JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 I consider myself a pretty decent, honest person. However every now and then the manager will be happy to see my machine, but he seems more happy that he assumes 100 percent of it goes to charity. When i have to answer this, I feel on the spot and not at ease. Because some of them will say I hope you don't make money out of this, we can only do it for charity. That happened today. My locator's telemarketer got me a spot at a pizza and they had an empty vendstar. THe owner said it was a non profit machine as well, but it was 100 percent empty, no labels on it. Just a handwritten phone number in the back. Looked awful. But after getting rejected by my locator 5 times in a row, i just had to say whatever i could and i felt bad. I told him that Im with the Childrens Cancer and pay them every month. He said it was COOL, just as long as i make no money. I feel like these types of spots just wont last. I feel like a villain when they say this to me and then i have to lie out of my teeth. If I say i make money, that would be kinda awkward too because he would kick me out immediately. But there are some spots, where they do think that 100 percent is supposed to go to charity. Not even 1 buck is supposed to go to you. I know a lot of my spots don't really care. It's just a cool machine, some goes to charity, and that's that cool..... But some spots do give you the impression that they feel 100 percent must go to charity and if you told them otherwise they would not want it. I just have a feeling i will get the boot soon because even though he was a nice guy, he literally said if you guys make money, then laughed, then we have no room. But if it's non profit, okay okay. I mean how should i feel about this? I feel a little bit like a villain that when they asked me if it all is non profit and i said yes. It's not that i want to lie, but i feel like they are being kinda nosy and are putting me on the spot forcing me to say yes in a way. Just kind of a YES or NO type answer that i have a hard time dealing with. In any event, it is a fact that 100 percent of the money does not go to charity. Maybe a fair amount does, but if you told them well i have 100 machines and it adds up, these type of people don't want to hear it. Either 100 percent goes or it doesn't go. I do feel a little bit of guilt for having to lie. Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 If you are implying that 100% of the money goes to the charity then you are obviously being dishonest. This is the type of behaviour that gives all charity vendors a bad name. Please do not mislead the location. If they have no room for your "for profit" business, and the location is a good one, then offer them a commission and tell them they can donate 100% of that to their choice of charity. If they do not agree to that, find a new home for your machine. On the way out the door make sure you tell them that you'll never patronize their business again because they do not give 100% of their profit to charity and you have no room for a business that makes money. How dare they! Sent using Tapatalk for Android. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 If you are implying that 100% of the money goes to the charity then you are obviously being dishonest. This is the type of behaviour that gives all charity vendors a bad name. Please do not mislead the location. If they have no room for your "for profit" business, and the location is a good one, then offer them a commission and tell them they can donate 100% of that to their choice of charity. If they do not agree to that, find a new home for your machine. On the way out the door make sure you tell them that you'll never patronize their business again because they do not give 100% of their profit to charity and you have no room for a business that makes money. How dare they! Sent using Tapatalk for Android. Casseri, it's not that I wanted to mislead them. They are the ones that assume that 100 percent goes to charity. Okay lets say Im the manager. You bring in the machine. Im all happy and say, ''Great. it's non profit. You dont make money out of it, cool.'' What are you going to say to that? Kind of an awkward thing to hear. And also, once you already unintentionally implied it goes to charity, you can't just go back and take it back. That looks bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacho Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Tell them that you work in conjunction with the charity and a portion of the proceeds are donated to the charity every month. Don't tell that you work for the charity. If they ask you how much, tell them the truth. Also remind them that you have X number of machines out there, so a nice chunk of the money goes to the charity per month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Casseri, it's not that I wanted to mislead them. They are the ones that assume that 100 percent goes to charity. Okay lets say Im the manager. You bring in the machine. Im all happy and say, ''Great. it's non profit. You dont make money out of it, cool.'' What are you going to say to that? I'm going to say, "Actually, we are a for profit business just like yourself. However we do pay our charity a predetermined royalty each month regardless of sales." And also, once you already unintentionally implied it goes to charity, you can't just go back and take it back. That looks bad. First of all, you should have never unintentionally implied. As for "looking bad", how bad is it going to look when they figure out your are being dishonest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 I'm going to say, "Actually, we are a for profit business just like yourself. However we do pay our charity a predetermined royalty each month regardless of sales." First of all, you should have never unintentionally implied. As for "looking bad", how bad is it going to look when they figure out your are being dishonest? Well now i learned. It's just that i felt pressure to say it. I could tell by his tone, that is what he wanted me to say. I didn't go in there intending to lie. I just wasn't prepared for him to say that. I didn't mean any dishonesty really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Well now i learned. It's just that i felt pressure to say it. I could tell by his tone, that is what he wanted me to say. I didn't go in there intending to lie. I just wasn't prepared for him to say that. I didn't mean any dishonesty really. I'm sure you didn't. We've all been in situations where our words are chosen for us by others, especially when we are doing something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 alright, well then that covers my question. Next time i will be more prepared. And if they can't accept the truth or a commission, then i shouldn't be in that spot anyway. