The Mower Shop

On the 12th day I stopped on my way home from work to pick up my mower. The guy said did we call you. I said no but I was promised that everything would be done in 12 days. He looked up to see if it was done and it wasn't. He said that they had someone quit and they were running behind. I decided to pick up my mower and go elsewhere. When I got home I told my wife what had happen and she said that she thought that I had quit using The Mower Shop since I had problems with them one other time. They charge too much for their mowers and for their service or lack of. I will never use them again.

They could not get basic parts in a timely manner. Then put other clients ahead of me.

I called ahead, described my mower with model and serial number and gave the exact name of the part. The person that I talked to on the phone told me they had the part and to write down the number so they wouldn't have to look it up again when I came in. I arrived, gave them the part number that they had given me over the phone, paid for the part and left. After I had torn down the mower and retrieved the old part I discovered they had given me the wrong one (a drive belt). When I returned and told them I wasn't happy that they had given me the wrong part, the manager proceeded to verbally abuse me for even suggesting that they had made a mistake. I have bought two riding mowers from them as well as a snow blower and a gas powered blower plus many parts through the years. I told this to the manager and that I didn't think that was the way to treat a customer. All I got back was a blank stare.

This company does good work on the job performed. I was charged for a whole check over of the mower. If this had been done, they would have found the problem with the power drive system.

We bought a $700 Honda push mower from The Mower Shop last year, and paid extra for a service plan including blade sharpening. They told me to bring my blades in. In fact, I bought another pair of blades from them so I wouldn't have to be without mower blades. When I put the new blades on my mower, my previously very reliable Honda mower wouldn't start. I assume it's from flooding or oil in Carb- obviously something very correctable. I tried over the weekend to clean air filter, sparkplug, etc- to no avail. I took the mower in at 8 am on Monday morning, they said it would be two weeks to look at it. When I asked why so long, the desk person said, there are 350 mowers in front of you. I called to speak to the manager, Matt. I asked if he thought this amount of time was a problem. He said he didn't consider it a problem. He told me they only evaluate mowers sooner for their commercial cutters, the guys who do this for a living. Otherwise it's like Ruth's Chris- if you come in on Friday night with no reservation, you're going to have to wait. I explained that I couldn't schedule this service, especially since I was just took the blades off the mower over the weekend. He said he just had a similar conversation with another customer earlier in the day who asked why the didn't have more help- which he told me was because he'd either have to lay people off later or he wouldn't make as much money. Thanks for the business 101 lesson, Matt. The disappointing part is that he didn't consider this amount of time unusual or a problem. I checked around on Angie's List- there are several more highly rated shops just as close- I called several of them and they could do it in 4-7 days or less, and for less $/hour. The Mower Shop's shop fee is $68/hr. I'll post follow-up to let everyone know how it goes. Bottom Line: DON'T EXPECT them to care about service unless you do it for a living. And, as noted above, I wasn't even the first person today with a problem.

They delivered the lawnmower quickly and with a full tank of gas.

The Mower Shop helped us prove that our mower was bad to the manufacturer so we could a new mower motor. They were great we will use them again.

Matt, Desi, and Jesse were very knowledgeable and accommodating on getting my snowblower fixed during our winter disaster. Very professional and good quality of work.

Very efficient with everything, they call me to let me know when things will be ready.

I called to see if we were still on the list to have our snow blower picked up and serviced. I was told we were and the equipment would be picked up sometime between December and March. I questioned the need for machine to be used this winter and the person responded rather rudely that I could bring it in for them to tune up, but for a free pick up and delivery I would have to be on their schedule. The phone conversation ended rather abruptly as I did not feel that I was being listened to. We are in our 70's and do not have the means to take the blower to them. Very discourteous to us.

I expected the result but was not pleased to hear that iIneeded to purchase another mower. They said they would apply the $30 evaluation fee to the purchase of a new mower, but I did not want to purchase another Honda and found a Toro at another shop in Carmel for less money.

EXCELLENT SERVICE PICK UP AND DELIVERY, GIVE THEM ALL AN A+.

