Robot Mower FAQ for Account Managers and Crew Leads

The short answer for a client meeting

A robot mower can keep a commercial lawn cut well when the site suits it, and that suitability question is settled before any machine runs. Three answers matter most in the room: how the mower finds its position, how much supervision it needs, and what the scope covers. This article gathers those answers so an account manager or crew lead can scan them before a meeting.

In short, RTK guidance depends on a clear view of the sky, supervision depends on the system and the layout, and crews and clients should be briefed before the first pass. A fixed quote follows the site assessment, and the exact scope, including support terms, should be confirmed in writing before anyone signs.

Does RTK satellite guidance work where the sky is open?

RTK, or real time kinematic positioning, sharpens satellite position by applying correction data from a reference. Where the sky is open, the mower gets the clean signal it relies on to hold its boundaries. Trees, buildings and tall canopy can block that view, and a mower that loses its fix cannot be trusted to stay inside its lines.

Vendor material does not agree on the setup. As of November 2026, one Australian retailer says RTK mowers require at least one powered base station antenna per lawn, placed in open sky, while Kress markets a system with no property specific stationary antennas. The Mammotion Luba manual calls for at least a 90 degree open sky view to get enough signal. A Lymow support article recommends a base in an open area with a broad, unobstructed sky view, and it also explains common view satellites.

No single sky view threshold holds across makers. Ask each manufacturer for the number that matches the model you propose, and test the lawn before you promise coverage. A claim that a mower works on any lawn deserves a hard look.

Schedule the first passes around the most open sky on the property. Where the signal is weakest, keep the crew close by and watch the first few runs closely before widening the route.

What does supervision look like on a commercial site?

Supervision depends on the machine and the site. According to GGM Group's 2026 outlook, autonomous systems such as the Kress Voyager can run continuously across wide open spaces with minimal supervision, while semiautonomous systems such as the SABO MOWIT PRO let operators manage complex or segmented sites. Neither source sets a crew to machine ratio, so none should be quoted as one.

Green Industry Pros notes that commercial units are transported between sites, deployed as needed and used alongside traditional crews. It advises buyers to check a system's safety features and how those features protect workers, operators and site visitors. A practical routine names one person who starts the machine, walks the edges after each pass and knows the stop procedure.

What does a site assessment check?

The assessment is the step that tells you whether a lawn is ready. Yenra's site survey guidance lists the points a model specific installation review covers, and the list below is a sound checklist to carry into the walk.

A 2022 Landscape Management article calls the site audit the first step before installation, and it warns that buried fiber cables can interfere with boundary wire. Husqvarna has announced a wire free commercial mower for municipal and institutional turf, as reported in June 2026. Ask which boundary method a proposed machine uses before the walk, because the answer changes what the crew must check.

At Service Robot Co., the site assessment comes before any number. We are a vendor neutral robot integrator, so the model follows the lawn rather than a single catalog, and the assessment feeds the site assessment mapping, robot deployment and integration work that follows. Our team runs the walk, then builds the quote from what it finds.

• Dock position
• Power supply
• Drainage
• Access routes
• Connectivity
• Behavior during signal loss

How are crews and clients briefed before the first pass?

Brief the crew before the machine works the property. Anyone who edges, blows clippings or works the same zone needs the pass schedule, the stop procedure and the areas that stay manual for now. A crew lead who knows the machine's limits makes sound calls when a pass runs into something unexpected.

Clients need a different brief. Show them the mapped boundaries, the days and hours of passes, and who to call if something looks wrong. A map on the table turns a vague worry into a specific talk about entrances, walkways and event days.

Brief the crew again whenever the route changes, such as a new planting bed or a closed walkway. Go live support works best when the people on the ground know what changed and why.

When does the price arrive, and what goes in writing?

The fixed quote follows the site assessment, not the first conversation. The assessment decides the equipment, the route and the support the site needs, so a number given earlier would be a guess. Service Robot Co. (servicerobotco.com) offers commercial robot leasing on a three year term through financing, with one fixed quote issued after the site assessment.

Before anyone signs, confirm the full scope in writing. That covers what the RoboCare robot maintenance service plan includes, how support is dispatched, and what happens during a repair. This article does not state RoboCare support terms, so take them from the written scope for your site and check them against the quote line by line.

Bring the assessment notes, the proposed pass windows and the list of manual zones to the client meeting. Clients judge a proposal by how specific it is, and a specific proposal is easier to approve.