shepherdsflock Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 My first experience with Kickstart was a bit disappointing; they took two weeks and found a Falafel restaurant 35 miles away from me. I wasn't real pleased with it, and it turned out to be a real dud. It did about $6 per month. So, I have an extra triple in my garage that I wanted located and have been too busy to locate it myself, so I figured why not give them another try. I contacted them on Monday and placed an order. Tonight I was notified that they got me a location at a local Mongolian grill place, which is fairly busy. I'm pretty excited about the location, it should be at least decent. I'm very pleased to say that Kickstart changed my opinion of their services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullyfrog Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Good for you. I'm glad you got a good spot out of 'em. Tell Rob I'm still waiting on that refund check. Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 I'll stay out of your business with Kickstart. Hopefully Rob will see your comment and settle your dispute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 One thing that may have made a difference this time is that I really took advantage of the Wishlist feature. Since nobody knows your area better than you do, it probably helps them quite a bit if you give them some guidance on what places to target. I knew what places I would target if I had the time and put them on the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 One more thing to add about the location. This restaurant has two locations in my city. One of them is a standalone facility and the other is located in a busy mall and gets quite a bit of business. I thought I had received the standalone location, but I checked the address this and discovered that it was the one at the shopping mall (the busier of the two) that accepted my machine. This could be a great opportunity. It gives me exposure to mall traffic without paying ridiculous mall lease fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullyfrog Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Of all the times I've tried Rob, I've only received one location that actually worked out for more than a few months. The rest ended up being a huge waste of time and money. I tried using the wishlist as well, they blew through them and just kept sending me to apartment complexes or they'd send me to restaurants or mechanic shops that hadn't even approved a machine. I've had MUCH better results locating on my own or using some of the other locators that have been discussed on this forum. Not to mention the fact that his prices are more than double what the other locators are charging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandyking Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I am also waiting on my refund from Rob. Rob's last name should be "Every Vendor Blind" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullyfrog Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I've been waiting for a little over 2 years...good luck to ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Rob has persistently emailed me over the last two weeks about working with Kickstart after I expressed interest in using a locator service. I'm so glad to have read users' experience working with them here first. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Snacks Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I am also waiting on my refund from Rob. Rob's last name should be "Every Vendor Blind" "Now that's funny right there, partner"!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 One more thing to add about the location. This restaurant has two locations in my city. One of them is a standalone facility and the other is located in a busy mall and gets quite a bit of business. I thought I had received the standalone location, but I checked the address this and discovered that it was the one at the shopping mall (the busier of the two) that accepted my machine. This could be a great opportunity. It gives me exposure to mall traffic without paying ridiculous mall lease fees. Falling golpher backwards into a great location doesn't make kick start a great locating company. All they do is make blind calls using a data base. If your using a wish list then they should charge you half because your doing half the work. Remember a locator gets paid when they hear a yes they don't really care who they hear it from. You are your best locator. Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Two things you will never see a full time professional bulk operator do is 1. use any kind of triple or u-turn. 2. They really only use in house sales people or have a locator that does in person sales. They dont use kickstart or other telemarketers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhumphrey829 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Two things you will never see a full time professional bulk operator do is 1. use any kind of triple or u-turn. 2. They really only use in house sales people or have a locator that does in person sales. They dont use kickstart or other telemarketers. Well I have to disagree with you on one thing. I have 22 U-turns and while I only have 13 on location, I am very happy with the money they are bringing in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Well I have to disagree with you on one thing. I have 22 U-turns and while I only have 13 on location, I am very happy with the money they are bringing in. That is why i said you wont see a full time pro operator using triples or u-turns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhumphrey829 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 That is why i said you wont see a full time pro operator using triples or u-turns. That is why i said you wont see a full time pro operator using triples or u-turns. So what exactly do "professional" vendors have on their locations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Oak, Northwestern or Beaver. All single modular heads on racks or stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhumphrey829 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Oak, Northwestern or Beaver. All single modular heads on racks or stands. Well I guess we will agree to to disagree because a quarter is a quarter no matter what type of machine it goes in. The person makes the professional vendor, not the type of machine they place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherdsflock Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 I would also disagree about "professionals" not using triples. I know that Lurtsman made a pretty good living with his route before he relocated to a different state and he had plenty of triples in his route. As for locating on your own outperforming locators, that is probably true and I wouldn't argue with it. My argument is that if you CAN'T locate due to some constraint (time, transportation, etc.) then locators can be valuable. In my case, Kickstart was able to salvage their reputation with me. My first experience with them was bordering on negative, but this time they did a good job. I gave them a lot of specific instructions about what locations I wanted to target, what priority to give to certain locations, and they delivered. Locators can't work magic, they have to call businesses they know noting about in locations they're unfamiliar with and hope to land you something good. It's a crapshoot for them without guidance from the customer. As far as Kickstart owing people refunds, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope that Rob is following this thread and sees that he has some unsatisfied customers and acts quickly to settle accounts with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandyking Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Oak, Northwestern or Beaver. All single modular heads on racks or stands. The King has built his kingdom on 1800 triples. Everyone has their flavor of choice that fits their business model. When you can show me a triple head of any that you listed above for the price points that I get my 1800's, then I will make the switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 King--are you willing to tell us where you buy machines? Are they new or used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainor5251 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I think there is some truth to what action is saying but wouldn't say never cause ive seen full time "professional" operators using triples even 2 triples mounted to a rack. But for the most part I believe the majority of fulltimers use single head machines In different configurations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 We might be talking about two completely different things when we say "triples". I think action is referring to triple candy only like vendstars, because I agree with Kandy King that 1800's are versatile enough that one can develop a "professional" route with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhumphrey829 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 King--are you willing to tell us where you buy machines? Are they new or used? Oak, Northwestern or Beaver. All single modular heads on racks or stands. So why can a someone not make a living using the u-turn machines. I would like to know because I want to make this my profession so if I am using the wrong type of machines to do this i would like to know now so I can start purchasing the right ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherlock Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 So why can a someone not make a living using the u-turn machines. I would like to know because I want to make this my profession so if I am using the wrong type of machines to do this i would like to know now so I can start purchasing the right ones IMO, it's not that someone can't make a living using a u-turn, it's just a little harder to do so...and here's why: In order to make a living with bulk you have to be able to get into all kinds of different locations. So, you would want to carry the most flexible equipment you can. Some locations can only support a single, others a double or triple, and then, of course, some require a rack with multiple heads on it. With something like a u-turn or a triple like a Vendstar, you don't have much flexibility. The locations you find for those machines MUST support at least a triple because you can't break them down to a single or double. And if you place a triple or u-turn in a place better suited for a single or double, you are going to lose your rear-end in product waste. The single/stand-alone head like those offered by Oak, NW, A&A, Beaver, etc gives you flexibility. You can vary the number of selections you offer from location to location. The same machine/head you use in a single-only location today, can be mounted onto a rack to serve a bigger-better location tomorrow if needed. Not saying you can't have some triples or u-turns. But, I wouldn't recommend you use them exclusively or even predominantly because of the limitations I've outlined above. If you plan on going full-time or making a good living, limiting how you can set-up your equipment is only going to limit the number of locations you can accommodate...and doing that will only limit your income and growth potential. With the right equipment, you can turn singles into a double, triple, or a rack...or break a rack down into triples, doubles, or singles...and it only takes minutes to do so. You can't do nearly as much with a triple or u-turn. Without being flexible, you just aren't going to be capable of getting into as many locations as one who is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GagesVending Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 ^I agree Sherlock. Using solely one type of machine truly does limit your potential. I have a location I got a couple months ago that they only wanted a single head machine, and last month it did $25, so I'm glad I didn't pass on it because they wouldn't allow a triple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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