How do yall do it?

I get so aggravated sometimes with the way people around here abuse someone in the forestry business. I know all about giving bids on a tract of timber. I know all about working on a percentage basis, but what really gripes my backside is these people who call you to come look at their timber, and after spending the time doing so, lead you to believe they are going to do the job, and then ask "what's it going to be worth?". When they ask me that, in the past Ive always taken extra time out of my schedule and cruised their timber as accurately as possible, and then give them a dollar figure thats as close as anybody is capable of estimating. Now for the aggravating part: all too often they are either shopping for a 2nd opinion and not telling me up front about it, or they never had any intention of cutting in the first place. Do people just not realize that what they ask me to do is a JOB that people get PAID TO DO? My question to yall is how do you handle people like that??? Ive just about came to the conclusion that when they do that, Im going to start getting it in writing up front that my professional advice is worth $500 up front, which will be refunded upon starting the job. Ive done timber cruises for banks, credit institutions, etc... in the past and they never had a problem paying for it, so why should a landowner get that service for free?