ComplaintsforGerdes Turf Farms, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid Gerdes to lay sod over our entire yard since they were the company our builder was using for portions of our new home. 3 months after closing our Sod was put down with no further contact from the Gerdes. They scheduled everything through our builder only. Our Front yard was put down first but the back had to wait due to a patio being put in the same day as the front yard. The back was laid 2 weeks later which happened to be on a Friday we left town for the weekend. Gerdes called to get payment the day of installation. We had family water the yard on Saturday and we returned Sunday. We watered almost constantly upon return. But almost half of my backyard is dead. I talked with ***** To try and get it fixed only to be told after several weeks that he was not the decision maker and couldn’t help me fix the dead spots. But his boss ***** would call me to discuss a solution. I was called a week later by **** in the office to say that ***** decided they would not do anything to repair the job. Never spoke to *****.

  

  Business response

  08/11/2022

  Better Business Bureau

  ********** ******** ************ ** **** ****** ****** ***** *** ******* **** ***** 

  Re:Complaint #********

  Dear *** *************

       Gerdes Turf Farms, Inc. subcontracts work from ****** *********** ************. The sod is laid according to purchase orders received from ******* When only the front, sides, and 5 ft. of the home is to be sodded, the builder only will contact the homeowner. If the back yards are contracted to have any sodding or seed by the homeowners, some one from our office will make contact by phone, email, or text until there is a response from a person at the residence is aware that there is going to be work done at their home. The product (sod) is a living plant and will require immediate care (watering) especially when the temperatures are elevated. 

    Sod was installed at an earlier date for the portion that the builder was responsible for. The rear yard could not be done due to the fact that there was a patio that was not yet completed 

           ******* ******** had indicated that she really wanted to get the back done due to the fact she was having a party at her house with quite a few guests the first time that the sod was installed but being that the patio was not completed, there was no way that the back yard could be done. The ********** were quite aware of how much water was needed for the sod to survive. 

        A call was made to ******* ******** to let her know that the sod in the rear was going to be installed and there was no mention of a vacation or that the sod could not be cared for. When our crew was in the back yard working, several of our guys had spoken to ***** and nothing was mentioned about the ******** family going on vacation to our foreman, two guys on our crew, or our office. If we were aware of this, it definitely would not have been installed. When ***** called to complain, he had told our secretary, ****, that he was in bed when the crew had started installing the sod in the rear yard and she questioned as why did he not stop our guys from finishing the job if he knew he was going on vacation nor did he say anything to the guys working in his rear yard when he went out and spoke to them. 

           If he would have said that his family was going away, our crew would have stopped laying the sod or Gerdes Turf Farms would have made some kind of provision to maintain the watering until his family returned. One of the ********** family members was left to water the sod and apparently did not water the sod adequately. 

           Our sales representative, ***** Gerdes, has spoken to ***** ******** many times and has visited the jobsite to see if there was anything that could be done to salvage the sod that was installed but by that time nothing could be done. When it was time to collect the bill, payment was made and there was no comment about why was the sod installed. If there was a problem why would this customer go ahead and complete the transaction by paying the invoice. 

           ***** ******** had spoken that Gerdes Turf Farms never contacted any of the customers that were to receive their backyard either sodded or seeded. That statement is very untrue. The number one issue would be keeping the installed product alive and healthy and number two would be getting the payment on the work that was completed. It was apparent that David knew what it took to keep the sod alive especially since the front, sides, and 5 ft. in the rear of his house was installed earlier. Our crews left the water hoses on when they left the job. The family member that was responsible for the watering did not do enough to keep the sod alive. 

           ***** ******** is assuming no responsibility for the condition of his yard. He was aware of what it would take to manage the watering but obviously did not communicate that with the person that was left to take care of his yard. 

                                        Respectfully, 

                                        ***** ** ******

                                        Vice-President 

   

  

  Business response

  08/15/2022

  We would not have started the job if we were not able to let the ******** family know.  Customers are called before going to the job to make sure that there is someone there to water and that the crews are able to collect upon completion of the job.  Who ever was watering the rear yard did not do an adequate job keeping the area wet if the ********** were only gone over one evening.  Our crews left the irrigation / watering running when they left the job.  ***** should have instructed the crew to stop installing the sod if he knew that they were about to leave and would not be able to take care of the newly laid lawn.

  Customer response

  08/18/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  You say you would not have started the job if you hadn’t spoke to me. But my complaint specifically about your company’s poor communication with me as a customer.  No one called before installation, either time. When the yard couldn’t be completed the first day we were told the rest would be done eventually but not given a date.  I was not going to turn away the sod because I did not know how long it would be before you returned.  My problem is the lack of communication.  If we were contacted prior to installation we would have been able to make better arrangements for watering, or not left town in the first place.  
  It seems that this company cannot make mistakes and therefore it’s my word against yours that we were not contacted.  If this was going to court I can provide phone records that show neither myself or my wife were called prior to installation. So at this point it’s not only that my lawn was completely unsatisfactory, but also that you are basically calling me a liar in order to avoid any responsibility. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