Lawn Doctor

Had always used Tender Lawn or AAA....thought I might try to save some money this year. Wished I had looked in Angie’s List before giving them my $! Take a look at all the F ratings and WHY they received their F....same for me. Late season start, poor quality results...etc. The thing that bothered me the most after ALL 4 applications (I got rid of them after 4) I had to blow of fertilizer from my driveway sidewalks and patio. Now, as I walk through my lawn, I have NEVER had more weeds. Remember the old saying....you get what you pay for!

Let me first say I have never had a lawn service prior to 2016. I used Tru-Green. When I originally started looking for a local company, rather than Tru-Green who I'd used the year before with fine results, I spoke with Kendall Hines at Lawn Doctor Grand Rapids. While he is clearly a go-getter and a salesman, and the owner's son, he was not able to deliver on promises made! I had to contact Lawn Doctor 3 times to get the service started! Other lawn services had already done first applications for customers. I was told several times, the ground was too cold. That worked until I checked with MSU and found the ground had been warm enough for two-three weeks. When I finally did get the owner, Mike Hines, to come out, I showed him the crabgrass that was already starting. He stated it wasn't crab grass but rather a broad-leaf weed and the broad leaf weed control product he would be spraying would take care of it. Not only did it not take care of the crab grass, it didn't take care of the other broad leaf weeds! The crab grass continued to multiply and has consumed over 50% of my back yard and front yard. I believe this company took on way more work than they could handle for 2017. I don't believe the products they are using and/or the method they are using for spraying are effective. Mid-way through the season, apparently, an "operations manager" came on board, Michael Brooks. He has stated several times that he was "brought in to fix the problems" that are/were occurring with Lawn Doctor. I did get him to come out on August 31 and actually look at my lawn. NO ONE HAD EVER COME OUT NOT EVEN WHEN I GOT THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE, I PROVIDED SQUARE FOOTAGE BASED ON TRU-GREEN'S ACTUAL MEASUREMENT LAST YEAR. I only switched because I wanted to deal with a local company rather than a national company. BIG MISTAKE! Michael (who gave me a business card indicating he is a "partner and operations manager" walked the entire acre with my husband and I on August 31st (four full months after service began) and in the end said, "This is the worst lawn I've seen to date with the most crab grass". He then made arrangements to come spray it himself. That occurred a few days later. HE HAND SPRAYED ENTIRE ACRE. It did kill the crab grass and some of the weeks but now I'm left with a brown yard. SEE THIRD PHOTO The photos I have attached tell the story better than I could. One photo is of my front lawn last year on September 9, 2016 and the other shows the condition of my front lawn from same view on September 9, 2017. i contacted Michael Brooks, September 15 and sent photos of the dead crab grass areas along with photos of a bucket of weeds my husband had hand-picked that very day and asked "what's next". I got a response stating he had "upheld his end of the bargain--killing the crab grass" and wanted me to sign up for another year and offering to power seed the areas where crab grass was killed for free but only guaranteeing it if I signed up for next year! He has was recommending that I pay another $350 to have the whole yard power seeded. including areas he "felt" had been brown for a long time including along driveway. I sent him the two photos below and it clearly shows I did not have dead grass along driveway last September! I responded that I did not intend to throw good money after bad. I didn't need power seeding just one year ago as witnessed by the photo from last year and the only reason I have dead grass all over the place is because Lawn Doctor's service didn't make anything better only worse! I requested a full refund of my $642 as I do not believe anything that was done in the previous treatments did anything. I have two more applications owed but I see no reason to put fertilizer on a dead lawn. I'm waiting for a response to my request for a full refund. Tru-Green will be getting me back as a customer next year. Lesson learned--I will never pay up front again not even for a discounted rate.

The quality of the ongoing services provided have been excellent. This is the second consecutive season that I've hired Lawn Doctor and plan to continue using their services into the future.

