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About us
Our name says it all, "THE GROUNDS MASTERS", NOT SINGULARLY BUT IN PLURAL, each and every member is trained to be a "MASTER" at what they do, their income is based on their quality of work performed. I believe we should do our absolute best work each and every time. "Do it right the first time!", add in some "WOW!" factor and keep an open eye. When we finish a job I look it over and ask myself and my guys "What's wrong with this picture?" If we can't find anything wrong we smile at one another knowing that "We did it right the first time!" I'm the owner of The Grounds Masters with a Degree in Agri-business, I spent 18 years as a fertilizer and chemical specialist in Illinois and Northwestern Indiana. Former co-owner of Agro Inc., fertilizers, chemicals, and custom services, former owner of Town & Country, Inc. a power equipment business, former Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association and former member of the National Fertilizer Solutions Association
Business highlights
25 years of experience
Services we offer
Aeration, Blowing, Fertilization, Landscape Installation, Limited Tree Trimming & Removal, Manual Weed Control, Mowing, Mulching, Pruning, Trimming
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Reviews
4.712 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 75% | ||
| 17% | ||
| 8% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-12 of 12 reviews
Terence D.
Feb 2016
unknown
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Mr. T., Thank you for taking the time to write a review, I really appreciate the comments, accolades and even the negative comments. They really help my guys to focus even more to correct mistakes, improve service and create a positive competition among the crews. I show them every posting and we track each crews performance. By the way, I owe you a favor and will call you to explain why I owe you that favor."
Barry R.
Feb 2016
I used them sometime in the fall. Two men were here several hours and they were neat and cleaned everything up very nicely. I would tell others that they do very good work and he seems to know his stuff very well. The price might be a little steep. It's always good work. They came out and did some emergency stuff earlier in the year. It seems like you can't tell when their going to get there.
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Thank you Dr. R., I really appreciate your comments, and compliments. I also agree with you on our timeliness , we failed that test on your account and here is why. We were finishing up two large landscaping jobs with not enough people so that put us behind on all of our projects. another problem I had before Thanksgiving is that my right hand man had a severe accident that nearly killed him and his wife my secretary has been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer with Jeff not being able to work yet at all and Robin only being here on limited days, both causing me to fill in for them. For that I Apologize because I should have informed you by calling you. When you need more work done we will be on time and I'll give you a discount on your work."
David W.
Dec 2015
When the workers showed up, They were non-stop until job was completed. They made sure I was satisfied before leaving. Which I am. I would highly recommend this Company and Work Crew. My Flower beds look great and I am very satisfied. <br />
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Thank you [Member name removed], Its been a pleasure working for you and if you need any other services just call us. Thanks again, Donald R Smego"
Andrea N.
Oct 2015
unknown
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Thank You for your response, I'm very happy you were pleased. Please let me know how we may improve our service to you and we look forward to assisting you with any other projects you may have coming up. With kind regards, Donald R Smego Owner"
Robert F.
Oct 2015
Grounds Masters did an adequate job. Worked only 3 hours - pruned, weeded, clipped paver edges, iris, bushes, Magnolia tree, added soil and seeded along paver edges, hauled material away. Said they would be back to remove crab grass (additional fee). Did not followup by phone or set new date to check on job. We watered several times a time ... grass started to grow but there was far too much straw. Finally, we had to rake all of the excess straw and bag it...4 bags of extra straw. Added note: Jeff (foreman) and one man left for about an hour and returned. We, the customer, ended up trying to find someone else to provide landscape service. Would not recommend this company based on high cost and fair job. <br />
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Mr.[Member Name Removed], Please accept my apology for what I consider an extremely poor job of performance. My concept of how I like work done is ; " do it right the first time and leave a WOW factor " also I believe that we should " treat each property as if it's a Million Dollar Mansion ". I will be calling you to set up a time to come out to see the project and see what I can do to help you out. Thank you for writing your review, this allows me to correct, adjust and redirect any and all actions needed. Respectfully, Donald R Smego Owner"
Pat P.
