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Going up against Canteen tomorrow


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My locator found a distribution center that wants to change vending service. They had already called Canteen before he talked to them. They said they wanted to wait till they talk to me before making a decision. They met with Canteen yesterday and I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Don't know how this is going to go, going up against a big company but that may work in my favor.

I'm not going to put them down or say what I have heard about them locally. I'm going to concentrate on good service and also being a local company. I own the company, not just an employee. They are also in the industry that my wife has been in for over 15 years. Try to get on a common ground first.

Around 100 employees. Drink and snack with readers.

Any help would be great!

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Tel them that you are small enough to care but large enough to serve.With those large companies if the customer has a demand (ex: put more lays classic,remove some products nobody likes ) The employee who is filling up the machine will do as asked but since there is such a big turnover with the sh*tty salary they pay,it has to be done again and again.Larger vending companies also have higher operating fees than a owner-operator like you and me..That means their prices wont be lower than yours because they are huge

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As much as everyone would want to put them down, don't talk about their negatives, talk about your positives. For example, I say some companies use planograms, so the same products are in the machine til corporate decides to change. Where as my driver's change products as trends change at each location. We focus on service and making sure everything is fresh, clean and working. If the location has dealt with that particular company before, they will know that's more than they can deliver.

And if you don't get it, make sure to leave your card and be respectful. Odds are you might have the account in the end

 

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15 minutes ago, Bvending said:

As much as everyone would want to put them down, don't talk about their negatives, talk about your positives. For example, I say some companies use planograms, so the same products are in the machine til corporate decides to change. Where as my driver's change products as trends change at each location. We focus on service and making sure everything is fresh, clean and working. If the location has dealt with that particular company before, they will know that's more than they can deliver.

And if you don't get it, make sure to leave your card and be respectful. Odds are you might have the account in the end

 

You said pretty much everything I was thinking. I don't have to get corporate approval.

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I agree.  It makes a company look bad when they focus on downing their competitors.  It's like you're only positive is that you aren't as bad as the competition lol.  Don't even talk about canteen.  Do what others say and what you think.  Tell them all about YOUR company and act like canteen is a nobody.

Also, avoid it if possible but be prepared for the food or coffee machine requests.  100-person warehouse could be a very good money maker.  I have a location that had 100 people for maybe 6 months but I think it's down to somewhere in the 80's.  It's a climate controlled production facility and people mostly sit at work stations.  I think it's doing $8,000/year right now.  I would expect your location to do more in the realm of 20k/year off of soda and snacks alone.

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Sometimes helps to provide references of similar accounts that you currently have, if you have a contact person who is very familiar with you and if you ask permission to use them as a reference first.  It's not hard to take an account away from canteen if it's not a national account, but don't put them down in your presentation.

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Sell yourself. They are talking to the owner of your company. Your motto is "clean, full, and working". You don't have mandatory product placements, so you can be more flexible (within reason) with special requests. You are local and familiar with their industry via your wife. Maybe you have a friend/neighbor/church member that works there. Good luck!

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Didn't have to say anything bad about Canteen. Just went in, gave him my proposal and told them what I could do for them. He said he had already talked to 3 other vending companies. I let him talk and tell me what he didn't like. I left and about 30 minutes later he call, I got the account.

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