12/6/05 Mower returned supposedly ready to go. 4/12/06 Cable Trans shift (cable broke, replaced). 7/26/06 back to shop, cable trans shift and still not right until folks at John Deer put it together right. I am sure they would not have paid the $100 without Angie's List. Had I read the smart answer Mat gave you folks, I would not have signed off. Thank you for your help.

They did a great job. They called and explained any problems before they did extra work, and everything was completed as promised. I will use them next winter as well.

CALLED AHEAD ON PHONE TO SEE IF THEY HAD WHAT I NEEDED. I HAD DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PART NUMBERS, BUT THEY JUST WANTED ME TO BRING IN THE ENTIRE MOWER. I TOOK THEM THE OLD PARTS AND THEY ACTUALLY DID HAVE WHAT I NEEDED. BASED ON THEIR ATTITUDE ON THE PHONE, I WOULDN'T HAVE MADE A SPECIAL TRIP (THEY'RE A HALF HOUR AWAY,) BUT I DID GO THERE WHEN I COULD COMBINE IT WITH ANOTHER ERRAND.

I TOOK OUR GAS TRIMMER THAT WE'D GOTTEN AT THE MOWER SHOP OVER TO THE STORE TO HAVE IT RESTRUNG YESTERDAY. PAUL, THE OWNER, IN THE SHOWROOM WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY TO HELP ME WITH RESTRINGING IT AND INSISTED THAT HE DO IT FOR NO CHARGE. THE PEOPLE AT THE MOWER SHOP ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MAKING MY HUSBAND AND I HAPPY AND SATISFIED. IT DIDN'T TAKE HIM MORE THAN 5 MINUTES TO ACTUALLY STRING THE TRIMMER, BUT IT WENT A LONG WAY TOWARD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT IN A SERVICE PROVIDER AND IN SOMEONE WHO HELPS YOU MAINTAIN EXPENSIVE LAWN EQUIPMENT. WE'LL RECOMMEND THE MOWER SHOP AND PAUL TO OUR FRIENDS.

WHEN I DROPPED OF THE TIRES, I ORIGINALLY ASKED THEY BE ''RE-SEATED'' ONTO THE RIM. (WHEEL) THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED TO HAVE THEM ''RE-TUBED.'' WHEN ASKED HOW MUCH HE SAID IT WOULD COST $30. WHEN I PICKED THEM UP THE BILL CAME TO SLIGHTLY OVER $50. THE CASHIER SAID HIS $30 QUOTE DIDN'T INCLUDE LABOR. I PAID THE BILL, BUT PROBABLY WILL NOT RETURN. I BELIEVE THIS SIMPLE REPAIR WOULD COST THE SAME HAD I HAD BRAND NEW TIRES INSTALLED SOME PLACE ELSE.

IT WAS READY THEY DAY THEY ESTIMATED IT WOULD BE FINISHED, AND WORKS GREAT. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM FOR MOWER REPAIRS.

WE NEVER HEARD FROM COMPANY. 2 1/2 WEEKS LATER, WE CALLED TO FIND OUT THE STATUS. THE COMPANY TOLD US THE MOWER WAS NOT FIXED, TECHNICIAN HAD MOWER AND WAS WAITING FOR A PART. 5 DAYS LATER, I CALLED AGAIN, AND WAS TOLD THAT WE WERE GIVEN BAD INFORMATION THE FIRST TIME AND THE MOWER HAD BEEN READY 3 WEEKS AGO. WE ASKED FOR DELIVERY OF MOWER TO OUR HOUSE AT NO COST IN CONSIDERATION OF ALL OUR TROUBLE, COMPANY REFUSED, WANTED TO CHARGE US. WE WILL NOT RETURN. NOTE THAT THE COMPANY HAD AN INCORRECT PHONE NUMBER WHEN WE FIRST DROPPED OFF THE MOWER.

GOOD SERVICE AND COMPETITIVE PRICE.