Oct 2015
<p>It was a very positive experience with this company. My initial phone call was answered immediately, and since my job was small, and I was able to give the square footage then, (they didn't have to come to measure) it was scheduled for the next day, in the afternoon. I was also given a very reasonable price. (I had been given a much larger quote by a company I had just previously called.)</p> <p>There were two delays in the men arriving to do the job, but both times I was called by the office with an apology, given an explanation of the reason they were delayed, and also given a time when they would be coming - assuring me that they would get the job done that day - and they did. It was late in the afternoon, (after regular work hours) when the two men came. They also apologized for the delays, and immediately began the work. They worked hard, and did a very thorough job of aerating the yard.</p> <p> Based on my experience, I would not hesitate to use this company again in any of their services.</p>
Response from The Grounds Masters
"[Member name removed], as a new client to us it was a pleasure reading your review. A review good or bad is full of information that we use to improve our business habits and performance. I really appreciate the time you took to rate us. Thank you, Don Smego"
Glenis N.
Jul 2015
I was in a hurry (I got sick and needed trees in the ground) They squeezed me in amount a big workload. They did a great job and even suggested stakes to help the tress manage better. Very friendly crew and hard workers. No problem with them - will hire them again if needed. <br />
Response from The Grounds Masters
"Thank you [Member Name Removed] for those praises. This is why we made the last word of our company name "Masters" instead of "Master" , each employee takes about one year to train fully in all the different jobs they perform. We are very proud of each employee and their ability to please our clients with smiles and a "Thank You" truly from our hearts. Every one of my employees never have worked in this field before. Thank you for your business and we look forward to working for you in the future."
Jim O.
Dec 2014
As always, Don's crew arrived right on time. They spread the pre-emergent fertilizer over the yard, ensuring level coverage everywhere. They are true professionals! <br />
Response from The Grounds Masters
"[Member Name] and I are good friends, He has taught me about leadership, encouraged me to be Rotarian for a while and when things in my life dove downward [Member Name] was always there with a bright smile on his face and was the very first lawn installation I did as The Grounds Masters. The job was a huge under taking for me and the job was a tremendous booster for my newly fledgling business. With my experience of agriculture I was able to create a beautiful lawn for the city boy while getting [Member Name] on a farm tractor to experience what just some of mini farming was all about. Great friendships develop when your all having fun !"
Jim O.
Aug 2014
<p>I had the pleasure of meeting Don Smego not long after my family and I moved to Farragut, TN back in 1994. Since then, Don and his top-notch team have made sure that our lawn is weed-free and thriving. Over the years, I've been thoroughly impressed by Don's professionalism, knowledge, friendliness and willingness to go "above and beyond" to ensure that my wife and I are more than satisfied with everything he and his guys have done for us. Don and his company are superstars! If you're reading this review and are looking for the best of the best, look no further. You've found him. Just call Don, meet with him to explain what you want, and stand back to let him, Orlando, Ricardo and the rest of The Grounds Masters team show you why they're #1.</p> <br />
Response from The Grounds Masters
"(removed member name), I thank you and (removed member name) so much for entering into my life. When you moved your family to town you had the courage to come into a little lawn mower shop and gave us a chance to show you we wanted things done right the first time. Little did you know about us and what faith you had in our barely two year old business. We tried hard to keep you from destroying that Toro mower that was probably 7-8 years old, and we did it because you are a great listener and (removed member name) was really the outdoor operations mgr.. Thank you for being who you are !"
David W.
Jul 2014
The workers are very professional and clean. They wear uniforms. They got the job task completed and cleaned up nicely afterwards. I was pleased from the first contact to the final result. I would highly recommend this company again.
Response from The Grounds Masters
"(removed member name) was our very first Angie's List client to write a review. Wow we were surprised how we were perceived and even more impressive is what a written review can do for your employees and how they can improve their performance and quality of work done. It has taken me ten months to respond, for that I apologize. However I didn't know what to say because compliments are hard to come by and complaints jump all over you and beat you down. What happened after that job gave my guys a real eye opening experience and by the end of 2014 they racked up more compliments than all other years combined ! (removed member name), Thank you for achieving in one moment that I had been working at for years. Your compliment caused my guys to raise the bar and keep it there and increase it even more , I will always remember you. Don"
David W.
Jul 2014
When I called to get an estimate, they were very quick to respond and came out to measure job site. When they told us something you could count on it. The workers performing the job task was very polite and clean. They wore uniforms and looked very professional. They did a fantastic job and cleaned up when they were finished. I was very impressed.
Dan W.
Jul 2014
Fabulous! Mr. Smego is a university trained agronomist and he really knows his stuff. He was right on time and gave excellent advice; my lawn looks tons better this year since implementing the program he designed for us.
Licensing
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FAQ
The Grounds Masters is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
Yes, The Grounds Masters offers free project estimates.
No, The Grounds Masters does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, The Grounds Masters does not offer emergency services.
No, The Grounds Masters does not offer warranties.