why should the vendor pay more to the locator if the location is upgradeable?

[antoniocinisi]

being you are a locator I was expecting a similar reply.by dodging the question i guess you feel that you should get paid?I understand thAT midwest is out of business,how would you handle that situation?lets say after 6 months after refuseing the location it opens up. you already found me the locations i hired you for,i go to the location to eat and i am able to locate a machine there,where does the locator fall into play?it just dosnt seem logical to pay anyone for my own smooth talking.for me its just a location up for grabs.now if i pay for a 5 way rack and a 10 way goes in instead that is bullcrap.if i pay 4 a 5 way and 3 months later my 5 way doesnt make it 4 the service cycle and is always empy,why should i pay you anything extra?it would make my want to make your phone ring first since u got me an awesome location,but thats all.

since there is no way to verify ,but knowing the kind of person you are,you are probably being honest when you say that people have called you to pay you for extra machines placed at locations you found.i am willing to bet these are longtime business associates that thanks to you have made hundreds of thousands and to them it`s no sweat to pay you a few hundred bucks.you probably wont get that (ecspecially since many see it my way)with bulk vending,with machines making a few thousand a year if that.

i wonder whAT ohers more experienced opeators opinion of this are?maybe we should split this topic?

[Poplady1]

I sent you a PM to explain my feelings on this...

Blue Moose

[antoniocinisi]

I started this topic to understand pop ladys and any other locators reasoning behind having to pay a locator extra when an account is upgradeable from for example a 5 way rack to a 7 or a single to a triple.this is assumeing that the equipment paid for went in originally,and the locator not having to do any extra work at all.the upgrades would be the vendors doing based on his own merit.Rob at kickstart doesn`t use this reasoning btw.

I dont think" it was thanks to the original locators knowledge and experience that got you the good location and therefore should get the extra money" logic works otherwise we all would be getting gravy locations all the time.please explain this I dont understand what the locator has to do with anything besides what they already got paid for.

another scenario:

I put in an extra machine in an account(well actually several accounts),the account I actually called midwest and told them a 7 way would fit instead of the 5 way and paid them the differance since the 7 way went in from the get go.it was over a year later,I had the extra machine with me they saw it and wanted it,should I pay the locator since they found me the location years ago?if so again why??

[antoniocinisi]

I posted the above before poplady sent me a pm

[antoniocinisi]

I would like this to be public if possible bev and not private messages.you mentioned 1 year for your full line people still sending money on upgraded accounts.that may be possible with a lot of full line accounts that aren`t accesable by the general public and as we agreed on make much more then bulk.in my bulk locations that are visible to the public I do what I can to keep others out.it wouldnt be logical to wait one year to place extra machines or upgrade when 2 days later joe blow could easily put a machine next to mine.nor does it still make sense to call the locator and pay for the extra machine.most vendors here know that if a location has a machine chances are they will take another one,so it would be better to jump on any chance to place extras almost right away.this is something to consider if you do end up locateing for bulk.

[Poplady1]

You are really talking to the wrong person, I have no experience in bulk machine locating.  You need to talk to those folks that know that part of the business.  I really can't give you any help in that area because I am learning how it works myself.

Good Luck.

Blue Moose

[Jax Snacks]

Wow, I think you guys are getting too worked up over this.  What percentage of locations are truly upgradable?  20% to 30% maybe.  The majority of locations stay the same or may just have one head added later.  And some are simply problem children from the start.  Lets not forget about those locations that are downgraded, locations that get booted after just few days, locations where all the candy is ruined due to bad climate controls, locations that get rejected at the door because the locator did not get proper permission, etc.?  There is a lot of time, product, money and gas wasted due to those problems, but the locator doesn't give gives credits for all those problems.   So, not to start another argument, but these things all tend to even out and just "come out in the wash" over time.

