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DRIVER PROFESSIONALISM ALSO COUNTS
New technology and products aren’t the only criteria, Clark noted. The route person must be professional. “That route person can make or break an account,” she said.
As already noted, the complexities that have emerged in recent years have caused some customers to hire management companies. And while operators overall resent management companies, it is often the management companies that introduce new technologies, such as remote machine monitoring.
Lowe’s Home Improvement has found vending management a beneficial resource, noted Ron Morton, procurement manager. Vending serves both public and employee areas. He said about two thirds of the vending machines serve employee areas. The vending management company was instrumental in equipping the vending machines at Lowe’s store with remote machine monitoring, which is now mandated in the operator contracts.
Morton said the contracts vary by geographic region. The company surveys employees to decide what products to offer. He said the offerings are designed to be competitive with what’s available at competing outlets, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants.
For the employee vending areas, Morton said Lowe’s wants employees to have the option of staying onsite for meals. The vending areas have refrigerated food, snacks, beverages, and in some cases, ice cream.
Judy Chick, general manager of two Comfort Inn hotels in Alexandria, Va., said her company has also found it beneficial to have a vending management company. “Our primary goal is to sell rooms,” she said. “We don’t have time to spend on it (vending).”
If it weren’t for the support of a vending management company, Chick said she doubts the company would even offer vending. While the hotels get a commission, Chick said, “We’re more concerned about customer service.”
