Restaurants

[Kevinator]

I have a few restaurants and I feel obligated to eat there when I service their machine, but as I grow I can't eat at 2, 3 or 4 of them a day. Plus I don't eat that CRAP, it is usually overpriced, not very good and not very good for you. I had an owner call me out on it the other day. 

It really pertains to all locations, I want them to do business with me, but I can't do business with everyone of them.

Does anyone want to chime in and tell me what is in their Playbook.

[QuikVend]

I have quite a few restaurants I have equipment in. Not all of them are on commission. Occasionally I will eat at a location, but I don't in any way feel obligated to. It's not like it was part of the agreement to place a machine there. 

If it ever became a big deal with a location, I would just pull it. Not worth the headache or drama. I'm in business to make money, not spend all my profits in the store the machine sits in. 

[AMD Snacks]

What do you mean an owner called you out on it? 

 

I agree with Quikvend, though I know where you're coming from. I used to feel strange going in a placed, gathering a bunch of quarters and leaving. Or when I went locating I'd try and buy a soda or something before I made a pitch. Only thing I can say is that size changes that. The bigger I got, the less important one particular location became. Not that I don't give all locations good service and product, but if one location wants to be weird, or tells me to pull a machine..it's not the end of the world. 

[parrotthead]

How big are you now amd?

[AMD Snacks]

I'm up to about 70 mixed between double and triple locations. 6 going on 7 (next week hopefully) racks, and about 40 honor mints, but the honor thing is always fluctuating. 

[parrotthead]

I have about 160 locations but about 10 I need to pull. 

[Zigzag Vending]

People make comments like this in my window cleaning business, ESPECIALLY cell phone places. Most of the time theyre trying to improve their business. If the owner is serious just ask him if he would employ the services of every pest control guy or car dealer that eats at his restaurant. Try to support them but you have to think about what it costs your business. If it is a hard location to lose, it may be worth giving him a couple of quarters or handful of candy every so often. Or switch it from charitt to commission. If its worth the headache you have a few options to hopefully keep them happy. Above all else you have to make a profit.

[Kevinator]

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 10:43 AM, AMD Snacks said:

What do you mean an owner called you out on it? 

 

. 

He said thanks for serving the machine, then he added in a firm manner, please join us for lunch today.  I told him I would love to, but I had another commitment, which I did, eating good food at home.

[parrotthead]

I try to only eat at restaurants that have my machines but I do throw in a few others. 

[Zigzag Vending]

2 hours ago, Kevinator said:

He said thanks for serving the machine, then he added in a firm manner, please join us for lunch today.  I told him I would love to, but I had another commitment, which I did, eating good food at home.

It doesnt sound to me like he was calling you out, just soliciting your business, he may have even been intending to reduce your bill as a thanks. Maybe just plan to eat there next time you collect. He doesnt sound upset imo.

[AngryChris]

I'm no bulk vendor but I was just going through the forums  here.  If it is a profitable low-commission restaurant, you might make the guy feel good by just buying a bottle of water or something very subtle.  You could really make the guy feel good if you bought a cheap snack and then told him you would let your friends and family know how good his place was.  You don't have to actually follow through with that, but there's a good chance that he feels like you run in, collect your money, and run out real quick all without giving so much as a "thank you."  Meanwhile, he's trying to run a restaurant to make pennies.  What I just implied may not be true at all, but that might be his perspective.  Since my full-line locations virtually never exist in restaurants (for good reason), I don't run into this problem very often.  I do, however, have locations where they offer services that interest me.  Whenever I get a chance, I try to let them know that I try to refer them to other people.  

Let's face it, having a customer buy something one time is one thing, but having repeat customers is where the money is at, and convincing someone that you're trying to bring them more business could be enough to have them never think twice about replacing your services with someone else's.

[jerrybrooksvendall]

What do you mean an owner called you out on it? 

 

I agree with Quikvend, though I know where you're coming from. I used to feel strange going in a placed, gathering a bunch of quarters and leaving. Or when I went locating I'd try and buy a soda or something before I made a pitch. Only thing I can say is that size changes that. The bigger I got, the less important one particular location became. Not that I don't give all locations good service and product, but if one location wants to be weird, or tells me to pull a machine..it's not the end of the world. 

That's right! Life's too short, and we're all too busy... They get that petty... They have too much time on their hands.

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[jerrybrooksvendall]

I try to only eat at restaurants that have my machines but I do throw in a few others. 

I eat where I don't have a machine.... It just tastes better!

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[parrotthead]

13 hours ago, jerrybrooksvendall said:

I eat where I don't have a machine.... It just tastes better!

