Customers are complaining that the machine is another way to get kids money

[lurtsman]

Worse yet it was a convenience store in a ghetto. Any advice how to work it out to save the location? The owner isn't a bad guy, perhaps a little unorganized or swayed by the wrong sources, but he approved a charity machine so he can't be all bad. The location doesn't earn enough to make a commission large enough that I would expect it to influence his decision. I just want to keep the location because it is very convenient. At about 20$/month it does okay (triple), and most of the employees are great. I have no clue who would've told him this, but I'm always disappointed when owners/managers take something like that seriously. He said to leave it in for the next service cycle, which is nice since I hurt my leg and would have had a very hard time carrying it--I don't think he knew that.

Advice? Last time I got the boot from a manager nice enough to give us another service cycle I just started handing him money each month to keep the account, but the sales there were significantly higher. Perhaps it's a philosophical issue, but I hate when the third party gets involved trying to tell other people how their relationship should work. Clearly he shouldn't have to get complaints about my machine, but it is kept in great shape and I'm fairly certain from the way he described it that it was just some ghetto parent wanting to throw a fit because they don't know how to raise a child.

Ideas? Opinions?

[havending]

I would try to play it off and get on his good side. Talk to him about his business or any small talk really. Just something to distract the conversation. A little bs can help in times like that. I have a Chinese place and I'm just waiting for the words "get out" the owner is dry and never says a word.

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[Enck's Vending]

i had a problem kind of like that and i just told the owner the people who come in here dont have alot of money so a toy at 25 or 50 cents is more then some have also if they dont get a toy from here for 25 or 50 cents that means they have to go to walmart and bug there parent for 5 bucks now whats cheaper to make the kid happy 25 or 50 cents for the toy or bugging mom and dad for 5 bucks he agreed and im still there it might not work but then again it just might if one or two ppl are not happy thats not a reason to boot u out if 30 ppl are happy good luck let us no how u make out

[bacho]

Sounds to me like he's letting you down lightly. I was in only one convenience store ever and will never try another one. The owner called me and left a voicemail to take my machine out of his store.

When I arrived, I asked him what the problem was. He complained I was taking business away from him. He sells bag candy and his sales dropped off drastically after I put my machine in the store. That's why I will never even think of approaching a store that sells bag candy.

More than likely the owner is using his customers as an excuse to get you out, lurts. You said he is a nice guy and that way he is not being ugly about the situation. The owner of the store I was in didn't hold any punches, he was right to the point and didn't want to hear anything else about it.

[timberframe50]

The customers are right,we are in business to squeeze every quarter we can. I agree with both ha and Kelly. A little BS goes a long way.Other than your time it cost you nothing.

[will.vend]

Worse yet it was a convenience store in a ghetto.

If it's like some of my convenience stores the customers are buying lottery, 40's, black & mild cigars, newports, sugary soda pops, salty snacks and pick 3 tickets while being on welfare and food stamps...they are so wrapped up in their on selfish needs and addictions that they dont want to give a child a quarter.

The only people losing here are the children, because it doesnt do much in sales I would pick it up and find a good commission spot.

[will.vend]

Sounds to me like he's letting you down lightly.

When I arrived, I asked him what the problem was. He complained I was taking business away from him. He sells bag candy and his sales dropped off drastically after I put my machine in the store. That's why I will never even think of approaching a store that sells bag candy.

this is probably the real reason (if you are selling candy) candy machines dont do well in convenience stores because they sell candy and you are competing with the owner, toys will do better there, quietly switch the machine over to toys and commission and everyone will be happy!

[dperry]

kickstart got me a charity location that was a c store. they didn't want me to sell candy for obvious reasons which was fine by me cuz I had ordered some toy spots. Long and short of it is that the place did sucky with 1in toys. I ended up pulling it.

[Hillbilly]

I have done well with C stores. All of mine are consistent earners. I don't do candy or gum though, toys only. I would offer him a commission instead of a charity machine. Or at least discuss it with him. If you show you are concerned about his business he may let you keep the machine there.

[bacho]

this is probably the real reason (if you are selling candy) candy machines dont do well in convenience stores because they sell candy and you are competing with the owner, toys will do better there, quietly switch the machine over to toys and commission and everyone will be happy!

That's my bad then. I took it for granted that it was a candy machine at only $20 a month. If it's a toy machine, I would have pulled it after the second service cycle.

If my toys don't do $15 a head in a month, they are a waste of my time and pulled.

