I am NEW to vending......Who's the BEST LOCATOR?

[newtovending]

Hi everyone. I am new to vending and am very HAPPY to of found this site. I now nothing about locating. Which locator companies are good to use?

[s.weir]

You should read the reviews of locators and the sections specifically on locators.  Its mainly opinion based once you get down to a few main ones. 

[lurtsman]

Here's the deal. There are a few ways to split up locators. First there is pre-pay and then post pay. Post pay is like santa, it generally does not exist.

Within pre-pay you have two kinds of locators. Ones that sell you locations, and ones that steal your money. So assuming you want a locator that exists and sells locations the two with the most recommendations on the forum are kickstart and eddie bauer. You'll have to look at how they do business to decide which one works best with your goals. I haven't tried Eddie, though he has several great reviews. I preferred Rob's replacement policy. He's had a few times he replaced a crap location and got me gravy. Those times made me very happy, and it was enough that I almost never have less than 1 location on order from Rob. I go out and do my own locating also, but I have a ton of machines to locate and I want this business to go full time by the end of fall. I finally have the cash flow to do it, and with so many machines it doesn't make sense to wait to get them out. When Rob gets me a location, he's locating the machine I would have put out last. That means he may get it onto location 3 months sooner. Those three months will provide the cash flow to cover most of the locating cost.

Other locators who might be considered:

Old MW or new MW. I have never done business with new. Old MW struggled for me. Perhaps I needed to expand the range I would take locations in, but they started taking several break rooms with only 25 employees. Sometimes those make the guarantee, but usually they do not. Between kickouts and poor performance over half my installs from them were failing. (This compares to about a 20-25% fail rate for KS locations.) Old MW also wants you to update them on performance before complaining that it doesn't meet sales goals. I understand them being scared of their own replacement policy because they are bringing in so many tiny locations.  For comparison, if I am unhappy with a location received from Rob I simply just tell him so. No questions asked, it goes on the replacement list. Usually I get responses within 24 hours(frequently within 4). That's more frequently than I check my own e-mail.

newworldvending or something along those lines. New forum sponsor. I appreciate anyone who sponsors our forums, however I also wait until a couple months have gone by. Sponsoring these forums brings in a ton of new customers, and frequently it overwhelms new locators who do not have the systems and economies of scale that KS is using. Watch for reviews to come up on this locator.

PS. If you get into full line you should talk to Bev at Blue Moose, she doesn't take on new clients, especially ones who are new to the business, but she may give you some useful advice. She has been a great addition to our forum.

[sbishop]

You are the best locator! Try to locate yourself. It is OK if you need help, but the be really successfully you need to learn to locate.

[s.weir]

Agreed.

[JPVendCo.]

As far as professional locators go,  kickstart is going to be the only one I am going to recommend. he has systems set up so that you can monitor progress, and he is normally very easy to contact.

some of the others, may have done a good job for some, but I dont like stories of being unable to contact them for a week or more, not having any progress completed or communication about it, or taking mystery vactions without so much as a peek to anyone about it.

this won't happen with kickstart, as he has enough staff that his business would not go idle if he needed a day off or 2. not that he takes them, dude is a workaholic.

my 2 cents.

[mainor5251]

As far as professional locators go,  kickstart is going to be the only one I am going to recommend. he has systems set up so that you can monitor progress, and he is normally very easy to contact.

some of the others, may have done a good job for some, but I dont like stories of being unable to contact them for a week or more, not having any progress completed or communication about it, or taking mystery vactions without so much as a peek to anyone about it.

this won't happen with kickstart, as he has enough staff that his business would not go idle if he needed a day off or 2. not that he takes them, dude is a workaholic.

my 2 cents.

Between running his company and monitoring these logs I think one things obvious, he never sleeps.  Not sure if is human or not but who cares with the quality of locations and customer service.

[candyman007]

Oh, you all are too much. 

Regards,

Rob

[JEREMYTINA]

I just posted about my experience on the thread below.  Check out Eddie Bauer or Rob at Kickstart.

http://vendiscuss.com/forum/index.php?topic=8920.msg69628#msg69628

[West Coast Vend LLC]

Newtovending.

You are the best locator!

Gary

[sherlock]

Newtovending.

You are the best locator!

Gary

Listen to Gary.

He is right.

I have been at this a short while and only recently learned this.

Gary has been at this a lot longer than I have.

If a newbie like me and an old pro like Gary are both telling you this -- it's probably good to listen.

Work your way through any reservations you may have about locating and BE YOURSELF when you call on locations. You will be fine...so long as you are you during the visit and not some phony.

I'm not against using locators. I use them too.

But, locators should compliment your locating efforts.

You should not rely on them for the majority of your location acquisitions.

I speak from experience.

So, there may be some good locators...but YOU will always be the "BEST" because no one cares about your business, your machines, and your locations more than you do.

[G-Vending]

I have a locator i use not one on this board

And my 16 y/o daughter is learning fast. She likes money, And I tell her she got to work for it.

[candyman007]

Oh, you got me laughing.  She likes money and I tell her to go work for it.  That's a vending quote right there.

Regards,

Rob

[G-Vending]

Oh, you got me laughing.  She likes money and I tell her to go work for it.  That's a vending quote right there.

Regards,

Rob

I am not give a 16 y/o money to sit on there rear end ....Find me location and have all the money you need..

If she could only locate full line locations i would have it made

[Poplady1]

Thanks for the comment Lurtsman....

Bev

Blue Moose

[candyman007]

Agreed. 

Regards,

Rob

[bnc788]

If you have some patience then I can probably help you finding location for you machine, I deal with bulk candy and/or countertop machines.  I am flexible on payment option and give you warrenty if you loose your location within one month.

If interested contact me:

bnc788@yahoo.ca

[Bender]

I don't have much experience here, but I want to give KS a thumbs up.  They handled my locating professionally and in a reasonable time frame, and answered my questions promptly!

Once I hired a local locater who pounded the pavement to get me commission locations for my non-charity triple heads.  In one day, they got me 10 spots all within 5 miles of each other, 7 of them in the same 2-mile commercial strip!.  They secured 20% commissions with a contract, and most of them were decent performers.  I'd give them another shot if I could find them at all, they don't have an internet presence any more and their old number is out of service.

I have to agree with the general consensus, it is in your own interest to practice locating yourself.