up quite a bit from your vids,Ed from Vermont
you know Chris, facts are hard to come by these days, perhaps they always were... just people's opinions are SO available these days :) as Scott Walker sang, "the good news, you cannot refuse, the bad news is there is no news" have a splendid weekend Mr Woodman
That's the trouble nowadays with people of all ages, they don't know the meaning of the word trust, let alone spell it. As a mechanic I would tell my customers...I'm not equipped to perform the repair that your vehicle needs, but I'll help you find someone who can. Don't let your customers hanging. I can see that you have the same policy. Keep up the good work. Good night Irene!!
What's difficult these days is finding trust in big companies that don't sell customer service or trust. The amount of products i have received in the last 5 or so years that don't work right away, or within a couple years, is crazy. I reach out like you, once usually, and get nowhere most of the time. Just had a pressure washer yesterday have the power button stuck to the on position and used it around 6 times. It's terrible. Great topic, Chris!
I have been enjoying your channel for a little over two years. It is easy to see how your experience as a professional photographer enhances the production quality of your videos. As a former accountant, I especially enjoy you sharing some of your business experience. Aspiring entrepreneurs would benefit from your channel.
Good info. I read to learn. I don't listen to music, I listen to learn. (Zig, Brian Tracy, Earl Nigthingale, etc.) RU-vid University is for learning. You are definitely contributing to that. Thanks. Things like the tarp being too short. Good companies can only fix what they know about and you are in a great position to let them know. Great mix of topics.
I have a tree business and I’ve decided to start selling firewood even though I live in Florida. I made the right decision to split it all this season and have it ready to sell first next season. Then next season, I’ll start splitting fur the following season and so on.
You’re selling yourself short, you are wise man or you would have not gotten to where you are today, 42 years in business tells you must be doing something right. You’ve certainly made me smarter with your videos, my wife thinks I’m crazy when I talk about firewood but she likes when the wood stove is cranking and she’s warm. Keep up the good work 👍
Agreed Chris, same here. I don't want to listen to the weatherman's opinion on if it's a nice day or not, I want to know the current temp, what the forecast high is, wind direction and speed, and amount of forecast precipitation.
Agree, BUT a forecast IS an opinion. It’s an educated opinion and the closer in the future it is the more likely it’ll be right but it is a judgement made through interpreting facts, not raw facts.
Good morning Chris!!😀😀 Since the first time I saw you I knew you were a person I can trust. I consider you a good friend and always will!! Take care buddy!!😀😀💚💚 Logger Al
Chris love your videos! So true. I love your approach to the firewood business, and any business really. There are SO MANY bad actors in the firewood business around my area. I buy a lot as I heat with a boiler and so I’ve personally had some bad experiences. That said, and I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time, are you aware of anyone in the NW Lower Peninsula of Michigan (Traverse City / Cadillac) that does firewood “In The Woodyard” way?
Maybe, I think it is basic really. Everyone sells and everyone wants trust. You sell your time your talent your knowledge. People buy the trust that you will provide it.
You are so right, Chris. SO many people are selling wood that isn' t even close to ready to burn. It's like they have no idea what seasoned or dry mean... And for me, most sell wood thats too big. I, personally, dont mind much, as I like splitting- but how many others do they drive away? It took going through a BUNCH of people, before I found one who earned my continued business. And his wood is usually WAY too big- but it's DRY, HIGH quality, and good species. And the price is good, and he:s dependable. I'm more than happy to buy big honkin chunks of Sugar Maple, Beech, red oak, etc- if i can split them down and burn them now. Or deal with bugs, rotten junk, or tons of dirt and debris. He asked the Q's, knows what I do, and even sets aside stuff i might like for me!
well said Chris, well said. That holds true in every work environment and bosses that tell you to work on one thing on a Saturday when they aren't around and come in on Monday and tells their boss they told you different. Makes for a lot of ulcers trying to keep 2 steps ahead.
And to add to trust, why it is important. It is much easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new one. And for any one you lose, it may roll on that you lose several by word of mouth. Keep up the good work.
