FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

When do you deliver?

Generally, we deliver and set up between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., especially if the recipient tends to get up early. If the recipient tends to stay up late, we’ll come between 4 and 5:30 a.m. Delivery is guaranteed by 6 a.m. We also do day-time deliveries if needed.

When do you pick up?

We pick up after dark on the night after delivery, generally between 8 and 9 p.m. The displays can also be kept up for additional days (for a small fee).

How much notice do you need?

We’ll do same-day deliveries, as long as the ornament you want is available. We prefer to have a few days notice.

Do you deliver to San Jose? Or Tracy? Or Pinole?

We have delivered to all of these towns, although we mainly deliver on the 680 corridor from Martinez to Pleasanton (and quite often to Livermore). There is a mileage fee of $5 for every 5 miles as we travel away from the Concord area.

How much does it cost?

We have a flat fee that includes everything – tax, mileage, sign rental and creations, set up and pick up. It starts at $110 in Concord and surrounding towns, and a mileage fee of $5 for every 5 miles is added as we go further afield. We often have pricing promotions in our e-newsletter; you can sign up to receive it in the box to the right. View our pricing policy.

How did you get into this business? Is this your own idea?

We met these twin brothers from Chicago who have had a lawn greeting business since the early 1990s (see www.flamingosurprise.com). Come to find out, there’s a bunch of these businesses across the nation, most of them small family-owned enterprises. We knew there wasn’t one in our area, and it was such a fun idea, we bought a “business in a box” that included our signs, flamingos, dinosaurs, teddy bears, hearts and smiley faces – everything but the customers! Later, we added the candles and two graduation ornaments and look forward to getting even more.

How many ornaments do you put out?

For the flamingos, we put out 50 (because they’re skinny). For all other ornaments, 30. We expand or contract the display based on the size of the yard – from very small to large – so that it always looks good.

Do you ever get caught? Do the cops ever get called?

We have been caught 1 and 1/2 times! The half is because we weren’t yet putting out the lawn greeting when I walked by the kitchen window and the wife was standing there. For some reason, she decided she needed to do laundry at 4:30 a.m. on her birthday! And no, the cops have not been called on us. We’ve actually had police who happened to be in the neighborhood drive right by us as we’ve been setting up!

What if there are dogs at the house? Do the sprinklers ever go off?

It seems like there are always dogs in the house! In the hundreds of lawn greetings we have done, only one or two have had the dogs bark so much they woke up the house. We just leave, go have some hot chocolate at Denny’s, then come back and finish up. And yes, the sprinklers have gone off in the middle of setting up a display. What can we do but finish up and dry off!