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberframe50 Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Did you provide a placement letter from NCCS? It clearly explains the monthly royalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 Did you provide a placement letter from NCCS? It clearly explains the monthly royalty. I figured the sticker was enough. But that's a good idea, i can bring in paperwork next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 actually today there was a vendstar next to my machine. He assumed all of it went to charity. There was no charity label, just a phone number in the back, written in pen. No candy was in the machine, no labels, and nothing. So while he wanted it all to go to charity, it makes me wonder why he would let in someone who had no charity sticker. According to him,That machine has been empty for 2 weeks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 alright, well then that covers my question. Next time i will be more prepared. And if they can't accept the truth or a commission, then i shouldn't be in that spot anyway. Thanks. You have no idea what the locators are saying to these places so it may not be that they assume its all charity they may have been misled by the locator. But if they ask you need to be completely honest and tell them how much goes to the charity. If they are not happy with that offer them a cut to do what ever they want with it. Let's say that there is a comm vendor in your area and he comes by your pizza location and wants in but the owner says no were going to stick with the charity machine. Well your going to look like a fool because that guy will educate the owner I promise that. Many operators including my self keep documents from every major vending charity in the van and use as a locating tool in cases just like this. Many people think that the machine is owned and operated by the charity I have even had business owners ask me if they were even able to boot the machine. Run your business clean its cases like this that give the vending business a bad name. Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj54 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I TELL THEM. 100% MINES ALL EXPENSES. ( I DO NOT GO INTO DETAILS. FIRST YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND, SOME DO NOT LIKE TO SEE ANYONE MAKE MONEY BUT THEM.) THEN CHANGE THE SUBJECT. SAY AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE, IT WORKS WELL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberframe50 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 You have no idea what the locators are saying to these places so it may not be that they assume its all charity they may have been misled by the locator. But if they ask you need to be completely honest and tell them how much goes to the charity. If they are not happy with that offer them a cut to do what ever they want with it. Let's say that there is a comm vendor in your area and he comes by your pizza location and wants in but the owner says no were going to stick with the charity machine. Well your going to look like a fool because that guy will educate the owner I promise that. Many operators including my self keep documents from every major vending charity in the van and use as a locating tool in cases just like this. Many people think that the machine is owned and operated by the charity I have even had business owners ask me if they were even able to boot the machine. Run your business clean its cases like this that give the vending business a bad name. Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk Amen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendsmarts Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 By the time you pay your start up costs, buy candy,Stickers, labels, gas and your time into a location, you can be non-profit at some locations. It is an unconfortable question when asked about how much the charity gets. I try to give them a answer that suits them without really lying. I tell them facts like the charity receives close to a million a year from this program. If I ever really had to level with a manager, Ill tell them there is a lot of investment on my part and I need to make some money to be able to expand. Expanding brings in more money for the charity. Only 3 of my locations require me to do charity sponsering, but I have 6 stickers out. The rest want the machines in their breakrooms and businesses and see it as benefiting them greatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 By the time you pay your start up costs, buy candy,Stickers, labels, gas and your time into a location, you can be non-profit at some locations. It is an unconfortable question when asked about how much the charity gets. I try to give them a answer that suits them without really lying. I tell them facts like the charity receives close to a million a year from this program. If I ever really had to level with a manager, Ill tell them there is a lot of investment on my part and I need to make some money to be able to expand. Expanding brings in more money for the charity. Only 3 of my locations require me to do charity sponsering, but I have 6 stickers out. The rest want the machines in their breakrooms and businesses and see it as benefiting them greatly. " if I ever had to level with a manager" "give an answer that's suits them with out really telling a lie". This is what gives a bad name to the business. Telling the truth should be easy Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vendsmarts Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 " if I ever had to level with a manager" "give an answer that's suits them with out really telling a lie". This is what gives a bad name to the business. Telling the truth should be easy Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk I agree. All but 2 of my locations are part of an established route, so I havent had to do much explaining. I have from the start been thinking about whats best to say and remain ethical. No ones being cheated. We give the charities what they want. I give a year in advance and i buy their brochures and other stuff. The brochure speaks for its self and I give one along with a vending placement letter to each location. The vending business is product in exchange for money. I think it would be worse if it was a charity collection box and only a dollar a month was paid out of that. If I ever get the 100% question I will tell them its not 100% and explain why. I think locations are more concerned about the upkeep and the posibillity of misvends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSbluebird Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Last month I placed a Vendstar in a used appliance store. The owner asked a number of questions about the business and the charity. Since I'm new to the business I said that I plan to donate at least 10% to a local charity, but based on the take from my other machines, this would probably only be a buck or two a month from this machine. Today when I went back to the store, I noticed a hand-drawn sign in crayon next to the door that said "buy our CFC candy". Next to the machine was a similar sign that said "Candy for Charity". The owner said it was a worthwhile lesson for her 6 year old son who had drawn the signs to help with the marketing. Unfortunately there was only $6.25 inside after 3 weeks. