Robots Invade Home Services. Here’s What That Means For Our Future

Earlier this month, I saw a crazy headline: “WeedMan franchisors launch robotic mowing service.” At first, I thought there’s no way you could automate a business so dependent on customer service; a robot can’t create rapport with customers or provide a human experience. As I read on, though, I started to wonder: are robots the future of home service industries?

The company, TurfBot, was founded by franchising vets and husband-and-wife team Chris and Jennifer Lemke. It’s the first of its kind in Canada, offering lawn mowing services without the need for humans to actually mow your lawn. A TurfBot tech installs the system at your home and programs the robot to mow your lawn whenever, and however often, you want. All maintenance (such as cleaning, blade-sharpening, and storage in the colder months) is on TurfBot, so it really is a ‘set and forget it’ deal. The Lemkes hope their robotic revamp will lead the way for a new kind of service business.

As our world rapidly becomes more and more automated, the Lemkes have jumped on the bandwagon to innovate their business. They’ve found a way to breathe new life into a oversaturated market, and it’s working: they’ve received glowing reviews from the customers they’ve had so far.

I can’t help but wonder if this could be the start of a new trend for all home services, like the ones we provide. If we can use robots for everything from vacuuming to cutting the lawn, could they eventually haul junk, paint homes, and clean gutters, too? I don’t think it’ll happen anytime soon (although these humanoid robots are certainly on their way), but many argue that eventually, anything that can be automated will be automated.

But there’s one thing that can never be replaced by machines: person-to-person customer service. Our business is built upon our relationships and trust with our customers more than anything else. Robots will never be able to provide the personal touch that earns trust when we go into customer’s homes.

Innovating for the sake of it isn’t a smart business move. In service industries, the important thing is to find balance between innovation and human interaction. Even if we introduce robots to our business model someday, we’ll always have friendly, hardworking people to take care of our customers.

TurfBot seems to have it figured out: their robots handle lawn mowing, but their techs take care of additional services, like trimming, edging, and regular maintenance visits. It’s still early days for the Lemkes, but from the looks of it, the robot invasion has finally broken in to home services.