For green industry pros, equipment is the lifeblood of the business. You need quality lawn and landscape equipment that does the job reliably and well. That’s why pros invest in commercial-grade equipment. It can handle daily use and deliver a solid return on investment.
Even the best equipment needs service, though. Commercial-grade equipment is longer-lasting, more efficient, and provides superior performance compared to homeowner equipment, but it needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. And sometimes, it’s going to need repairs or more extensive service than you can, or want, to provide in-house.
That’s where local dealerships and service centers come in. Dealerships employ factory-certified technicians to ensure quality repairs, and some stock large inventories of parts to ensure fast turnaround on equipment service.
The True Cost of Equipment Downtime
When equipment breaks down, it can cause a costly cascade of problems. There’s the cost to repair the equipment, but there’s also the hassle of working without the broken equipment. The longer it’s out of commission, the longer you’re stuck working with backup equipment, trying to juggle equipment shortages, or spending money on loaner equipment to keep from falling behind.
Depending on the issue, the equipment might be out of commission for days as you wait for repairs. That can put you behind on projects and be a huge hassle for you and your team. If you can prevent the issue in the first place by implementing a preventative maintenance schedule, that’s great. But when something does go wrong, the faster you can get equipment repaired, the better for your company.
Commercial equipment is designed to last. You should expect to get several years of use from your equipment. At a certain point, though, you’re going to find that the downtime and repair costs outweigh the benefits of putting off a new equipment purchase. A dealership service center can offer advice on when it’s worth it to repair equipment, and when it’s better to replace it with something newer and more reliable.
The Importance of Fast Service
You can maximize equipment uptime by staying on top of preventative maintenance. Despite best efforts, though, sometimes equipment just needs repairs. Some lawn and landscaping crews have mechanics in-house, but for many others, it just doesn’t make sense to hire a full-time service professional.
Local dealerships are great sources for commercial equipment, but they’re also much more. Finding a local dealer with a good service center can be a game-changer for green industry pros. In an interview, the owner of Brian’s Lawn Maintenance in Detroit, Michigan, said, “I think if they can facilitate my service needs, that’s one of the more paramount things of a good dealer relationship … If something breaks down, I’ve got to get it fixed and get back out there. Downtime is what kills our industry.”
Working with the right dealer can give you access to a good selection of high-quality commercial equipment, service professionals you can trust, and fast repair turnarounds. Fast, reliable service turnaround is essential for green industry pros, and the right dealer can deliver. Look for a service center that is local for easy access, stands behind their repairs and guarantees the quality of their work, and maintains a large parts inventory to help speed up repairs.
The Advantage of Local Dealers
If you buy lawn and landscaping equipment from a big-box store, like so many homeowners do, then you miss out on the advantages of working with a local dealer.
Big box stores don’t always hire equipment experts; local dealers can provide professional advice on equipment selection and maintenance. Big box stores rarely have a service center; you’ll need to track down someone else to handle repairs. Big box stores might stock some parts, like replacement string line or new mower blades, but they don’t typically have the parts you’d need for a more involved repair.
When you buy from a local dealer, you get higher quality products, competitive pricing, personalized service, expert knowledge, and long-term support. Even if you didn’t buy your equipment at a local dealer, you can still start building a relationship with one by going to their service center. With a dealership, you can expect fast parts turnaround, pickup/delivery options, and easy scheduling. Make sure you look for a dealership that stands by their repairs. Here at Richardson Saw, for example, we provide a 30-day warranty on all of our repairs.
The Richardson Saw Difference
We always service what we sell. That’s one of the big commitments we here at Richardson Saw & Lawnmower make to our customers. Our certifications back that promise up. We are a STIHL Platinum® Dealer, Scag Pro-Gold Dealer, Toro Master Service Dealer, Honda Power Choice dealer, ECHO Signature dealer, and an Exmark Turf Star Dealer. Those designations identify Richardson Saw & Lawnmower as a premier dealer in terms of service, support, and repairs.
In addition to the certifications we’ve earned as a dealership, all of our Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) technicians are factory-trained and industry-certified. For example, our technicians have the highest qualifications offered by Exmark and one is a STIHL Platinum technician, the highest level of certification STIHL offers (we also have STIHL Gold certified technicians). Our technicians also have certifications from Briggs and Stratton, Kohler Engines, Kawasaki, Honda, and others. You can rest assured that they know what they’re doing when it comes to outdoor power equipment.
We perform all of our repairs in-house, and our technicians are qualified to perform complete repairs on all major brands of mowers and tractors. We also perform factory warranty service on site for most major lawnmower and tractor brands. Our service center has the largest parts inventory in North Texas, which means we have the parts on hand to repair your equipment as quickly as possible and ensure less downtime for you.
