Canteen Staff In Verona, Va. Strives To Excel

One of the key advantages that large vending operations have over their competitors is the ability to invest in employee development, and Canteen Vending Services Inc., the world's largest vending operation, doesn't miss a beat. The fact that a Canteen driver — Lester Fields of the Verona, Va. branch — won the second annual Automatic Merchandiser Route Driver of the Year is a testament to the investment the company has made in employee development, along with Fields' personal commitment.

Fields is the first to acknowledge that his performance is part of a team effort. The employee development programs in place at the Verona branch — like other Canteen branch operations — involve the entire staff.

Fields, a 32-year Canteen veteran, has received ongoing direction from his supervisor, his regional manager, the district accounting manager, and a corporate support system.

The ease with which a veteran driver was able to adapt to DEX handhelds in a short period of time is one sign of the effectiveness of the ongoing communication and support that Canteen provides its employees. Fields and his fellow drivers received two days' worth of individual attention from a special DEX training team.

Fields' enthusiasm is matched by the entire staff at the Verona, Va. branch. The company has several employee development initiatives that keep employees motivated to perform at a high level, consistently.

Employee development fosters ongoing communication
One of the key initiatives, "Be-a-Star," involves the entire branch management team in communicating with the whole staff on a regular basis.

Another program, "Executional Excellence," is more geared to the route drivers. The entire branch management team inspects locations and fills out a comprehensive check list, awarding a numerical value to compliance with planograms, perishable food waste, placement of branded products, placement of "Balanced Choices" items, personal appearance, cash handling, condition of vehicles, record keeping procedures, safety procedures, and other items.

The "Executional Excellence" program was developed with the assistance of professors from Michigan State University, who also developed the route driver certification program for the National Automatic Merchandising Association program. The instructional material for this program includes five videos, three CDs and eight workbooks.

Sherrie Maxwell, vice president of field human resources for Canteen, said the "Executional Excellence" program is even more comprehensive than the NAMA program. Drivers who have completed the "Executional Excellence" qualify for the NAMA certification. "We're motivating them to be more efficient," Maxwell said.

Drivers use interactive tools to develop skills
To further enhance performance, drivers, like other employees, can access a proprietary website to learn about a variety of internal training programs Canteen offers. There is even a program to learn management skills for drivers interested in becoming managers.

Every month, the management team conducts an open meeting with the entire branch staff in the break room where new products are explained and safety issues are discussed.

Canteen is constantly developing its management team as well. There is a training and development team dedicated to helping managers train employees. During the recent DEX handheld rollout, for instance, managers received twice as much individual attention as the route drivers. There are ongoing management training seminars focusing on topics such as operational excellence, customer satisfaction, market leadership, financial performance, and strategic account management.

"Executional Excellence" standardizes many of Canteen's service procedures, but individual branches also have a lot of autonomy in setting compensation programs, along with other areas.