Does Anyone Ever Plop a Machine Down W/O Permission in Locations with Lots of Machines?

[Nick505]

Near a waiting area. I have a uturn that I am going to drop off in the ER in a week or so. This is my only candy location.

[Rick Falcon]

Near a waiting area. I have a uturn that I am going to drop off in the ER in a week or so. This is my only candy location.

How do you get it by security?

[treadmill]

I am wondering about that too. Around here they don't allow or should I say I have never seen a bulk vending machine in a hospital.

[antoniocinisi]

I can't believe there are seasoned members of this discussion group that are actually planning on doing this. Shame on all of you that should know better. Rest assured if 1 of the waitresses in my restaurant noticed another machine out in the dining room it would either be mine or in the trash if I didn't have a vending business.

[josh]

I believed him till he said he makes $300 in one location. I thought the national average was 7 dollars a machine and a gravey location was $50 a month. I think a $ 100 is possible. You wanna post a pic.

[El Shoshonee]

I would never do that! Absolutely no accountability whatsoever. For me, I'd have to get the OK from the manager, owner, somebody. I just think it would be extremely unprofessional.

[Rick]

I can't believe there are seasoned members of this discussion group that are actually planning on doing this. Shame on all of you that should know better. Rest assured if 1 of the waitresses in my restaurant noticed another machine out in the dining room it would either be mine or in the trash if I didn't have a vending business.

I personally agree with Antonio, this isn't my cup of tea and I would never do it.

That being said, the reason this works so well is because people aren't guerilla locating your restaurant (or anyone else where there is a decision maker keeping tabs on the day to day activity). It works because these are huge foot traffic locations, where people will often be waiting for long periods of time and none of the inhabitants of the building care that the machine is there...much less motivated enough to track down who approved of it being there.

And I 100% believe he grossed $300 in a single month.

[Rick Falcon]

I can't believe there are seasoned members of this discussion group that are actually planning on doing this. Shame on all of you that should know better. Rest assured if 1 of the waitresses in my restaurant noticed another machine out in the dining room it would either be mine or in the trash if I didn't have a vending business.

I agree with you Ant I'm not saying that I condone this but I'm still curious to know how he gets by security.

[will.vend]

I agree with you Ant I'm not saying that I condone this but I'm still curious to know how he gets by security.

I use to be in medical sales several years ago, it use to amaze me how lax security was/is in the hospitals. I could go to any part of the hospital I wanted without being asked what I was doing, in 20 years I do not remember being asked even once.

As far as "plopping" down machines in locations I did it a few times when I first started in bulk vending, I lost more than half of the machines I "plopped" down. It is not a good practice to start doing, if you do be prepared when you go back for your machine to have grown legs.

[Action Vending]

I am not condoning this either just wondering where you put them. My local hospital would easily do 300 a month. So for that kind of money it may be worth a lot of time to get permission. Coke has their pop contract and they do 5000 cases of pop per year at my local hospital so bulk would still do well.

[dlsnyder65]

I have been thinking about doing this at a Walmart by my house. They have two crane machines in there right now. One of them has been broken for about two months. There are no other machines.. This is in the front entrance. They used too have a couple of machines in the waiting room in the service area but they are gone. They do have a charity drop but it is not a machine. I was thinking of dropping a two head with a charity sticker in the front. Should I take the chance?

[FrCorey]

I have been thinking about doing this at a Walmart by my house. They have two crane machines in there right now. One of them has been broken for about two months. There are no other machines.. This is in the front entrance. They used too have a couple of machines in the waiting room in the service area but they are gone. They do have a charity drop but it is not a machine. I was thinking of dropping a two head with a charity sticker in the front. Should I take the chance?

just remember. you also get the bad on this too.

say they tell the people to remove thier equipment.

and they take your too.

or they just take over your machines.

come in one day to cash out and restock,

and poof, your keys no longer fit your machine.

the other company can do anything they want to your stuff,

and the location wont bat a eye.

[treadmill]

I can't believe there are seasoned members of this discussion group that are actually planning on doing this. Shame on all of you that should know better. Rest assured if 1 of the waitresses in my restaurant noticed another machine out in the dining room it would either be mine or in the trash if I didn't have a vending business.

I guess I was not clear enough. I wouldn't think of doing it. I was just curious how he got by security because I have never seen them in a hospital before. Now I have seen snack and soda machines but bulk candy machines. Maybe nobody in his area has the snack and soda accounts.

[22443360]

Hi,

I have done this, and I will do it again. I have 2 hospitals.

