A:  We use a relatively new technique (word was coined in 2006) called "crowdsourcing".

Wikipedia describes it as "the act of taking tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, and outsourcing them to a group of people or community, through an "open call" to a large group of people (a crowd) ...". That's exactly what we do. When a order is placed it's automatically sent to the mowers we have that want to mow within that zip code. Whoever is closest and available accepts the order, mows the lawn, submits photographs as proof that the job was done satisfactorily and is then paid immediately over the internet.

Obviously this is less expensive to operate then the traditional lawn care business who has a local business location, a fleet of trucks and equipment, and operators who answer calls and create daily routes. While the traditional mower working for a business may receive $8 to $10 an hour, our mowers receive nearly 90% of each order, with the remaining 10% going towards credit card processing fees and maintaining the website. This makes LawnMowingOnline very desirable to anyone who wishes to make a living from mowing lawns, and the more mowers we have the more areas we can offer services.

A:  We never knock on the door.  That is part of our policy, the idea that you can click a few buttons online and have your lawn mowed without ever having to even meet the lawn mower.

A:  We will mow the next day, weather permitting.  If it continues to rain we will mow the next dry day.

A:  It was probably forecast to rain.  We subscribe to Accuweather.com.  If Accuweather.com predicts rain in your area on the date scheduled we can not guarantee the mower will mow that day.  If they do not mow they will mow the next day that rain is not forecast.  If the lawn was not mowed and the reason was not weather related you will be given a full refund.  

A:  Your payments are handled by Paypal.com, by far the easiest and safest way to purchase something over the internet. Paypal is owned by eBay, and all eBay auction transactions are handled by Paypal, over 1 million transactions a day. When you click the "Checkout with Paypal" button on the checkout screen the information you have entered is sent to Paypal and you are sent to Paypal to finalize the payment.  Your credit card information is never shared with us, only the lawn mowing information entered on our website. 

This is similar to shopping at a store. The cashier scans and totals up your purchase. You then swipe your card and sign your name. The cashier never sees your card.

A:  Although we are actively pursuing other business ventures we do not have any that are ready for public usage, however we are always looking for new ideas. If you have any suggestions please send them to us through the Contact Us page.

A:  At this time, no.  All orders must be placed online. 

A:  Unfortunately no.  All orders must be placed online, but if you are very happy with the quality of his/her work you may give the mower a tip.

A:  The contractors do clean up afterwards, they have to submit photos of the lawn they mowed before they are paid and no one wants to take a photo of a grass covered driveway and submit it for payment.  Since these are contractors the equipment varies, most have blowers or other devices to clear grass off the sidewalk and driveway.
 

A:  We're were working on a way to do reoccurring payments.  In the meantime the order form does allow selection of a date for mowing, our regulars have just been choosing several future dates.

A:  Dawn to Dusk.

A:   The smallest mowing option is 0 sq ft through 10,890 sq ft, so you would be charged for that option.

A:  Yes.  When you place a order put a check in the box next to "Message to the Mower" and put in the textbox that you would like the mower to knock before mowing.

A:  When you place a order put a check in the box next to "Message to the Mower" and put in the textbox the combination or where the key will be hidden.  A good place to hide a key is the mailbox.

A:  We only offer mulching services, we do not bag.   

A:   We've considered it but there are a few problems with offering bagging. First, the system is setup that anyone with a mower and weed eater could mow lawns, you don't need a truck, trailer and professional riding mower if you only want to mow local 1/4 acre lots. If we offer bagging then at least a trailer would be required which may prevent some mowers from accepting those jobs.

Not only that but bagging 1 acre is far more work and time consuming than bagging 1/4 acre so we'd have to charge more depending on the size of the lot.

Then there's the issues with disposal of the grass clippings. In many areas it is illegal to throw away grass clippings, so mowers would need to know where to dispose of the grass in their area. These locations could be far away, requiring further time and money, and be expensive. For example, the closest yard waste disposal facility to our St. Louis location is 60 miles away and charges $1 per 30 gallon bag.

In addition some cities have even stepped in and strongly discouraged bagging grass clippings: http://www.fortworthgov.org/dem/info/default.aspx?id=4976

So as you can see offering bagging isn't really a viable option.

A:  By definition, "edging" is using a gardening tool like a edger and driving it deep into the lawn and turf to define a clear separation between the lawn and a walkway or other paved surface.  

Since true edging requires additional tools and is very time consuming we can not offer this service at this time without an additional charge, instead the "edging" we offer is using the weed trimmer to trim the grass around the sidewalk and driveway very closely.