[lurtsman]

It's a toy machine. Most of my money comes from toys. Craig, you accept bad performance from candy but not from toys? Because it is toys I have no risk of product going bad, I have massively larger profit margins, and higher capacity in the head. I have 35 (was 36 but one got stolen) of these 1800 that vend 50 cent one inch caps.

The machine is in the same parking lot, so it takes an average of 5-10 minutes max to service it every 2 months and pull out about 35-40$ in profits (avg cpv is right around 7 cents with nerd gbs as one of the heads). That isn't a good deal for you

I'll shine it up when I'm in there and see if I can talk to him. He is rarely there--or if he is it's in the back. I've talked to the employees and get along great with some of them, but the guy who runs the place is almost never in the front for me to talk to. It leaves a bit of a ring on the floor because they seem to be constantly mopping and getting the base wet--if I were in his case I'd see that as an issue. What's the best way to reach this guy--who may be in the back when I come by? He seems to be doing closed circuit security so I suspect he comes out whenever he sees something that interests him.

PS. With the amount of sales we are doing and the occasional spikes the longest I could reasonably make a cycle is 4 months and even then at 30% commission I'd only be paying 30 bucks. At the normal 2 month cycle it would be 15$, which doesn't seem like it would impact him much. I've also got several machines in the house, so I'm very prone to wanting to get them out. I'd gladly take 20$/month on toy triples that are located within my existing route on charity, or 30$/month on commissions. Getting machines isn't a huge challenge for me. Getting them onto acceptable locations is. I'll be taking some courses in the large city near here and locating each day after class should help. I'll probably buy a few off Rob as well to really accelerate my speed getting them out.

[bacho]

It's a toy machine. Most of my money comes from toys. Craig, you accept bad performance from candy but not from toys? Because it is toys I have no risk of product going bad, I have massively larger profit margins, and higher capacity in the head. I have 35 (was 36 but one got stolen) of these 1800 that vend 50 cent one inch caps.

The machine is in the same parking lot, so it takes an average of 5-10 minutes max to service it every 2 months and pull out about 35-40$ in profits (avg cpv is right around 7 cents with nerd gbs as one of the heads). That isn't a good deal for you

Lurts

What works for me does not necessarily mean it will work for the next person. I run my business to fit my schedule. Yes, candy has spoilage and that's why I sold my candy route and went strictly toys and gumballs. I have a low tolerance for bad performers. Twenty dollars on a triple is a waste of my time and gas, even if it is close to another location. I'll try to place it close to that same location and try again.

Keep in mind that there is also waste in toys. They loose their popularity and you’re stuck with an inventory of bad performers. I don’t have the room to store a lot of product. Sure, you can use them in a Fun Mix but mixes have never performed for me. They may do great in other parts of the country but not here.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t intend to belittle the way you run your business. I just stated that this is the way I run mine. I didn’t mean you had to run yours the same way. If you’re satisfied with $20 a month from a machine, that’s good.

I have 26 racks right now that are performing to my standards. My plan is to get 30 and then I’ll stop because my health limits me to expand any further. I place doubles in locations that I think will do well. If they don’t, I pull them and move to the next location. If they do well after two months, I approach the owner with a commission on a rack.

[lurtsman]

Not offended Bacho, just trying to understand your position. It's not only the same parking lot, but literally touching the building. The machine is about 50 feet from my machine in another location. Since the truck doesn't have to be turned on, I'm losing 0 gas (same service cycle), and it takes about 10 minutes to pocket 30-40$. It uses the same toys -- I have a reasonable size area for running toy inventory, 3 large shelving units. I can easily have about 240-360 bags of one inch at a time. I limit my exposure to two inch because it is large and wastes space. I agree with not wanting to be stuck with poor performers, though I have a couple of mystery mix heads that will do 40+ per month to clear slow performers. I have about 15 triples around the house. If I only had 1-2 I'd probably be pulling my slow locations--though I don't know if I'd get to the point of pulling locations that turn 20$/month in profit unless they were really out of the way. If it was inconvenient I'd probably just set a 4 or 5 month cycle on it.

[dpvnc]

"If it was inconvenient I'd probably just set a 4 or 5 month cycle on it."

WoW 4 or 5 months!! I just had a double that grew legs on a 30 day cycle. You are way more in to risk than I would ever be

[West Coast Vend LLC]

If a store owner tells you that, you should thank him. You are doing the right thing and your machine is in the right spot.

Gary