1)

I was contacted by the hospital kiosk, which I paid commison to for a while, until the hospital wanted the non approved machine removed. (But I turned it into a pop deal instead on a 3 year contract with no comission) It made 125$ a month. It makes more with a pop machine.

2)

Emergency room at a very, very large hospital, I just went there 14 months ago, and placed it, looking comfident. No one has ever asked, but the nurses like it when I bring them treats. They are always surprised but happy. And I just say. Yea, its from the candy machines. = Ohh Thanks a lot. (Big smiles) It makes 150$ a month.

I serviced it today, 200$ in 5 weeks, and while filling it, a doctor running by just said: Great fresh candy.......... I rest my case.

---------------

But not all hospitals are like that, some of them have everything under control, my approch is I ask my wife or farther, what he/or she things about placing a machine there at the hospital, and they say do it. If anyone asks who approved it, I simply give them their name. What do they know, 1500 people works there! They just say well im the boss, and I dont think its a good idea. No problem, I remove it, with the 100-150$ in it, no matter what I still get paid.

So far I tryed 3 goverment hospitals, and got to keep 1.

1 had a central vendor agreement and booted my machine, but they were very nice about it. (left with 150$)

1 not so much. (took 1 day, got the phone call) - Always label your machine, you want it back if they dont want it there.

1 I have had for 1 year, 2 monts and counting and I put in an extra double last month. (now double + triple)

I do get butterflys every time I service, but what a kick when I am back in the car. Since I pay taxes, its as much my hospital as anybody else, so asking a nurse or my wife, makes no difference. So if you need permission, just ask somebody.

Most of the time the person you ask dont have any right to allow it anyway...

And dont worry about security, just ask them to hold the door or something, your there on business, REMEMBER! )

[Jax Snacks]

I have been thinking about doing this at a Walmart by my house. They have two crane machines in there right now. One of them has been broken for about two months. There are no other machines.. This is in the front entrance. They used too have a couple of machines in the waiting room in the service area but they are gone. They do have a charity drop but it is not a machine. I was thinking of dropping a two head with a charity sticker in the front. Should I take the chance?

Short answer. No.

I once talked to a high level Walmart manager that a locator tried to Gorilla over the phone. I wanted to verify the approval since I was highly skeptical. She told me that Walmart only supports the Children's Miracle Network and no other charities are allowed. Children's Miracle Network does not have an official vending program, but apparently (at that time) only employees were allowed to place a bulk charity machine. She was also aware of people slamming machines into the break rooms and service areas. The company policy is to discard them. But the crane vendor will most likely remove it in any event since.

I know one guy that used to slam machines into the Walmart auto service waiting area. It worked for a while, but one day his machines were gone. But a competitors machine was in his spot. Hmmmm. What was he gong to do? Complain to the management?

Of course there will always be an exception. I see a single head in one Walmart that has been there for years. But it is in a perfect spot and not very intrusive. There is no contact info on the machine. The crane and bulk drivers seem to just let it stay, but the machine is at the end of a long hallway and not real close to the racks and cranes. Sometimes the drivers just don't give a hoot about charity machines and ignore them regardless of the policy. That happened in a number of K-Marts years ago. Some of those K-Marts had 2 or 3 single heads (all different vendors) next to the racks and nobody cared. But many of those K-Marts are now closed.

I guess you call slamming a "strategy", but really not a long term sustainable approach to locate machines.

[ronsidney]

As far a bulk vending goes i keep reading you guys saying "you'll lose your spot" and "your machine will get taken" etc.. and all i have to say is that is just bulk vending!

If you operate singles and doubles you WILL lose machines, expecially if its charity.. I dont care if you are getting permission or not. Maybe the loss is a bit higher with slamming but figure in price and cost of locator miles driven etc and its a wash really..

just some examples...

chinese restaurant =(positive)probably highest grossing locations per location in bulk vending,,,(negative)they open and close like revolving doors, about 5 years on a really good one,,small ones a couple years at most..when they close they take your machines most of the time or dont call and you have to chase landlords to get your machines..

mexican restaurant= (positive) great location (negative) language barrier like above and if machines are a home run and make alot of money you will get booted and they will buy their own.

I could go on and on about how you as a vendor can never just SLEEP and stop locating..locating should be a part of your schedule really,, "It takes me 5 hours of actual service time and then 5 hours of talking and shooting the BS with my locations and locating new stops"... So these arguements about its not sustainable and not professional etc. and how you cant figure it into your long term business plan are really BS. Every single location you have you will one day lose.

