SORRYA LONG STORY, BUT.....

I am interested in learning taxidermy (thanks to everyone for their advice on my last post). Yesterday I went to a local taxidermist a few miles from my house to see if maybe I could hang out at his shop to learn a few basics. I told him I would do fleshing/scraping, sweep the floors, mow the grass, etc, whatever he needed...all for free. I said I'd do anything he needed done FOR FREE, just because I want to learn and he has a superb reputation. So he really wouldn't be hiring me, just letting me hang out, and at the same time be getting free labor. He was a really nice guy, we talked for about an hour, looked around his shop. He has seven guys working for him. I told him I was moving in a few weeks, and I've already quit my job, so I could help all day for two weeks and learn all I could before I move. He said he didn't think that'd be a good idea. I explained to him that I wouldn't be taking any of his business because I'm moving, but he still wouldn't crack! Anyway, I'll learn by myself I guess, it was worth a shot.

Anyway, long story short: We went in the "storage" room, and it was FULL of stuff! I asked him how much work he has to do, and he said he is THREE YEARS BEHIND!!!!!!!!!!!!

THREE YEARS!!!! I just started laughing! I couldn't believe it. Even with seven guys (eight including him) and a secretary, three years! He has a great reputation, and does beautiful work, but there's no way I would bring anything to him. That is a looooong, looooong time.

Here's an example of a phone conversation:
RING, RING, RING.
hunter: "Hello"
tax: "This is _______ Taxidermy. We have your deer done. You can come pick it up."
hunter: "Who?"
tax: "________Taxidermy. You brought us a mount three and a half years ago."
hunter: "A mount? Who is this?"
tax: "IT'S THE TAXIDERMIST!"
hunter: "I shot a deer?"
tax: "YES! And I mounted it, and you need to come get it!"
hunter: "You MOUNTED it? Why?"
tax: "Sir, just come get your deer"
hunter: "Who is this?"
tax: "COME GET YOUR D#MN DEER!"
hunter: "Do I know you from somewhere?"
tax: "@^(*^$#%^*(($%%#$$%%^%**)*%$#!!!!!!!!!!"

ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC!!!!!! LOL!

Since I am trying to get into the business, I have a few questions about this. First of all, at whatpoint does someone say "Maybe I need more help" or "my system isn't really working", or "Well we're really behind. We're not accepting any more work. You'll have to wait three years, and I don't want my customers dissatisfied with waiting too long."

Wouldn't somebody make more money by getting stuff out the door? I know quality work takes time, but three years? C'mon, that is rediculous. With that much work, it looks like he could afford to pay more people to help him. I would be really disappointed if I had to tell a customer: "Well, call me back in April of 2009". I would be even more disappointed if I was a customer!

To me, taking less work, while still doing an outstanding job would be more imortant than having tons of work that I'll never get done. That makes for bad business, and I would think would run some customers off. (So would turning some away I guess, but I would respect someone who told me: "Honestly, I can't get to it. Bring us your next one".).

From the customer standpoint, I would never, never take anything back there no matter how good it looked if I waited on something for three years.

Anyway, sorry again for the long post, but what would yall say is a fair time to get a finished product back to a customer?