HonestWood™
Personal Service
We answer questions all day long about wood projects.
Because we are committed to answering every request, our phones ring off the hook. In order to make sure you get the attention
you deserve we ask that you help us help you.
When you call our toll free line you will be asked a few questions to confirm if we can truly help with your project.
If it looks like we can we will set up project consultation with a sales expert.
This a 15 minute free consultation. If our products and services are a good project match, we will also give you a verbal "ball park" price and total cost estimate
to help you plan your project costs.
BEFORE we can give you a Ball Park Price we will need to know the approximate square feet required and the
ship to location (city, state, zip). This information is used to make sure everyone who calls gets called back
receives the customer service we have promised. Your information will not be shared or sold.
We know it is a pain to have to be called back but that is the only way we can get to everyone. We are telling you up front what to expect so you can be prepared.
All we need is a zip code for delivery, your name for our records, a phone number to call you back and an email address to send the quote to. We can quote if you know a pattern type and size, species, grade and square footage amount. We will ask if you would like to receive our digital newsletter once a month.
If you aren’t sure what you want you can just describe the project and what you had in mind to the best of your ability and we can help you decide when we call you back.
You will be asked a good time to call back when you will be in front of a computer with internet access so a sales person can better help you.
Our sales staff is trained to use the site to help you get a better visual idea about the woods you are considering. We have an extensive digital library of wood types and customer projects in order to help you get that “feeling” you are after.
We give every customer individual attention and uninterrupted time with our sales staff.
We answer everyone from the guy who wants 2 sticks to multi million dollar developers. Our motto is that we try to help everyone even if we don’t make every sale.
Looking forward to talking to you!
CONTACT Buffalo Lumber
Giving Structure to Ideas
Every project starts out as a desire to do something. Some people have a very clear picture in their head and some aren’t really sure what they want but they want something and they will know it when they see it.
Each customer has a different set of priorities that go along with that desire. Cost is always a factor but there are usually other determining factors- why do you want it? What are you hoping to gain? What are you trying to accomplish? Is it a look or a feel you are going for or is environmental responsibility the driving priority? Once we have established the driving priority we can begin structuring the budget to match.
The ability to climb into people’s head, determine priorities and give structure to ideas is what sets us apart. We are visualizers so you don’t have to be. You can bring any desire no matter how vague and we can tell you what it will take to make it a reality.
Why come to us? That is easy – we know what we are talking about and we back it up. People sometimes say to me “Well, I can get that cheaper somewhere else”, and I say “look we are not always the best price because we can’t be everywhere; we are guaranteed value.”
It may cost more to ship from a quality supplier because he is farther away. Our builders don’t care about a few extra bucks in shipping – they care about a few less headaches on the jobsite. We have taken the time to determine true project priorities with the decision makers so there are no surprises.
Ever had your project delayed a few weeks because someone got the wrong wood? How much does that cost? How much is peace of mind worth?
Honest Wood™
We do not always tell you what you want to hear, we give you the truth. Many times the best value is not the least up front cost. We aren’t concerned with making every sale; we make quality matches that create lasting results for our customers.
Sometimes we can’t help. Part of our service to you is letting you know when we are not the best value option. There are good suppliers out there who will service your needs and we let you know who you can trust. This way you know to come to us when you need honest advice. That pays off for our business and for you.
We tell you the truth about real costs associated with what you are doing so there are no surprises down the road. We never sugar coat real costs; however, we are pretty good at this and we often do have the best price.
My job as customer advocate is to get you the best value with what I know and to guide you through the process unscathed.
Example of a bad match-
Guy comes to me and wants to do a very large lodge in Alaska with pine log siding. During our discussions he lets me know that this is family owned land and business and he wants it to last for his kids and grandkids. He is getting older and he doesn’t want as much maintenance.
I know that in order to make pine work you need to protect it on all surface areas before you install and be very diligent with your maintenance schedule or it will fail. It will take a truckload to do his lodge.
I told him what it would take to make the pine work and suggested that he have it factory sealed before shipping. He insisted that his people could do it on the jobsite.
You have to understand we are talking about thousands of feet of pine siding being stained on both sides, on a beach, in Alaska by unskilled laborers. It is not going to be pretty.
If he does it right, it will take forever and they will need a place to dry it. If he does it wrong, the cost to his project will be substantially more than factory finishing.
What is going to happen is that they are going to end up taking shortcuts and the pine will not be properly protected. Now he will have an even bigger nightmare on his hands in 3 or 4 years. I know all this because I have seen it before.
The best value option for this guy was to save the nightmare of field staining and the expense of the pine failing in a few years by having it factory coated with the best of the best sealant. This would have provided him with a less severe maintenance schedule and the product would last.
My quote came in 50% higher than the nearest raw pine competitor (because of the staining and the cost of using the best) and he freaked. I calmly told him the truth and he went another way.
This is an important distinction in that it would cost him 50% more up front to get the results he was after but he chose to save money up front and buy a nightmare down the road.
I could have sold him a truckload of raw pine log siding and I could have thrown my hat in with all the other best price guys but I knew that was a recipe for disaster because he already told me he wasn’t going to do the maintenance. I didn’t quote it raw and he bought somewhere else.
I avoided the nightmare because of my experience and he headed toward it because he didn’t want to hear the truth.
The truth is not always easy to deal with but it is always the best way to go. It saves everyone time and money. The value of our experience can save you thousands of dollars in problems. We help you understand the difference between the cost of success and the cost of failure.
If you want to do it right, call us and we can help. If you want to save money, call this guy I am sure he has a deal for you.