SHOP CAME UP WITH A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS NEEDING ATTENTION BESIDES FAULTY TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT. I AUTHORIZED WORK, THEN FOUND OUT PRICE. MY BAD. THEIR BAD: THE MOWER WAS PUT AWAY FOR THE WINTER AND THIS SPRING I FOUND ALL THE OIL HAD LEAKED FROM MOWER ONTO GARAGE FLOOR. SINCE PAST WARRANTY REPAIR DATE I'M STUCK. I CAN'T PROVE THEIR WORK RESULTED IN OIL LEAK AND I'M RELUCTANT TO RETURN MOWER TO THEM FOR OIL LEAK REPAIR BECAUSE I PROBABLY CANNOT AFFORD IT. IN SUMMARY: EXPENSIVE AND ADDED NEW PROBLEMS.

WHEN I STOOD IT UP ON ITS END, IT LEAKED BATTERY ACID. THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAVE TO USE A SEALED BATTERY ON THIS MODEL. I ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AND THE PARTS THAT WERE EATEN BY THE BATTERY ACID. ANOTHER TIME, AFTER I GOT IT BACK, IT STARTED STEERING FUNNY. THE BAR WAS BENT. THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A DIFFERENTIAL AND THAT IT WOULD BE AROUND $500. I NOTICED THE BAR AND REPLACED IT MYSELF. I CAN'T SAY THEY BENT THE BAR, BUT IT IS NOT NORMALLY EXPOSED AND IT WASN'T BENT BEFORE.

THE MOWER WAS PURCHASED ON 11/11/02, ON THE KNOWLEDGE IT WAS A DEMO MOWER, AND I RECEIVED A $100 DISCOUNT. I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE MOWER WHERE THE THROTTLE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SHOP, AND THEY SAID SOME DIRTY GAS WAS PUT IN THE MOWER, AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I PAID $60 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. IN THE SUMMER OF 2003, I FOUND OUT THE TYPE OF MOWER I PURCHASED WAS RECALLED BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE, AND I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER. I CALLED HONDA, AND WHEN I READ THEM THE SERIAL NUMBER OF MY MOWER, I FOUND OUT IT WAS REGISTERED UNDER SOMEONE ELSE'S NAME. I CALLED THE SHOP WHERE THE MOWER WAS BOUGHT, AND HE SAID HE DEFINED A DEMO AS AN OBJECT BEING USED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE MOWER GOT DIRT IN IT FROM THE OTHER OWNER, AND I SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE $60 IT COST ME TO REPAIR THE MOWER. I ALSO WANT TO RETURN THE MOWER AND GET MY MONEY BACK IN FULL. COST REPRESENTS THE COST OF THE MOWER AND THE REPAIR.

EVERY PERSON I DEALT WITH AT THE MOWER SHOP WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE, CUSTOMER-FOCUSED, AND HELPFUL. THEY CAME TO THE CAR TO UNLOAD THE MOWER, LISTENED CAREFULLY TO WHAT WAS WRONG, TOOK INITIATIVE TO VERIFY WARRANTY COVERAGE TO SAVE ME THE REPAIR COST, COMPLETED THE REPAIR, LOADED THE MOWER IN THE CAR, AND CHARGED NOTHING (DUE TO THE WARRANTY COVERAGE). MOWER HAS RUN PROBLEM-FREE SINCE. MEMBER WILL DEFINITELY USE THIS SHOP AGAIN FOR MOWER OR SNOW BLOWER REPAIRS.

PROFESSIONAL, HIGHLY KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WHO WERE VERY EAGER AND HAPPY TO HELP ME FIND REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MY LAWNMOWER. ALTHOUGH THEY HAD A 2 MONTH WAIT LIST FOR IN-HOUSE REPAIRS, THEY GUIDED ME THROUGH STEP BY STEP ON HOW TO DO THE BASIC REPAIRS ON MY OWN. AND THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER A CONSTRUCTION CREW ON ALLISONVILLE RD HAD STRUCK A GAS LINE AND HAD TO EVACUATE THEIR NEIGHBOR''S BUILDING!