‘Uber for lawn mowing’ comes to Tennessee
The old way of hiring someone to maintain your lawn — getting recommendations from neighbors and friends, scheduling an in-person visit to see your property, waiting days for a quote all while your grass keeps growing — is coming to an end.
That’s thanks to Lawn Love, the San Diego, California-based company working to streamline how homeowners hire lawn care providers and how professionals get jobs. The app launched in Tennessee on Oct. 5.
Lawn Love CEO Jeremy Yamaguchi, 31, said the best way to think about his service is to compare it to a ride share company like Uber or Lyft. But instead of requesting a driver to take you around town, you’re requesting mowing, gardening and other lawn care.
And instead of waiting days for a quote and leaving a cash under the
doormat, the app using satellite mapping technology to give you a quote immediately, assign a lawn care pro, schedule the service and make payments all in minutes.
While there are some similarities between an app like Uber and Lawn Love, there are some key differences too.
“Lawn care tends to be a recurring service,” Yamaguchi said. “We assumed correctly that customers don’t want to log in every week or two weeks.”
While a customer can use the app to schedule a one-time service, you can also schedule ongoing services with the frequency you choose.
Yamaguchi also said the company will work hard to make sure you get the same lawn professional every time. That helps to build trust and make for better service over time. But if your normal servicer has mechanical troubles or takes off on vacation, another of the thousands of providers on the Lawn Love network can easily fill in before your grass gets overgrown.
For those looking to get hired, Lawn Love has a system of set pricing based on the size of the project. Just choose the projects, get the work done and get paid within two days.
Prospective service providers should know they won’t technically be working for the company, though. They will be a private contractor using Lawn Love’s technology. That means they can choose their own hours, but it also means they’ll need to own and maintain their own lawn equipment.
Yamaguchi also added that competition can be stiff. The company only approves about 5 percent of those who request to join their network.
Professionals have to pass a background check, a skills test and those with the most experience get priority. The average professional has about 10 years of experience.