I mean if a locator wants some extra cash for upgrading to a rack,  then I want a credit for all the gas wasted when a location does not go in the first time or when I have to remove it after just a few days due to questionable/sleazy tactics used by the telemarketer.  Bulk is a volume game and we just play those numbers.  Some win, some lose, some upgrade, some downgrade, some get stolen, some get ants and some just never go in.  Reminds me of that 70 or 80's song - "Some that do and some that don't and some you just can't tell..."  "Some that will and some that wont and some it's just as well"!  Forgive me if I have the words out of place a bit!

[Hillbilly]

That song was by Supertramp.

[Poplady1]

And it sounds like the two most active locators on this forum agree with you.  They don't feel upgrading is an issue.  So in bulk with less wiggle room...maybe that works out for all.

Blue Moose

[Jax Snacks]

That song was by Supertramp.

Thanks Hillbilly.  I was going nuts trying to think of who sang that one.  Makes me want to break out the old polyester leisure suit!    :'(

[Profits]

Thanks Hillbilly.  I was going nuts trying to think of who sang that one.  Makes me want to break out the old polyester leisure suit!      :'(

Google is great for stuff like that.  Great song, too.

[Hillbilly]

No problem.  I think the name of the song was Goodbye Stranger.

[The Mage]

Saw decent videos on youtube just a few months back, but can't find any now.  But here is a link to the song:

http://www.dibdias.com/2009/09/supertramp-goodbye-stranger.html

And have we taken the topic way off track?

[The Mage]

Its the same ole song and dance.

Oh, that's this video:

[antoniocinisi]

You are really talking to the wrong person, I have no experience in bulk machine locating.  You need to talk to those folks that know that part of the business.  I really can't give you any help in that area because I am learning how it works myself.

Good Luck.

Blue Moose

I understood you may have wanted to start locateing for bulk and wanted to know how you would have handled those scenarios.

[havending]

I agree with Jax...AGAIN!!!... The only thing I ask my clients is to be honest with me about what kind of equipment they placed initially. If you upgrade later then that means I am a good locator because this location can support more machines, and you will definately want to use my services again...win win!!!

I agree with Kelly. 

And i would add that if you add to a location or upgrade later then i woulnt give the locator squat.  If any of them are making you sign contracts make sure that the upgrade fee isnt in there and all the locator can do is well nothing.  If a locator is looking for more money after the placement then they are just trying to get into your pocket.

[gdbutler]

If I, for example, purchase a location for a single; I am paying the locator for a location that will allow and hopefully support a single.  If the location is good enough to handle a triple or a rack, that is gravy.  If I expect a location that will allow/support a minimum of a rack, I will pay for a rack location.

[Jax Snacks]

Well just to kill a dead horse...

My experience has been that 30% of all locations obtained by a locator have to eventually be replaced due to poor performance.  I may let a dud location (on the edge, but just barely making it)sit for 6 months (with many product swap outs) just to make sure it is really a dud AND to at least get my location fee back.  Of course a superdud would be replaced within the warranty period.  50% of the locations are simply fine the way they are and no additional action is necessary.  However, 20% MAY be upgradable!  So between the duds and the super duds, which I get NO CREDIT for but cost me money, time, gas and spoiled product, I feel "entitled" to upgrade the other 20% at no additional cost.  By the way, just about every locating company owes me some spots, but I will never get them because they either went out of business or I simply don't want to deal with them any more and drive ALL OVER THE FREAKING COUNTY because their locations do not go in.  That's money I just have to eat - but that's business.  That's charity locating.

[Bender]

I second Jax Snacks, and his numbers are just about on the money in my paid charity locations -- 30% appear to be duds, 50% are fine and 20% appear to be upgradeable.

I mentioned this before -- years ago, I hired a local locator, she came to town and in one day, got me 8 decent locations out of 10, all busy retail locations, 5 of them in restaurants, with a 20% commission and a contract, for $50 per location.  And they were all within a 5 mile radius.  I can't find her now, or I would hire her in a minute for every last one of my idle machines.