Vending machines offer a great service for anyone who needs them, but have you ever thought about how they are filled, and who makes the decisions of what to fill them with? And what about cleaning or maintenance?
Well, there are a couple different ways these things can happen. One is self-fill vending machines, which is the DIY style in which the Dallas, TX business owner fills, cleans and maintains the machine on their own. The other is a full-service vending machine, where a third party handles all these things. While each has its benefits, each also has its downsides. Read on to learn more.
Full-service vending machines
Full-service vending machines are also known as operated service. This means an outside company will handle the duties of filling the machine, collecting money and cleaning the machine in Dallas, TX.
Full-service vending machines are visited by their caretakers on a regular schedule, so you can rest assured they will not be forgotten and neglected. The contents will be properly rotated so you won’t have to worry about expired products clogging up your vending machine.
The items will also be tracked to ensure the machine won’t run out of a certain product too soon. Conversely, this means that products that don’t sell well (or at all) will not continue to be stocked. The full-service operators will find a suitable replacement so your vending machine does not have any empty slots.
The downside here is that it does cost more to have a full-service vending machine. It also might not always be possible to have an attendant come out right away if there are any special product requests or problems with the machine.
Self-fill vending machines
Self-fill vending machines do not have a third party regularly checking in, filling or cleaning them. The downside here is that you have to handle things yourself, which is another thing to think about for an already-busy business owner. But it also offers some benefits.
First, your overhead costs may be lower, since you won’t be paying for another service operator to handle your vending machines on a regular basis. But while it may look cheaper on paper right off the bat, be sure to consider how much it would cost to have an employee handle the care of your vending machines, or how much time it would take you to do it yourself.
Another benefit of self-fill vending machines is that you have more control and flexibility over the options and schedule of filling and maintenance. If you want to add a certain type of candy bar or coffee flavor right away, you can do that with self-fill vending machines. And if you want to stock pre-wrapped sandwiches, with a rotating special each day, it might make sense to handle that yourself.
If you can’t decide between full-service or self-fill vending machines, it is possible to have the best of both worlds with multiple machines. For more information about full-service and self-fill vending machines in Dallas, TX, contact ABC Vending Co. today.