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserri Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 " if I ever had to level with a manager" "give an answer that's suits them with out really telling a lie". This is what gives a bad name to the business. Telling the truth should be easy Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk I agree. There shouldn't be any uncomfortable feelings when asked this question. As a charity vendor, you are doing your part to raise not only money, but awareness of the cause. The awareness is what the charities want the most out of their vending program anyway. That's what I was told by a major charity. If you feel uncomfortable with the question, that's a good sign that you feel you're doing something wrong. Sent using Tapatalk for Android. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mage Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I use charity stickers myself. Going in I knew I wanted to be completely honest. But I do attempt to state things in a way that sounds good. I have been asked about the stickers and the charity before, and I answered everything honestly. Also while discussing it I used it as an opportunity to mention that I also do commission locations. My policy has been to take all my charity locations, keep track of the income, and make sure they get 15% of the net. But I purchased a few more stickers, then changed my plans, which resulted in me not placing any more machines, so I am paying for stickers that I am not using. But I checked into NCCS before I ever joined their program, so have no problem donating extra funds to them. (And it is time for me to renew those stickers, and I will be doing just that. And maybe actually using them.) My personal belief is that if you have to lie to make money, you are in the wrong business. There is no reason to lie to make money. The lie seems to be the easy way to make money, but it will come back and bite you in the booty eventually. Also if you are forthcoming, and say that no the charity does not get all the money, and then explain the situation to them, they will not only feel better about the situation, but may respect you for your honesty. I also make sure they understand that if anyone tells them 100% of the money that comes out of these machines goes to charity, that there is a great chance they are being lied to. Too many people think that business is only about the money. If all you want is money, go to college for the highest paying career that doesn't take forever to get into, get a job, and stockpile cash. But there really has to be something more then that. There has to be some sort of enjoyment and meaning in what we do. If we start lying, are we creating that meaning and enjoyment? Or are we simply creating stress, and feel like we are walking on eggshells all the time, worried about being found out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLM Vending Posted December 9, 2011 Author Share Posted December 9, 2011 If you feel uncomfortable with the question, that's a good sign that you feel you're doing something wrong. Sent using Tapatalk for Android. Well, i was turned down 5 consecutive times and drove far again, so was a little desperate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Although old, a very nice thread to help newbies like me be prepared for what could be a difficult question. Great information. I love this board! Buckeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Coast Vend LLC Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I think Steve's advice is exactly correct. You can't lie and tell them that you give everything to charity, (100%). How does the account think that the product gets in the machines. It's only suppose to be a share of the profits, maybe 10%. If the account gives you a hard time, pay them commission and let them donate their share to a charity of their choice if giving 100% to charity is so important to them. Gary Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thevendingguru Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I have several machines currently on location that all have charity stickers in them. Most of my route is rural (my smallest town has a population of just under 200 people) so commission is out of the question in these places. When I go to locate, I find find the decision maker and say: "My name is _________ and I am trying to raise some funds for ________ charity with this small bubble gum machine. Would you be interested in providing a place on your premesis t help us out?" The answer is either yes or no. If it is yes, some questions usually follow, including how often will I service it and who to call if it breaks? I was once asked how much money actually goes to charity...and on the one hand, I don't want to lie, but on the other hand, if I tell the truth, they are going to say no. My response was how much I donated annually to the charity, which is the truth. Do you guys think this is a dishonest answer or is it legit? The beauty of providing this information is that it can be skewed in so many different ways: How much will I donate from this machine and how much will I donate from all of my machines? On the one hand, I feel that honesty is important. On the other hand, most of my location owners have businesses to run and at the end of the day, if the machine is full, has fresh product, is clean and is operational, they don't care how much money goes to charity, or even if anything goes to charity, although I still donate. This brings me to a question about the charity I deal with. I pay $1 per month per sticker, and this is prepaid annually. Last year, I received my crredit card statement in the mail and foundtwo charges totalling around $800, courtesy of the charity: They went ahead and charged my credit card without telling me that they were going to do it (it was before my annual payment was due) and without telling me how much they were going to charge. I was not impressed. A few months later, my credit card expired. Less than a year after this charge, I got a letter from the charity asking for my new credit card number as it was time to pay up. I wrote a letter back telling them that I will gladly provide it, if they will tell me how much they are going to charge. A few months later, I got another letter again asking for my credit card number. I again wrote back and told them to tell me how much is owed before providingmy credit card number. I don't mind helping the charity, but I do mind getting scammed by them. I still have not received any invoice. What do you think? Is it time for a new charity? Any suggestions? has this happened to anyone before? Is it possible to run this business honestly using the charity approach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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