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Well, it was 2 degrees F out this morning, and dropping since. I have about 75 bf of walnut lumber downstairs, but none over 13/16th thick. I know I have a couple boards thick in the garage, but its to cold to dig it from the pile. So, I warmed up the truck, and headed off to a hardwood lumber supplier. Sure, I found a lot of nice thick stuff there, and I already know about the dangers in buying rough lumber, but I really need a small amount a little over 1 inch thick for an intarsia piece I am attempting. So yea, I looked through the 'shorts', but nothing I liked, it was all 90%sapwood. I then went to the #1 common grade boards, and they were very rough,knots everywhere, checking, ect. So I went to the 5/4 sel.and better walnut. Lots of nicer quality boards. I dont mind paying for quality, so I dug out two pieces as possible intarsia parts.
One employee came by, and I described what I needed, and asked if he could run it through the planer once so I could see how it looked. He looked at me totally puzzled, and said "You want this planed?" To that I replied "I need it as thick as possible, and will want it one passed through the sander (to save me time), but I want to see it after one planer pass first." Again, with a totally puzzled look, he said "You want this ran through the sander after planing?" At that point, I bit my tongue, because who would sand it first, THEN plane it??????????????? I replied "yes, but let me see the piece after you run it through the planer."
So while he took the piece to the back, I rummaged around looking at some nice curly red oak, and stuff like that. It took him about 5 to 10 minutes before he came back with my walnut. It was planed, AND was sanded nicely, but he did not show me it after one passing it, and he had it down to just under 7/8 inch thick.The board had bug holes and some mineral deposit staining throughout, as well as about 20% sapwood on one end, and a 12 inch split going through the center. For a unique piece, it would be an attractive board, but for my needs it was no good. Trust me, the board was totally useless to make much intarsia out of. I told the guy the board was useless to me, and asked why he didnt one pass it and show me like I asked, and to that he said "you picked the board out yourself." well, I told him it was useless, and Id go get a different one, and he can one pass it and show me before going any farther, when he went and got the boss.
I had a few runins with his boss in the past, so i knew it was hopeless. I asked him to look at the board, and honestly tell me if it was select and better grade, and explained to him that I dont want the piece. He replied "thats why we let you pick out your own lumber. You chose the board and had the machining done on it." When I told him it was useless to me, and that i dont want it,he told me "now I am losing money, because it is now a 4/4 board, you picked the lumber yourself, I will sell it to you at the #1 common price." I again explained what was told to the guy milling it, and that it is useless to me in its current state and that I do not want it, and asked if they could one pass a different piece through the planer so I could confirm thats what I wanted, to which he said " No you had milling done on this ,now you dont want it, and I am losing money on this piece now that you chose." I told him I dont mind paying for the milling, and I dont mind paying for a good piece, but I will not buy that piece as it is useless to me." He just looked at me stubbornly, so I said "I will go elsewhere as I know of more then one place to buy hardwood lumber," and I walked out empty handed (I even forgot to buy my Bartleys gel varnish!). So back home, and I dug out a 2 1/4 thick piece from the garage and resawed it and ran it through the performax because I dont feel like driving to Badger hardwoods today, its just to windy and nasty outside.
So, was I obligated to purchase that walnut board, or was I right in leaving without it? Either way, I still am glad I didnt buy it (btw, it was $5.18 a board foot ) . Dale
One employee came by, and I described what I needed, and asked if he could run it through the planer once so I could see how it looked. He looked at me totally puzzled, and said "You want this planed?" To that I replied "I need it as thick as possible, and will want it one passed through the sander (to save me time), but I want to see it after one planer pass first." Again, with a totally puzzled look, he said "You want this ran through the sander after planing?" At that point, I bit my tongue, because who would sand it first, THEN plane it??????????????? I replied "yes, but let me see the piece after you run it through the planer."
So while he took the piece to the back, I rummaged around looking at some nice curly red oak, and stuff like that. It took him about 5 to 10 minutes before he came back with my walnut. It was planed, AND was sanded nicely, but he did not show me it after one passing it, and he had it down to just under 7/8 inch thick.The board had bug holes and some mineral deposit staining throughout, as well as about 20% sapwood on one end, and a 12 inch split going through the center. For a unique piece, it would be an attractive board, but for my needs it was no good. Trust me, the board was totally useless to make much intarsia out of. I told the guy the board was useless to me, and asked why he didnt one pass it and show me like I asked, and to that he said "you picked the board out yourself." well, I told him it was useless, and Id go get a different one, and he can one pass it and show me before going any farther, when he went and got the boss.
I had a few runins with his boss in the past, so i knew it was hopeless. I asked him to look at the board, and honestly tell me if it was select and better grade, and explained to him that I dont want the piece. He replied "thats why we let you pick out your own lumber. You chose the board and had the machining done on it." When I told him it was useless to me, and that i dont want it,he told me "now I am losing money, because it is now a 4/4 board, you picked the lumber yourself, I will sell it to you at the #1 common price." I again explained what was told to the guy milling it, and that it is useless to me in its current state and that I do not want it, and asked if they could one pass a different piece through the planer so I could confirm thats what I wanted, to which he said " No you had milling done on this ,now you dont want it, and I am losing money on this piece now that you chose." I told him I dont mind paying for the milling, and I dont mind paying for a good piece, but I will not buy that piece as it is useless to me." He just looked at me stubbornly, so I said "I will go elsewhere as I know of more then one place to buy hardwood lumber," and I walked out empty handed (I even forgot to buy my Bartleys gel varnish!). So back home, and I dug out a 2 1/4 thick piece from the garage and resawed it and ran it through the performax because I dont feel like driving to Badger hardwoods today, its just to windy and nasty outside.
So, was I obligated to purchase that walnut board, or was I right in leaving without it? Either way, I still am glad I didnt buy it (btw, it was $5.18 a board foot ) . Dale
What! There's no coffee?!!
) . You plainly stated what services you required as a customer . Focus is the key to service and it sounds like the associate was woefully lax in this regard. I loathe their us-against-them mentality as well and will write up an associate in a heartbeat for it. You were absolutely justified in walking away . I would have done the same thing ( or worse ). I am grateful for a customer who plainly states his/her needs ( so many don't ) . It's a shame that this proprietor doesn't recognize a good customer when they see one . There's nothing wrong with " minding the store " , but never at the expense of the customer. Ya done good sir ....sleep well at nite 
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