VendCentral, a marketing services provider dedicated to supporting vending and office coffee companies, has launched a new web-based mobile app intended to raise the level of customer service potential. Designed as an additional offering to vending customers, the app, named MR1 (or Mobile Request 1), will allow customers to have a direct link to the vending company, being able to request refunds, report machine problems, ask for new products and provide feedback from any smart phone.
Vending companies engaging MR1 will have a QR code sticker on their vending machines next to the standard support phone number. If a customer experiences any type of problem, they can scan the QR code with a smart phone and immediately access a mobile optimized Website featuring simple action buttons, such as “request a refund,” “report a machine issue” and “request your favorite item.” Not only will this ensure that any issues are resolved in a more efficient manner, but customers will appreciate the higher level of service utilizing the most technologically advanced methods. Furthermore, the vending company can promote itself as being more customer focused.
“Every vending company claims to offer the best service,” said Neil Swindale, president of VendCentral, in a prepared statement. “But our new service app can take a company to a new level of service beyond what its competitors can currently achieve. With so many vending companies battling for the same potential customers with many of the same offerings, differentiation is key. And our new app is something truly different in the industry.”
Not only is MR1 designed to help vending companies land more business with a better service offering, but it will help keep those customers as well, according to the company. With typical vending companies, there is a lot of reliance on the route driver to conduct any face-to-face customer service and to report or resolve any service problems. With MR1, there is a direct link established with company management and the customer, which helps ensure an optimum service experience.
“In some cases management doesn’t find out there’s a problem until a customer cancels his or her service, and by then it’s too late to do anything about it,” said Swindale. “Furthermore, though route drivers are responsible for reporting issues, many times they are reluctant because it could reflect poorly on their own performance. With MR1, management is better connected to each customer...and able to make sure customers are happy...by being able to see what kind of connections the customer has been making and that the company is reacting to them accordingly.”
MR1 is available to vending companies for a nominal startup fee and monthly subscription cost. VendCentral handles all setup and design that is needed to establish the dedicated mobile website for each involved company. Beyond the standard service requests, vending companies can also utilize the app to promote any social networking sites and to link to the full company website.
For a brief description of the MR-1 watch the youtube video.
