A Beautiful Cut: Does It Really Matter?

Walker has been manufacturing out-front zero-turn mowers for 39 years. From the very beginning, our focus has been to design a machine that delivers a beautiful cut time and again.

What does it take to deliver high-quality mowing? Having a mower that is light on its feet is one prerequisite, just as having an out-front deck is another. Maneuverability, a floating deck and an integrated grass-handling system are among other important features of Walker Mowers without which a beautiful cut would be very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

Having a lightweight mower with an out-front deck is a must when striving to deliver high-quality mowing.

But does delivering a beautiful cut really matter? It does and here are just a few reasons why. The first one is obvious. If your company targets highend residential and commercial customers, nothing less than a beautiful cut is acceptable. Bryan Starnes, owner of Bryan’s Lawn Maintenance and Landscape in Irmo, South Carolina, has been in business 28 years and operating Walker Mowers for 15 of those years. Today, his customer base is comprised almost entirely of high-end residential accounts.

Making sure customers are satisfied is only one of his goals. Starnes says, “Every time one of our three maintenance crews pulls up to a property, their intent is to make the neighbors jealous. When we leave that property, we want the neighbors to pay attention and ask themselves, ‘Why can’t our lawns look like that?’ The answer is they can. All they have to do is give us a call and many do.”

Even customers with slightly lower expectations can appreciate a beautiful cut, according to Jared Spooner, who, with father Jerry Spooner, operates Groom and Bloom Lawn Care in Fort Morgan, Colorado.

“There’s an inherent psychological benefit that all customers receive from getting a nice mowing job,” Jared says. “Even though average homeowners may not be as picky as some of their higher-end counterparts, their lawns will stand out from the crowd, and that makes them feel good and appreciate the work we do. What’s more satisfying than getting notes from customers who say they are thrilled by the way their lawn looks?”

Groom and Bloom has been in business 21 years. The company has 115 residential and commercial customers, and operates five Walker Mowers. Jerry notes that the psychological benefit can go two ways. “We’re very competitive and thrive on competition. I was a high school coach and Jared was a college athlete. We want to have an edge on our competition. The Walker Mower gives us that edge. We’ve tried several different mowers over the years and absolutely nothing comes close.”

“We’re not simply cutting grass; we’re making a property look beautiful, whether it’s the medical center and bank that sit next to each other at an intersection in town, or a property in the country,” adds Jared.

He continues, “We’re located in a rather small community of 11,000-plus residents. People know us and our reputation is based on the work we do. It’s pretty simple: When our properties stand out, we get more work. We don’t charge more for mowing a high-end residential account versus an average one or for mowing with a Walker Mower, but we could. If you’re good at what you do, I think people will understand if you charge more.”

PLAY BALL

A beautiful cut creates a stripe that closely mirrors a ballpark finish.

Starnes defines a beautiful cut as a mowing job that leaves nothing behind and creates a stripe that closely resembles a ballpark finish. “Customers like that striping effect, something the Walker Mower delivers with the deck design and vacuuming system,” he explains. “Each of our trailers has two Walker Mowers, one with a GHS deck and the other a mulching deck. In some cases, we may mulch first and then deliver the finish cut with the GHS deck. The look, again, is nothing short of what you see at a ballpark.”

“I believe no matter who you are or what you do, people identify with their work,” says Jared. “Doctors and surgeons want to do the best job they can, and car enthusiasts are proud of the vehicle they just restored. My persona is what I do. We’re not just cutting grass at Groom and Bloom; we’re making a beautiful property.”

A beautiful cut generates referrals, enhances a company’s reputation, builds customers satisfaction, and instills a sense of pride among company owners and employees. The bottom line, though, is the bottom line. Jared puts it all in perspective when he says the high-quality work his mowers deliver supports two families, pays the mortgages and allows them to live the lifestyle they want to live. Does a beautiful cut matter? Absolutely, it does, and that makes Walker Manufacturing and its family of employees feel very good about the work they do, too.