The latest installment of Randy Cohen's The Ethicist column in The New York Times Magazine featured the following question, under the headline "Waiting for the Lawn Tractor":

"The shop that services my lawn tractor told me to expect its return in a week. I want it back sooner and am considering giving the workers an up-front cash bonus to put my tractor at the head of the line. But this feels worryingly like covert bribery. Other customers wouldn't know about it nor could they bid against me with higher bonuses. Is such a payment ethical?"
 
Cohen replied that the notion of giving a bonus is "fishy" because the shop's workers would be "cheating their boss by undermining the shop's first-come, first-served policy for their personal gain, and you'll all be cheating honest, patient customers." In the end, reported Cohen, the question asker, from Pennsylvania, didn't offer up any cash for priority service.
 
Seems like a reasonable outcome, but I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself on the ethics of the matter. The crux of the issue seems to be scheduling. Instead of bringing your gear in for routine service during a busy season, wait until a time when the shop is more likely to be quiet. I usually bring my mower and leaf blower in for routine service in early winter when the local shop is quieter. So don't hold off until next spring to get your outdoor power equipment serviced.
 
Now if the question asker's tractor suffered a sudden problem and he needed it fixed ASAP even this late in the season, it's understandable that he'd want it back with little delay. But given the likelihood that the shop is crowded with ailing equipment from landscaping pros trying to finish off their fall jobs, the consumer couldn't have expected priority service, bribe or no bribe. My advice: Borrow a tractor or mower from a neighbor or rent one, or hire a local landscaper to do the work.
 
Of course, the other key piece of advice here is to keep your equipment in tiptop shape. So follow our end-of-season maintenance tips for your mower or tractor and this start-of-season help for tractors.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook
 
Essential information: Make easier work of fall cleanup and read up on the latest mowers and tractors.