And as a result their businesses usually are: more productive,  better focused on goals they want to achieve and they achieve them in a more economical and timely manner.

When choosing a vending company in Atlanta you want to pick one that is operated by organized people. Because if the things listed above are true of the people running the company they’ll be true of the company itself.

An organized Atlanta vendor will use the resources they have, schedule their routes to be as effective as possible, arrive as scheduled, provide you with fresh product, keep their machines and vehicles clean and be up to date with the latest the vending world has to offer both in product and technology.

How do you know if your Atlanta vendor is organized?

Ask to see their warehouse. It may take an hour of your day but it could save you the hours of frustration that come with pairing yourself to the wrong company.

During your visit here are some key things to look for:

Is food elevated off the ground? All food should be on shelves or pallets, never directly on the warehouse floor.

Do food and beverages have designated sections? Within those sections are products organized (chips with chips, all 12oz sodas with 12oz sodas and organized by bottler, etc.)?

A good way to test the organization process is to see if the vendor can quickly and efficiently find a particular product. Not sure what to ask for? Ask for your favorite snack.

If items aren’t organized the way you imagined but the product was still easily found ask why they chose their particular form of organization. Each company has their own system and although it may make sense to you for it to look one way they may have a very practical although less obvious reason for running things the way they do. If they don’t have an answer then be concerned.

Look for white boards, calendars, anything that would suggest a system of communication between office staff and field employees. You want to make sure there is a system in place to actively respond to your needs. Drivers won’t respond to empty calls and mechanics won’t fix broken machines if they don’t know there is an issue.

Is there an area for the drivers and team meetings? A vending company is only as good as the drivers they employee. Ask about their training process (both during initial hires and on the job). A team meeting area would suggest continued training in service and safety. This area should also have an area to sync route handhelds which is a good place to ask about the route organization software that your vendor uses.

Look for the presence of unwanted creatures (rats, roaches, etc.) Ask what measures they take to keep rodents and bugs out of their facility.

Are personal pets on the property? Although pets can improve workplace environment it is important that they never compromise the sanitation of your vendor’s warehouse.

When you pair yourself with an organized Atlanta vendor you pair yourself with a company who values your health, time and money. By having their “home” in order they are able to address your needs quickly because they have already taken care of their own.

Micro Markets are the latest and greatest from the vending industry, bringing the convenience store to your break room along with more options, healthier selections, bigger bulk items and overall happier employees.

This system of reach in coolers, freezers, mounted wall racks, cereal carousels and fresh fruit baskets is all run by a self-checkout kiosk specifically designed for the workplace.  On their break your employees can peruse the market, holding items before purchase* and once ready can simply scan each item’s designated UPC symbol at the kiosk.

*By eliminating the vending machine from the equation there is no longer anything separating you from the desired product, which means no more frustrated employees due to stuck product or outdated sales. Furthermore by being able to hold the product before purchase your employees can read all nutritional facts so that they are better able to choose a snack/meal that fits their lifestyle.

All payments are made via credit card or a designated Micro Market card (looks similar to a grocery store’s key chain version of a rewards card). The machine accepts cash but only as a way to upload money onto the Market card. The Market card then acts as a running balance with each purchase you make.

In addition to eliminating lost funds, the online data base provides a fully automated up to the minute inventory of your market.  This means that each time your driver is on sight they will know beforehand what was popular, what wasn’t and how to adjust your market accordingly. Because this system eliminates waste you’ll also be able to receive the freshest available product for your market.

Popular items for the market include: Gourmet Sandwiches, Wraps and Salads, Fruit and Vegetable Plates,Tacos and Burritos, Smoothies, Healthy Alternative Frozen Meals, Ice Cream

All markets are equipped with 24 hour surveillance (noted by on site signs).  Cameras are only directed at the market as a means to product your Atlanta vendor’s investment and are never used to spy on employees or invade their privacy. If large amounts of product do go missing, videos are reviewed and brought to your attention. However, in markets nationwide theft has been limited; some studies say fewer than 5%. In general, employees have responded positively and employers have looked at this system as a physical way to show their employees that they are trusted and respected contributors to the company.

For more information on how to get a Micro Market in your break room, along with the products and convenience they supply contact your local  Atlanta vendor today. You and your employees will be glad you did.

An important question that you should ask is “Are you a local vending company or are you a vending management company”?

A  high quality local vending company based in the greater Atlanta area is a better option than a vending management company based half way across the country.

A vending management company is a company that is in the market to grab potential vending accounts. They negotiate the contract with you and then they contract a local vending company to install their machines and to keep them filled. The vending management company will charge the local vending company a commission thereby paying a smaller percentage to you in order for them to keep a percentage for themselves. Vending management companies are not all bad. There are vending management companies that may try to get a decent vendor for you and hold the vendor accountable for the vending services they provide, but more often than not you can get better service if you locate a top quality local vending company directly.

If you can be patient and do a little research you will be able to find a great local vending company that is dependable and reliable and will give you a great vending service with flexible product selections that your employees will enjoy for years to come.

In order for the vending management company to make money they are going to need to get paid a return for negotiating the contract. That return can result in higher prices at the machine and result in lower margins for the local vending operator who installs the machines. If you can work directly with a local vending company then the higher margins they will make can be reinvested in newer equipment or lower prices to your employees. Plus, a local vending company will be able to make more money which in turn can be invested to help support local community events.

