Hate it when I am replaced!!

[Ronzo]

Boy does it get my goat when I go to service a machine and find out I've been replaced. Happened today at a car dealer. I have had this machine in place about four years, but with the shakeup in the  car dealerships, they shut down the Chrysler dealer and replaced it eventually with a honda dealer. (Same group of dealers)  they did an extensive remodel of the showroom and asked me move my machine to the new service area, which I did while they remodeled. All was going ok till I showed up today to service and they had my U turn in a closet with a similiar Uturn on the floor. Since the change of dealerships, all new personel have surfaced and no  one seems to know who ok,ed it. Going to try and follow up, but it may be a lost cause. Maybe better to just move on.

[sherlock]

If it's a good-size dealership and/or one that does well for you, is there any chance of keeping your machine there along with the new one?

Maybe, you could just put yours in a different area of the dealership.

[Faith Vending]

I'm sure you know, it will only be worth it if you can put it in the customer waiting area. More exposure to dealer employees, service and customers. Might even try a toy in one can.

[havending]

I bet that the new one belongs to an employee that works there. 

[Jax Snacks]

Or it could be a friend or relative of the new owner.  Change can really suck with charity vending sometimes.

[agrantha]

I keep saying relationships are king.  The more you build relationships the bigger your business. 

As a vendor you are in the people business.  When I service my machines, I also service my customers.  Please don't take that last sentence the wrong way. 

I take a few extra minutes to greet everyone and entertain some small talk.  I also will give out a few free items.  This works very well in “no commission, no charity locations”.

It’s all about becoming a part of the family.

[Jax Snacks]

Sure relationships are important.  But to me that is just the first step in a process.  But I think that partnerships are even more important!  So in my world, relationships are queen and the partnership is king - and I want both.  In a true partnership, both sides mutually benefit.  Where in a relationship, sometimes one side may dominate or benefit more that the other side.  What benefit does a business get allowing a charity machine?  OK, you have a strong relationship with that location and I applaud anyone that can get a machine in using their relationships - nothing wrong with that.  But a vending machine not paying any rent or commissions is getting a free ride and that is more of a one-sided relationship in my mind.  Now if the location gets a benefit such as simply providing customers with sodas and snacks, then fine - at least you have a partnership with both sides benefiting.  However, a new owner, DM or GM may not look at that way.  In the bigger metro cities, the partnerships can save a location when the new owner realize that the business is getting a piece of the action.  I guess what I am trying to say is that vending in a big city is not the same as vending in a small town.  It takes more than a relationship to keep locations, it takes a partnership with all parties mutually benefiting and getting their fair share of the action.  Just my opinion and I don't live (or vend) in Mayberry.

[Ronzo]

Thanks for the replies.  Since the debacle in car dealerships, there have been multiple changes.

This used to be a

Chrysler Dealership but they have turned it into a Honda dealership. Had my machine there for four years, but there seems to be a constantly changing personnel problem. Both dealersips were owned by the same group and I suspect they honered the vendor that had been at the old location. Don't think it was a corporate decision because I had a nother machine at a dodge dealership that they owned and closed. Never have got my machine from that location yet. Got to get on that. so I think that relationship are important to maintain with the manager or owner and this would not have happened. But personnel have changed so many times and its hard to keep track sometimes.

[The Mage]

Tell them you will buy a car if they give you an exclusive 10 year contract.

[agrantha]

Jax has a good point.  Thank God for the "Back Woods".