What are the advantages of having a vending machine?
Vending machines are a great way for businesses to provide first rate customer hospitality, improve productivity, save money and create a good working environment for employees. By offering your staff drinks or snack vending machines on-site, you reduce the need for extended off-site breaks, help employees save money and provide a hub for social meeting and office interaction, while demonstrating a commitment to employee satisfaction and welfare (which in turn boosts productivity). Making the right impression in business is crucial, so offering good quality coffee makes clients feel valued while promoting your products and services.
What types of office vending machines are available?
There are many different types of office vending machines now available on the market. The most popular are coffee and hot drinks machines, snack vending machines for crisps, chocolate bars and sweets and cold drinks vending machines supplying water, fruit juices and or carbonated soft drinks in bottles or cans. Bean to cup, Pod and K-Cup® coffee machines are also available for making very high quality coffee, whilst vending machines can also dispense fruit and other healthier snacks. Sandwich vending machines are ideal for offices that do not have a staff cafe nearby. Staff can buy a fresh sandwich for lunch without having to go far from their desk.
How many different selections can a vending machine offer?
Different sizes and types of vending machines offer different selections and hold varying amounts of snacks or drinks. However, it is most typical for snack vending machines to hold up to 42 selections and cold drinks vending machines to offer up to 45 selections of bottles or cans (or a combination of drinks and food). Obviously the larger the vending machine, the broader the range of products you will be able to offer. Hot drinks vending machines can offer several different types of coffee, such as cappuccinos, lattes and espressos as well as hot chocolate, teas and a range of herbal drinks.
How much energy does a vending machine consume?
Vending machines need electricity to power signage, illuminate and refrigerate products and heat up water for hot drinks. But when installing a vending machine you need to know that the energy costs won’t leave you out of pocket and that the machine is environmentally sound. The good news is that modern vending machines don’t consume anything like as much energy as they used to and inbuilt features like occupancy sensors and timers turn lights off and reduce operations (such as refrigeration compressors and fan motors) when the machine is not in use.
What are my options for restocking and servicing my vending machine?
The Vending Company LLC will repair, replenish and upgrade services for all machines provided by The Vending Company, meaning you never have to worry about breakdowns or low stock. We stock everyday if needed.
Are compact/tabletop vending machines available?
Your business may not have the demand, or the space, or the budget for large free standing vending machines. So a compact or tabletop option might be more practical. Tabletop coffee vending machines(such as Bean to cup, Pod or K-Cup® machines) are fairly commonplace and fit stylishly in any kitchen environment without taking up too much room. They still hold a good range of drinks selections and are perfect for quick, high quality hot drinks. A range of compact cold drinks and snack machines are also available, often combining food and drink in different chilling zones in one small cabinet or with just a few snack options in a small tabletop model. Small vending machines can also be used for unusual or specialist vending such as popcorn, fresh fruit or sweets.
What infrastructure is required to install a vending machine?
Vending machines can be installed just about anywhere where there’s an electric socket, but you need to ensure you have enough employees or customers to make the investment worthwhile. Most vending machines are simply ‘plug in and go,’ so as long as they are near a power supply there is nothing else needed. Some hot drinks vending machines will need to be plumbed directly into your water supply, so should be placed where this is easy and safe to connect. Suppliers of such machines will of course include this work as part of their installation service.