Yeah you may keep that car lot for 30 years and collect your 5 bucks a month like clockwork.. or you may keep that hospital 2 years and make your 200 a month like clockwork also.. Its all math and averages.

people like bulk vending because they see it as a business that requires "No selling" but that is BS also,,if you dont sell and you require a salesman then you need to be really big or you are just spinning wheels.. A bulk vending route is the same almost as a business to business salesman of say advertisement or something.. there is no value really in the locations as they are always changing, (this of course is aimed mostly at bulk charity stops like singles,doubles etc..), your value is how many machines you have out.

Most people should look at charity bulk as a stepping stone really , not a career in my opinion ..some say "Wow if i made this much on 50 machines, just think what im gonna make with a 1000 machines!".. and if they keep on gathering up old craigslist machines etc they can build up a good size route, but instead of just going farther and farther out most "Career" vendors will "rack up" the great charity stops, or put cranes etc. in those cherry stops.

.therefore they just used the single double charity vending as a stepping stone in to higher return locations..if they do just keep going out and out and out and travel 1000's of miles to scratch those few quarters out of those locations they really dont make any more money.. As they grow, their losses will start to mount also..

so you got two people in a bar,, the guy on the left is a vendor and he operates 2000 charity gumball machines and travels 3 states , the guy on the right has 100 locations with cranes and racks and pushers... who has the most valuable route? which one got started with 30 singles he bought off of craigslist? which one used to slam singles and doubles in every lowes, kmart,city hall, hospital,jail, car lot etc.? BOTH OF THEM probably!

[sherlock]

Bottom line is that this is YOUR business.

Run it as you see fit.

My general rule about slamming is, I wouldn't do it because that's not the type of person or business owner I am.

I don't condone others slamming machines and don't like that it hurts vendors like me who wouldn't do it...but there's nothing I can do to stop them.

If someone else slams profitably and they don't lose any sleep over it, nothing I say will convince them to stop.

The reality is that it's near impossible to convince someone who slams machines to stop slamming, just as it's near impossible to convince someone who doesn't feel right about slamming machines to go ahead and do it.

The negative reputation slamming helps give the bulk vending industry is just another obstacle I have to overcome in order to succeed in this business.

[mission vending]

I could go on and on about how you as a vendor can never just SLEEP and stop locating..locating should be a part of your schedule really,, "It takes me 5 hours of actual service time and then 5 hours of talking and shooting the BS with my locations and locating new stops"... So these arguements about its not sustainable and not professional etc. and how you cant figure it into your long term business plan are really BS. Every single location you have you will one day lose.

Totally agree here, I've said it before this is a service industry and by definition that means that sooner or later you WILL lose every account that you have. It may not be your fault but you WILL lose them.

[ronsidney]

in general i dont think slamming is really a scratch in the reputation of bulk vending as being bad... Ive said it before and the thread blows up when i say it .... but 99% of bulk vending as having a bad name is because of charity vending operators!

people just feel violated when they find out that only a buck a month goes to the charity and the vendor TOTALLY represents him/herself as being THE CHARITY when they originally locate the stop..

so for someone to jump on a highhorse crying foul about slamming and then collect 50 bucks out of vending machine and then only give a dollar of it to the charity i think is laughable! dont go saying oh i collected 50 here but only 2 or 3 or 6 there and there etc... because that is BS..dont say well i give thousands a year to this charity etc..that sign on that machine says it is for the charity, that location that is feeding quarters into that machine thinks that it all goes to that charity,, its not about averages over the whole haul etc.. When that location finds out they fed 50 bucks into that machine thinking they where supporting a charity and its a sham then THAT IS WHAT GIVES BULK VENDING A BAD NAME!!! explain away to the location about how its a business etc. but they will never have a good image of bulk after they find out.. there has been stories about in on freaking 20/20 for Gods sake!

to each his own, but before someone climbs on their high horse they need to take a look back and reflect on their own actions..

ron

[sherlock]

in general i dont think slamming is really a scratch in the reputation of bulk vending as being bad...

I agree that many charity vendors are also creating a negative image for bulk vendors.

But, that fact doesn't remove the negative effects bulk vendors deal with because of slammers.

It's like discussing the negative impact illegal drugs have on our cities and stating, "Yes. Drug usage is bad, but the real problem with our big cities is gang violence."

In other words, your point about charity vending is true...but is off-point to the conversation.

Why?

Because I have experienced some of the negative effects of slamming.

Some examples of what has happened directly to me because of others slamming equipment:

• locations kick all bulk vendors out because others were slamming machines in the business and creating an overload of equipment.
  
• locations decline to accept my machines because they'd been slammed in the past.
  