Vending companies all around the country right now are struggling to make ends meet because of increased product costs, fuel costs and labor costs. In order to provide a top quality vending service that includes newer equipment, lower prices and better service they need to be able to turn a small profit. By them having to pay a percentage of the machine sales to a management company is not going to help them.

So, if you are in the process of selecting a new vending service ask the question. Local vending company or vending management company.

Will they provide a wide variety of products including a healthy selection if requested? Lastly, do they have available a water filtration service? You don’t want to be outsourcing vending, office coffee and water service to three different companies.  The convenience of having one company to service all areas of your break room is the direction to go.

You will be developing a relationship with their route team as they provide you with a variety of services. If there are any questions that develop, communicating with one company is much easier than having many contacts for all inquiries.  It is that simple.

Having a water filtration service is usually a primary request in the work place, therefore when choosing a water filtration system, you need to be aware of the options that can be available. The most popular option among businesses is the bottle less system.  With the bottle less system, its filtration devices features the most advanced filtering and UV systems available and it delivers safe, crisp-tasting hot and cold water on demand, at the push of a button. This unit needs a simple water line installed, which can easily be completed on installation.

The second most popular option is the 5 gallon bottles. With the 5 gallon bottles Spring and Purified options are available featuring both hot and cold water. This is also great for offices and does not need a water line.

Having a break room that is kept clean and continually serviced with snacks, food, hot and cold beverages including an office coffee service and water filtration service will boost the morale of all your employees. Eagle Vending can offer you a complete vending service to include all of your break room needs.

First and for most you need to make sure that the vending company is fully licensed and insured.  If one of your employees happens to get sick from eating a product out of a fresh food vending machine, you want to make sure that the vending company has liability insurance for potential law suits.  Along this line you may want to consider asking if the vending company offers workers compensation for its route drivers.  If one of their employees gets hurt in your state of business, you don’t want to be liable or responsible for injury compensation.

Another important question you should ask when interviewing a vending company is how long they have been in business. Is their business a one-person operation working part time or is their vending business a full-time company dependent on its customer base?  Do you really want a vending company servicing your office with a variety of snacks and beverages who works out of his or her garage at their state of residence? This actually leads to a third question to ask.  How is the product being handled and how long is the product stored before it is delivered to their customers?  Is it a garage, a truck or a clean warehouse and are you able to visit the vending company’s facility?

Service is always a great topic for asking questions.  How long will a machine be out of service if there is a problem…hours, days or weeks and does the vending company have their own vending machine mechanic? Having a vending provider who establishes servicing standards for their route drivers and acquires well-trained technicians is crucial if a problem ever arises with your vending machine.  I’m sure you will have disgruntle employees if they are not able to get their mid morning snack like a granola bar or yogurt or they may have to run to the nearest Starbucks because the coffee vending machine is out of service for days at a time.

Another important question that is often missed when interviewing a vending company is what technologies do they have in-place for improving customer service?  Are their vending machines equipped with new Guaranteed Product Delivery Systems that guarantee the product or your money back? If you are not aware of what Guaranteed Product Delivery Systems is, it is an infrared technology which detects any unsuccessful vend cycle, guaranteeing that your employees either receives their product, or gets their money back. This new technology greatly reduces the chance that your employees will lose their money or not get the item they have selected.  This will definitely eliminate frustrated employees and management having to worry about reimbursing employees for lost money.

Also, vending companies that have a tracking system in place to keep account of slower moving products and potentially out dated items is very cost effective and an efficient way of doing business. Asking how often their route drivers rotate product selections is a great question and can eliminate internal stress between the management team of the office and the employees.

Safety is also an over looked factor when searching for the right vending and office coffee provider.  Have criminal background checks been cleared on the route drivers and technicians entering your facility? Are the employees required to wear photo identification and professional uniforms?  You don’t want to be liable for inappropriate actions at your place of business when precautionary steps could have been taken to avoid such actions. And last but not least when choosing the right vending company for your line of business, make sure to request for at least five business references that they are currently using as their customers.  Hopefully by asking these questions when interviewing a potential vending service it will eliminate any confusion and frustration when trying to find the very best vending and office coffee provider for your business in Atlanta.

In Atlanta, Eagle Vending  is the leader in providing healthy alternative product selections in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. When looking for a vending company to meet your needs for your breakroom, you need to make sure that they are skilled professionals who are able to meet with you to establish a vending program customized to include healthier products.

One of the most easiest ways for a vending company to integrate wellness into your vending program is by offering you Fit Pick approved snacks.  If a vending company is a member of NAMA, they can offer you a variety of nutritional choices that meet the Fit Pick approval by identifying healthy product selections in the vending machines with a Fit Pick sticker.  It’s that simple! No more worries about having to break your commitment to eating healthy while at your work place.  With the right vending provider your office vending machines will always include a variety of products that are low in sugar and fat.

Large manufacturers like Nestle and Pepsico are also developing newer healthier products for the vending channel. Because Eagle Vending is unmatched in customer service, when those products become available they will always rotate them into the vending machines.

Eagle Vending encourages their customers to make suggestions to their highly trained route drivers. Eagle Vending has a team of qualified employees who will take product suggestions and incorporate them into the product mix.
It truly is a team effort to get the perfect selection of healthy products and Eagle Vending is flexible to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Here is a snap shot of healthier for you items in a vending machine.