Sports Illustrated recently folded because they were bleeding red ink. This was the direct result of serving up a product that was not asked for nor wanted, apparently. As you said Chris, trust is a big deal. If you abuse it you're likely going to lose it.
Could never understand why skilled tradesmen devolved into shysters until a contractor explained that while he in his crew broke their backs on a large commercial project barely covering their costs, another company working parallel on same project who was a 'preferred bidder' did 3rd rate work for twice the proper fee. His only way to stay in business after that was to overcharge and underperform on the next several smaller residential jobs. One of whom's was my in my elderly mother's home. In the end he sorted everything out.
well im glad your waking up .mainstream and governments are totally corrupt . im glad you mentioned it as hopefully people will wake up more as soon time will run out for them . i enjoy your channel and i enjoy seeing what you do and process
Very true on the press. And never thought of it but trust is what you sell. And trust is what you buy also. When I drove truck delivering cryogenics my customers trusted me to get there that day and to deliver oxygen and leave the pressure like they wanted it.
Nice video Chris. You are so right about the present state of journalism. I no longer listen to the “news” on tv or even RU-vid because everything is so politically slanted. Walter Cronkite said “all the news and just the news”. I trust you agree. GNI
I live in a metroplex of over 5 million people with very few people that have land to get firewood from. I have trained my clients to order in September so when it gets cold they are not scrambling to acquire wood. I sell 80% of my inventory in September. Once it gets cold here in Tx. It is overwhelming the calls because it’s me vs literally thousands who waited until the last minute. My customer have learned to trust me and know that even though it’s still close to 100 degrees outside, if I tell them it’s time, they order and are yearly in year out clients.
.It's important to keep in mind that in any job, you have a superior who you work for, and your responsibility is to make them look good. For instance, if a husband buys top-quality wood for the fireplace, stove, or outdoor pit, his family and friends will hold him in high regard. This will lead to him becoming a repeat customer for years to come and a valuable referral source for future customers. Providing high-quality work and services is a great personal reward.
A person that wants to move or sell, a lot of firewood shoulf focus on being a firewood delivery service. Superior service and product does more for your business than trying to sell wood as cheap as possible.
I originally found your channel looking for opinions on the 592XP, I am still here and have since bought several more Huskies because I trusted your opinions as you appear to be someone who built their business from the ground up as opposed to other channels who just appear to buy equipment to make a RU-vid channel. Playing devil's advocate, I would like one of those mini trailers so I can put 4ft sides on it for hauling loads of feathers would a slightly longer tarp still work🤔😉🙃, would they need to increase the size of the roller until it becomes ungainly?🤔
Trust creates loyal repeat customers which leads to more customers and allows for premium pricing. My tips are pretty amazing and signal that I am doing it right.
It's why I loath this current " mail order everything" World we live in. I am supposed to trust that eleven people I don't know, will never meet and know nothing about will show up to work, do their job and supply what I ordered and paid for in a timely manner. And then ! If the wheels fall off , I am supposed to trust more ! People that I have no relationship with to remedy the problem and make it right. All this " progress" might be the death of me
Trust is an issue in society today. I'm not tough to get along with but if I buy an eight piece item there should be eight pieces there, yes I count, why? I don't trust and I want to get my money's worth, nobody wants an average deal. That's the world we live in! I drove a ready mix concrete truck for years, that stuff is weighed out for every load and somebody that doesn't have a good grade (grade is deep or varies too much) would say we shorted them. So there I am getting yelled at called a cheater trying to explain that their grade was 6" deep instead of 4" usually they'll see it but not often is there an apology just another order so they can finish.
I agree with your every word! You sure sized up today's world as it is. I don't suppose you delver to The UK perchance? :-) I was fascinated by the way you stacked your wood, it must be an art!.
I agree with what you are saying it is a shame that we get lied to and there is no honor left. I like what we do in thaat people can see what we do if we give them nasty crap they can see it we have to earn it or we dont deserve it. I wish everyone had to facts matter. I think there is a real problem with people not caring and just plain be lazy keep it up Chris
