Does it make the cut? Contact 6 tests Plowz and Mowz lawn service
OAK CREEK — Too busy to mow your lawn? There's an app for that. More customers are signing up for on-demand lawn care. Contact 6 put the service provided by Plowz and Mowz to the test.
Amy Goettmann helped Contact 6 with the test. She said sometimes it's tough to keep up with how fast her lawn grows.
Amy Goettmann
"Especially this year, with the rain, it's just been out of control," Goettman said. "I have two teenagers who don't always like to help. I'm busy a lot on the weekends."
Goettmann said the Plowz and Mowz service sounded like a good idea.
"If I need to schedule somebody at the last minute, it sounded like a great option," she said.
With Plowz and Mowz, you can book a mow with just one day's notice. A quarter-acre lot with grass up to five inches costs between $42 every seven days to $52.50 for a one time. A sales and service fee is added to that cost.
"If this works out well, I'd be more than happy to use it on a regular basis," Goettmann said before the test.
Goettman booked a mow, but on the scheduled day, it rained. Plowz and Mowz rescheduled.
On the rescheduled day, an app partner arrived, walked the property and left. An email said the service was delayed due to an equipment malfunction.
The next day, another partner arrived.
A text said a section of the yard was sinking and the contractor couldn't mow the whole lawn because he might ruin it. He used a weed wacker in some soggy places as a solution. Afterward, an email from Plowz and Mowz confirmed the job was completed with a picture.
The app's co-founder, Wills Mahoney, said they partner with more than 100 Milwaukee landscaping companies.
"Over 90% of our orders, the customer rates five stars," Mahoney said. "They're constantly being rated, so if they fall below four out of five stars, they immediately get deactivated from our platform."
Overall, Goettmann gave the service a B- and said some of the spots were uneven.
"It's actually pretty good," she said about the work. "It just seems like they might have been hurrying a little bit."
Goettman said she'd use Plowz and Mowz again.
"Sometimes, I would rather I just have it done and have it mowed than try to struggle to create time to do it myself," she said.
The app has been available in the Milwaukee area for three years. Local landscaping companies said they charge $35 to 50 for regular service of a yard like Goettmann's, so the app's prices are comparable.