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We have always done our own Scott's program on our lawn but met Lawn Doctor at the home improvement expo at the Delta Plex in Feb/march. They did immediate pricing and payment with a expo discount that was close to what we were paying to do ourselves. First application was weeks after our neighbors service providers had completed theirs. I called and we were on the schedule for a week or so out. Front lawn seemed stunted and unhealthy. Aeration was recommended which I accepted but they didn't come out to aerate. spring and summer brought more late applications at which point maple tree seedlings had sprouted and our front lawn looked like a small forest. Like 1000's of baby trees and to the point where it was choking the sod. Broad leaf application did not kill these and I was told that the mower would take care of it. Well it didn't and after threatening to cancel my service they ended up coming out to retreat. Problem solved maple trees died within a few days of retreatment. Fast forward to fall: lawn was not the rich green compared to years past that you typically see with winterization step and small patches of dead grass were starting. By the following spring I thought we were going to need to till under the sod and start over. The lawn was patches of dead grass and didn't really recover until almost July when the mower was actually cutting the grass blades. Luckily trugreen was able to bring it back. It is now rich and lush again. I swear they were skimping on the chemicals. $500 vs $300 I guess you get what you pay for.

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I saw no improvement in the health or quality of my lawn.  I have more weeds than ever; I will be going back to using Scott's Brand products for this year.  Provider did nothing to address the prevalence of excess weeds.

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When I called for a core aeration service, I also signed up for a fertilizer and weed control program for the season.  They provided the core aeration and 1st fertilization/weed control in late April, 2015.  When they presented the bill after the work, I mentioned that I had a coupon for half off the first fertilizer application.  I was told to make the adjustment when I made my payment.  I submitted the payment on May 1.  On May 17, I received an e-mail from Kendall that they had not received payment.  I checked my bank statement and found that the check was cashed on May 12.  I responded to his e-mail but never heard back.  They came back for a 2nd fertilization/weed control in early June, 2015.  The bill that was left in my door showed that there was a balance owing from the 1st application - the amount I was told to deduct for the coupon.  I immediately called their office and was told that Kendall was aware of this but had not been able to catch up on his paperwork.  She told me to make the regular payment amount.  I submitted the payment on June 8.  In the meantime, I had also received a 2nd non-payment e-mail notice.  I responded to this 2nd e-mail as well and never heard back from anyone from Lawn Doctor.  It is now August 17, and I have not had a fertilizer, weed application since early June.  Weeds are present throughout my yard.  They used a core aeration Big Deal to sign me up for a fertilizer and weed control program, but their service failed miserably!

The service worked out good. They came out to check it out right away, maybe a week later or so after I purchased the Big Deal, but then, it was a while after that before they came and did the work. We purchased additional services. My husband was the one out there with them.

We had paid for this early in the spring, however, with the wet spring it was a while before they showed up.

We were holding up fertilizing based on when the aeration, but it finally got done and we were able

to get our preemergence down in time to prevent major weed seeds.  Nice young man showed up and did the work.  If needed,

I would hire this company again.

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Yard looks great. Will use them again!

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The provide never made contact with me before arrival as promised, the provider never even checked to see if I was home upon arrival. The provider missed 2 sections of my yard, one measuring 8ft by 60ft and told my later that they could not get into my back yard because they couldn't fit into my 36inch gate, not sure why they couldn't fit since they clearly state they can fit into a 36inch gate. After contacting the provider several times, he made excuses and sent someone out the following morning to fix the small section missed and get into the back yard. This time upon waking up i notice that the 8ft by 60ft section was left untouched and my gate was ripped off the hinges. I am appalled at how unprofessional the service was and that they left a thank you note after breaking my gate. Very lousy service, would not recommend to anyone unless they want their property ruined. 

Lawn Doctor came in and took over our lawn care after another service destroyed it. We have some tricky areas in our yard that we've had problems trying to get grass established. Lawn Doctor has been working very diligently to get the grass established. We had an area that didn't take from hydroseeding and without additional charges they came out repeatedly working on that area. It only takes one email or call and Lawn Doctor is at my home the very next day. We will contract with Lawn Doctor again for the 2015 season.

Overall, the experience was simple and smooth. Mike recommended an exact care plan, down to a recommended mower height and watering schedule. He then prescribed a Lawn Doctor service plan to thicken and green our yard. We stuck to the plan and so did he...and every morning we awakened to a lush, green lawn.

Mike is a bona fide expert with an excellent sense of service...traits too often forgotten in today's low quality environment. You trust him with your lawn because he takes pride in great, lasting results, not in simply collecting fees. His old-fashioned sense of hard-work and commitment is worth the small price you pay for it. After you meet him and see the difference he can make, I'm sure you'll agree.