Introducing MowMe
We, that being a group of 4 mates, have created MowMe, a lawn mowing service that is designed to address a range of problems we see with the current market offerings.
I have a reasonable sized lawn, around 150sqm on a 600sqm block. Given the Gold Coast heat, I am not a massive fan of making the job of mowing the grass my own, but I have had a range of issues when looking to get my lawns mowed by lawn care professionals, namely:
- They like to reply to enquiries with a text message saying they will do the lawns “at some point this week” or “between Weds and Sat” which doesn’t help me plan very well given they often want cash payment. The inability to dictate the exact day the lawns will be done is annoying.
- Cash payment is also a pain because it means that someone needs to be home to give them the cash, or the cash needs to be left somewhere with instructions provided on how to find it.
- Trying to find out how much a job will cost is a long process. Jim’s Lawns got me to submit an enquiry for a quote through their website, then called me, then had someone come to site. The process to get a quote took three days.
- I actually don’t mind doing the lawns in colder months, but sometimes I just don’t have the time, so the option to book a one-off mow appeals, but most mowers just aren’t interested, or at least don’t prioritise meeting expectations on one-off jobs. What if you want a touch up close to a special occasion like Christmas?
We don’t see why we should still be jumping through hoops to get our lawns mowed when it’s nearly 2020, we have the technology to make Mowing-as-a-Service a thing (please don’t hate me, I’ll try not to use that term again I promise).
So what are we doing about it?
Mowme.app is both the booking platform and the supplier of the service, this is absolutely not a Customer-to-Customer play where we seek to connect consumers with mowers. MowMe is the company handling the mowing.
A couple of other key points to note:
- Initial service release is currently limited to the Gold Coast (that’s in Queensland, Australia).
- We have very much followed the lean start-up model, so the first version of MowMe is not even close to how we see the experience presenting in full flight (I will write up a whole post on our approach to starting up soon).
- Stage 1 (the stage we currently find ourselves in) is to test market demand, we will then look to improve on the platform, experience and supply side model.
As we see it, the Australian lawn mowing market is basically split into two categories: Jim’s Mowing franchises and independent operators. Both models have a range of inefficiencies and the market generally has not been one to adapt as technology has evolved.
The problems we seek to address are split into two categories, consumer side and supplier side. In this post I am only addressing the consumer side. The easiest way to find out what we are offering is to go to MowMe.app and take a look, but if you don’t live on the Gold Coast, here are some key details for you…
As a more formal outline, here are the consumer issues we want to address:
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Obtaining a quote.
- Problem: While you can request a quote online from many operators, they invariably end up sending you an email, sending someone on site, and then giving you a price. The whole process takes days.
- MowMe Solution: MowMe gets users to add their address and then uses some special sauce to determine lawn size and present a charge range.
How much will it cost?
- Problem: Too often a mower will turn up on site without confirming the cost for the job, this leaves room for misunderstandings and dissatisfaction.
- MowMe Solution: Our instant quote matched with our price guarantee locks in the price. We present a price range e.g. $40–60 and guarantee that we won’t exceed the upper limit.
Hard to schedule one-off mow.
- Problem: Customer-to-Customer sites are clunky. Lodge your details/requirements. Select from a range of responses, then make a decision and engage directly.
- MowMe Solution: How much better would an app be if it allowed you to get an immediate price point, and select a time to have a lawn mowed? Heaps, that’s how much.
Scheduling recurring cycle and managing changes is awkward.
- Problem: So you have used a Customer-to-Customer site or found a lawn mower through word of mouth, how do you keep track of when they are coming next? What if plans change? How do you communicate? Via text? Via email? Via phone call? Letter in the mailbox ;-)
- MowMe Solution: In our scenario, you just go to the app, select a recurring appointment that works for you, and one of our team will attend site. All requests are handled automatically, no need for backwards and forwards comms trying to find a time that works.
Viewing/adjusting schedule.
- Problem: Lack of visibility and ability to adjust.
- MowMe Solution: With the app customers will have a clear view of when their last mow was, when their next mow is going to be, and what their spend year to date has been for lawns.
Payment
- Problem: Many providers request cash on completion of service, requiring cash to be carried and the customer to be home at the time of the mow. Other providers bill you every x number of mows, not ideal from a cash-flow perspective.
- MowMe Solution: Paying through the app removes the need to be home for payment to be made (if you’ve got dogs you’ll have to keep them inside while we are there), enables receipts to be downloaded with ease, and removes the chance of any awkward requests for cash payments.
Please check out mowme.app and let us know what you think, feedback is appreciated and we are also happy to answer any questions.
Thanks,
Brendan (on behalf of the MowMe team)