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lol, I have the best mexican, best sandwich shop, best hamburger joints( 2 different ones) and the best( only one besides captain ds yuck) seafood places in town. A great hot dog shack about 40 minutes away and an amazing meat and 3 about an hour away so its not hard to pick a good restaurant with my machine in the door  

[brendio]

On 25/03/2017 at 2:30 PM, AngryChris said:

Let's face it, having a customer buy something one time is one thing, but having repeat customers is where the money is at, and convincing someone that you're trying to bring them more business could be enough to have them never think twice about replacing your services with someone else's.

I don't go out of my way to patronise my sites businesses, but I do try to build rapport with the owners. I also try to cross promote their business on my Facebook page if they have a Facebook business page. I do it when I put a new machine in, or when I put new felt on a pool table or something. I'm not sure whether it drives any business, and I like to hope it builds good will and lessens the chance of being kicked out, if they can help it.

Just on Friday I spent about an hour trying to troubleshoot an amplifier on a venue's house music system (where I have a jukebox). They were going to buy a new amplifier off me, but I worked out their amp wasn't at fault. I reflected on it afterwards that it probably didn't make much business sense giving away my time for free, but unrelated to that, they have agreed to two more machines being put in there, and I'm thinking if someone else were to come along offering machines, I would hope they would say they are happy with the guy they have. (That incidentally is my opening line when soliciting business somewhere that already has gear in: I ask if they are happy with the service they are getting. If they say yes, I simply leave my card and tell them to call me in the future if ever they are looking to change. If they say no, then I give them my pitch of what I can do for them.)

[BouncyBalls]

I hope you never place pushers or ATM's in a liquor store! 

[jerrybrooksvendall]

I don't go out of my way to patronise my sites businesses, but I do try to build rapport with the owners. I also try to cross promote their business on my Facebook page if they have a Facebook business page. I do it when I put a new machine in, or when I put new felt on a pool table or something. I'm not sure whether it drives any business, and I like to hope it builds good will and lessens the chance of being kicked out, if they can help it.

Just on Friday I spent about an hour trying to troubleshoot an amplifier on a venue's house music system (where I have a jukebox). They were going to buy a new amplifier off me, but I worked out their amp wasn't at fault. I reflected on it afterwards that it probably didn't make much business sense giving away my time for free, but unrelated to that, they have agreed to two more machines being put in there, and I'm thinking if someone else were to come along offering machines, I would hope they would say they are happy with the guy they have. (That incidentally is my opening line when soliciting business somewhere that already has gear in: I ask if they are happy with the service they are getting. If they say yes, I simply leave my card and tell them to call me in the future if ever they are looking to change. If they say no, then I give them my pitch of what I can do for them.)

I am going to get me a gumball machine tattooed to my arm from one of my customers! How's that for patronage!

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[AngryChris]

9 hours ago, brendio said:

I don't go out of my way to patronise my sites businesses, but I do try to build rapport with the owners. I also try to cross promote their business on my Facebook page if they have a Facebook business page. I do it when I put a new machine in, or when I put new felt on a pool table or something. I'm not sure whether it drives any business, and I like to hope it builds good will and lessens the chance of being kicked out, if they can help it.

Just on Friday I spent about an hour trying to troubleshoot an amplifier on a venue's house music system (where I have a jukebox). They were going to buy a new amplifier off me, but I worked out their amp wasn't at fault. I reflected on it afterwards that it probably didn't make much business sense giving away my time for free, but unrelated to that, they have agreed to two more machines being put in there, and I'm thinking if someone else were to come along offering machines, I would hope they would say they are happy with the guy they have. (That incidentally is my opening line when soliciting business somewhere that already has gear in: I ask if they are happy with the service they are getting. If they say yes, I simply leave my card and tell them to call me in the future if ever they are looking to change. If they say no, then I give them my pitch of what I can do for them.)

I am the same way about asking if they are happy.  If they are unhappy,  now I get to negotiate! !

[questionmark693]

I run machines at several restaurants, but as I'm only there for a half hour, and I'm not taking up seating, I feel no oligation to eat. I do spend a bit of time talking to the owner or employees, whoever is there, to build up the relationship though.

[rebelwithoutaclue]

I DO TRY  and patronize a few of my machines for 3 of the following reasons. 1. they hve my machines/  2. I also own a store in the neighborhood.. 3. I live in the neighborhood.   Here is one problem I had. The food and the service sucked my opinionated other half I had to explain that we just had to say thank you .  tHE  oner asked why I don't eat there anymore. I just came up with a excuse that we are not eating out much at all  anymore