The 5 Fundamentals Of A Vend Visit

Oct. 15, 2013

With the kids back to school and the summer vacation schedule concluded, most every operator is ready to embrace a hard-charging fall agenda. There is new business to close, efficiencies to be gained and in general a desire to get things done.

Amongst all this activity, however, is the never-ending struggle to maintain mastery of the basics. As the old bromide goes, “You can’t have fun without the fundamentals.” Consistent, quality service at each and every location is a vital activity which can never be overlooked. Completing the daily cycle of deliveries with few or no mistakes saves tremendous amounts of labor and vehicle resources by not requiring a wasted second trip. Resources not busy doing double work can be better put to use in growing the business. Following these five visit fundamentals should go a long way to reducing the amount of “fires” that flare up in every service oriented business.

1.    Collection – making sure we get what we came for

These days, making a collection is much more than just stuffing some bills and coins into a bag. To begin with, money isn’t the only thing a driver is required to bring back to the warehouse! Data collection is now imperative in many operations, and neglecting to consider both cash and information as equally valuable can be quite costly. Drivers should be held accountable for bringing back both sales receipts and sales information. Given the expense (in labor, gas, etc.) of each visit, it should be a priority for every driver to capture all the cash and all the data at each and every visit.

2.    Restoration – making each location look “grocery store” pretty

Micro markets, OCS stations and vending machines all share the common core of sales rotation. Like it says on every case of M&M’s and Snickers – “Rotate product, freshness sells.” I cannot think of a time when restocking an area or piece of equipment is solely about shoving product into a shelf or a spiral. Dates should always be checked before a refill so that short-lived products can be fronted or removed. Straightening and fluffing of product should become an automatic, muscle memory action for everyone who services accounts on a regular basis. (This means technicians as well!) As a guideline, consider the condition of your local grocery store shelves. Do your vending machines, OCS stations or micro market compartments look as neat, fresh and organized as they do? It only takes one spoiled bag of chips to leave a negative impression on buyers who may take their snack dollars elsewhere for a long, long time.

3.    Counting – making sure the numbers are accurate

Depending on your software system, the amount of time required for a driver to collect an accurate inventory can vary tremendously. I know that counting and recording product quantities can sometimes be akin to scraping nails on a chalkboard. However – Inventory is everything in the automated retail business and therefore cannot be ignored. Prekitting systems, truck load reports, office accounting records and overall profitability hinge on knowing what happened to the millions of units delivered to every point of sale. If a clear system of counting seems impossible due to testy computer interfaces or general labor resistance, start by focusing on a specific product family and inspect the data daily until accuracy is the norm. Once a particular group of products can be accounted for consistently, move on to other groups as time permits. Remember that control over inventory = control over operations.

4.    Cleaning – it’s not ‘somebody’s’ job, it’s ‘my’ job

I no longer eat in restaurants with filthy, finger-smudged front doors. My rationale is that if the entrance to an eating establishment is dirty, the back room must be worse. I believe the same standard should apply to the glass fronts of vending machines, the countertops of OCS stations and the kiosks of micro markets. There is no excuse for the fronts of our “stores” to be dirty. Vending machine glass can be cleaned in less than 30 seconds. Kiosks can be wiped down in a matter of moments. OCS countertops can sometimes take longer but should still be maintained at each and every visit. Cleanliness absolutely drives sales and it’s also what every salesperson competing for your account will point out to the client as a reason for switching providers. Every person who visits a location should make note of equipment cleanliness and take time to wipe up if necessary.

5.    Closing – double checking the lock to avoid emergency phone calls

Every successful driver I’ve ever ridden with has had a fail-proof system of pulling on equipment door fronts to make sure they’re locked before leaving a location. Many drivers pound the lock with their fists to make sure the T-handle is properly closed. Others put their fingers in the coin return slot and pull the door slightly to check that it’s latched and secure. Whatever the method, it’s very important to have a door double-check routine that works. Nobody likes to get the anxious phone call saying the machine on the 30th floor appears to have been left wide open – again.

Reviewing and repeating these five principles – even with seasoned drivers – can only help to reduce unforced errors and avoid unprofitable location visits. If your company holds regular driver meetings, try memorizing the principles for a while until everyone has them ingrained in their heads. Offer a gift card to the person who can recite them verbatim. Take time to make them a part of everyone’s routine. When visit fundamentals become part of your daily delivery cycle, more time should become available to drive the company forward.