• locations get upset with me because machines started showing up that no one authorized...they automatically assumed it was me adding equipment since I was already in the place.
  

But, like I said...these are all just obstacles I have to overcome. I can't expect all vending business owners to run their company like I choose to run mine.

[ronsidney]

I agree that many charity vendors are also creating a negative image for bulk vendors.

But, that fact doesn't remove the negative effects bulk vendors deal with because of slammers.

It's like discussing the negative impact illegal drugs have on our cities and stating, "Yes. Drug usage is bad, but the real problem with our big cities is gang violence."

In other words, your point about charity vending is true...but is off-point to the conversation.

Why?

Because I have experienced some of the negative effects of slamming.

Some examples of what has happened directly to me because of others slamming equipment:

• locations kick all bulk vendors out because others were slamming machines in the business and creating an overload of equipment.
  
• locations decline to accept my machines because they'd been slammed in the past.
  
• locations get upset with me because machines started showing up that no one authorized...they automatically assumed it was me adding equipment since I was already in the place.
  

But, like I said...these are all just obstacles I have to overcome. I can't expect all vending business owners to run their company like I choose to run mine.

point taken..i agree its not just one bad apple in the barrel, just making my point as I dont think its the baddest apple in the barrel..

I have had those same instances on me also, with people slamming on top of me..but since i am a commission operator and not charity anymore i just put their stuff in the closet or in the back room and then explain to location about how the charities work.. I have a folder with all the sales material from almost all of the charity vending programs out there..I always show this to locations while im locating or if a charity locates one of my stops..

ron

[Nick505]

point taken..i agree its not just one bad apple in the barrel, just making my point as I dont think its the baddest apple in the barrel..

I have had those same instances on me also, with people slamming on top of me..but since i am a commission operator and not charity anymore i just put their stuff in the closet or in the back room and then explain to location about how the charities work.. I have a folder with all the sales material from almost all of the charity vending programs out there..I always show this to locations while im locating or if a charity locates one of my stops..

ron

Good idea on the folder!! I like that idea.

[dogcow]

Good idea on the folder!! I like that idea.

i read the same tip from someone on here and printed out

all that stuff immediately. it really works making room for

my games and stuff in tight locations ,, a lot of people

dont understand the charity stuff. i tell them to take their

cut and give it to wh atever charity they want, or put it

in the kids college fund or something

[Cloudedjourney]

Super interesting discussion so far, I can see the argument from both sides. It's especialIy frustrating when there are great potential locations that are rejected because some low level manager had just never considered it and would rather just say no than deal with a vender. If you just plopped it down without asking you can offer your service without bothering anyone. As for hospitals as nice it would be to make money off them, I know the profits from all the businesses in our hospital go back into running an maintaining it, so I would feel bad dishonestly taking from that pie.

The charity discussion is interesting as well. I have yet to place my first machines but have been making some headway with my locating. I plan to give 10% of my net profit to a local charity. It might be worth mentioning how the other charities work..

[jharper2346]

i read the same tip from someone on here and printed out

all that stuff immediately. it really works making room for

my games and stuff in tight locations ,, a lot of people

dont understand the charity stuff. i tell them to take their

cut and give it to wh atever charity they want, or put it

in the kids college fund or something

Do you have a link to what you printed out? If not, does anyone have a link to a list of charity vending programs and how they work?

Thanks!

in general i dont think slamming is really a scratch in the reputation of bulk vending as being bad... Ive said it before and the thread blows up when i say it .... but 99% of bulk vending as having a bad name is because of charity vending operators!

people just feel violated when they find out that only a buck a month goes to the charity and the vendor TOTALLY represents him/herself as being THE CHARITY when they originally locate the stop..

so for someone to jump on a highhorse crying foul about slamming and then collect 50 bucks out of vending machine and then only give a dollar of it to the charity i think is laughable! dont go saying oh i collected 50 here but only 2 or 3 or 6 there and there etc... because that is BS..dont say well i give thousands a year to this charity etc..that sign on that machine says it is for the charity, that location that is feeding quarters into that machine thinks that it all goes to that charity,, its not about averages over the whole haul etc.. When that location finds out they fed 50 bucks into that machine thinking they where supporting a charity and its a sham then THAT IS WHAT GIVES BULK VENDING A BAD NAME!!! explain away to the location about how its a business etc. but they will never have a good image of bulk after they find out.. there has been stories about in on freaking 20/20 for Gods sake!

to each his own, but before someone climbs on their high horse they need to take a look back and reflect on their own actions..

ron

Link to the 20/20 episode?

Thank you!