Repairing your Vending Machine

When you are running a Planet Antares vending business, you have need to have some basic knowledge of how to repair your vending machines if anything were to ever go wrong. The knowledge would come in handy when there are minor repairs to be made. There is no need to always call a repair man every time something goes wrong with the machine. Calling them would cost you extra money that you can save by doing the repairs on your own.

Maintenance of your Planet Antares vending machine is the best way of ensuring that the vending machine runs smoothly without any mechanical problems. Make sure that all the parts are always well cleaned and oiled. Vending machines usually have problems with coins jams or the bill validator being unable to accept money. There are also times that a vending machine fails to deliver the product chosen by the customer. These are some of the problems that can frustrate a customer. When a customer gets frustrated by using a certain vending machine, it means that they will try to avoid that particular vending machine in the future. This is why your Planet Antares vending machine should always be in good working order.

When your vending machines have been placed in a location, you are not going to be standing by your vending machine, watching it at all hours. The location owner is the one who will be watching over the machine. If the location owner is always present at the location, he or she can watch out for any miscreants that will want to vandalize the vending machine. This is why the location that you choose has to be in a good and safe neighborhood, especially in locations where there is no one to watch over the vending machine. Vandalism can cost you a lot of money in repairs. This would be an extra expense on your part, since it is unexpected. The damage cause by vandalism is usually extensive, that means it would need a repair man to fix the problem.

When you buy vending machines from companies such as Planet Antares Inc., you will be provided with all the necessary details about the vending industry and vending machines. These companies usually have wonderful vending programs that will show you how you can make minor repairs on your vending machine.

If there is ever a problem with a vending machine, it will be the responsibility of the location owner to alert you about the problem so that you can reach the location within a short period of time. In the case that your vending machine is in a location where there is no attendant, you can have a phone number placed on the vending machine, where a customer can get in touch with you whenever there is a malfunction. The vending route that you have established should be near your base, so that you don’t have hard time reaching the vending machines for repairs or servicing.

Packaging Challenges for Vending Machines

When buy products from vending machines, they usually want quick service. Access to the products in your Planet Antares vending machine has to come with comfort, convenience and ease to that person. When you think about what products will be ideal for your vending business, you have to think of quick indulgences. These are products that make a busy person’s life easier. Below are some packaging challenges that you would need to consider for your Planet Antares vending business:

• Make it cost-efficient. This should be the primary issue when thinking about vending packaging. If potential sales are estimated to be 5 percent or more of a product’s total, vending specific packaging becomes a viable option.
• Consider form and function. Confections and most beverages appear in vending machines in as much the same packaging as they do on the store shelf. However, many non-food products and non-traditional food products require vending specific packaging to maximize “appetite appeal” and protect against damage. Most products sold through vending machines need to be designed for a single use. This would not apply to the snacks and beverages sold in Planet Antares vending machines. The size of these items will almost always be the same whether in a retail store or vending machines.
• A third consideration is optimizing communications on the package’s facing panel. Consumers usually cannot handle the product prior to purchase. They can’t turn it to inspect the side or back panels, which may sit obstructed from view inside the vending machine. Key information that will drive the sale must be a clearly visible on the front panel. Consumers should be able to see it through glass from two to three feet away. The advantage that Planet Antares vending machines have is that they are glass front vending machines. This means that the products are visible while in the vending machine. This increases your chances of a sale, since attractive packaging always attracts customers.

In the vending environment, the package has to work both inside the machine and in the consumer’s possession. This of course is what will work in your vending business. There are a number of strategies that you can incorporate in your vending business to drive sales. Effective packaging is one thing that you can do to have a successful vending business.

Health Vending in the Work Place

Everyone in the vending industry as all too aware that obesity, health and wellness continue to grab headlines. Just about everyday, survey after survey, study after study, analyzes, concludes and calculates just how much fatter our nation’s citizens are becoming each year.

Planet Antares vending operators who are running school accounts are quite familiar with the issue and have been forced to address it by offering a wider array of “better-for-you” products or risk losing the account. There are some operators who think that the issue doesn’t affect them. The truth is that the focus on health and wellness is becoming important to all types of accounts and Planet Antares operators interested in succeeding with all kind of accounts need to address this complex issue.

For a number of reasons, employers and consumers alike are more focused on health and wellness than ever before, so simply sitting back and hoping the issue somehow goes away could wind up putting you out of business.

Issue moves into the workplace
While the issue has been prominent in schools for several years, it is just beginning to move into the workplace. One reason is that there are studies that have outlined the disease’s associated health risks such as heart disease, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and stroke, just to name a few.

There are reports that have shown that obesity alone costs employers approximately $12.7 billion each year in health care costs, paid sick leave and life insurance policies. Employers are increasingly eyeing these costs and choosing instead to implement programs that will protect their employees’ health.

As a Planet Antares vending operator you need to get up on speed on health and nutrition as one of the action steps needed for the vending industry to meet the needs of a changing consumer and new market forces. While marketing healthy products might be challenging for the Planet Antares operators, the demographic momentum of aging baby boomers and continued media focus on obesity are powerful forces.

In addition, promoting programs that protect health of the workforce just makes sense. An organization with healthy employees would mean higher employee morale, a better ability to attract and retain key people, and a more alert and productive workforce.

Using the Right Approach to Vend

Many people usually need a snack or something to drink at one point of time during the day. Most of these people usually turn to vending machines because they are the most accessible and they are fast. This is the reason why a Planet Antares vending business would be a great opportunity for you to start a business.

Vending machines are money making machines. These are machines that are needed in almost every location that has more than a handful of employees. When you start your Planet Antares vending business, you should always look for ways to encourage sales from your vending machines. This will give you an edge over the competition.

They include:
• Finding good suppliers. Since you are selling sodas and snacks, make sure that you find a supplier that will offer you a good deal for your money. Be certain to find the best bulk purchases. If you buy at a reasonable the rate, the more reasonable your prices will be.
• Fair pricing. Make the pricing of your products is fair. If the store next door is selling a soda at 60 cents a can and you are charging 75 cents, it will mean that few people will buy from your vending machine, if at all.
• Service frequently. Keeping your Planet Antares vending machines well stocked will keep your customers happy. No one wants to find a vending machine has run out of cold beverages on a hot summer day. To avoid this make sure that you check on your vending machines on a frequent basis.
• Stock variety. Always keep your Planet Antares vending machines stocked with a variety of products. People like to see a variety of products when they use vending machines. When new products come out, try them out in your vending machine to see how well it will sell. Place a few healthy choices in your vending machines as well, because there is a growing demand for these products.
• Feedback. Ask the customers what they would like to see in the vending machines and then pay attention to the feedback. There are some locations where you will find that there are more people that drink diet sodas than regular sodas. This means that you will need to place more of the diet sodas in your vending machines.

If you use the right approach to vend your products, the vending business can be very lucrative for you. With vending, you are only as good as your customers’ say that you are so make sure that you keep your customers happy.

Servicing a Vending Machine

Many operators make a mistake of servicing a snack or soda machine when it is only 30 % depleted, and even when it has just sold out one or more products. This should not be the case. You should only service a vending machine when it is necessary. Below is a strategy that will help you service a Planet Antares vending machine only when it is necessary while still providing good service.

• Double up on the best selling two or three products that are selling out. On a “space to sales” soda machine, reallocate the space to the best seller (s) to accomplish this.
• Monitor the sell outs for the next few services – they should be eliminated.
• Work to reschedule the Planet Antares vending machine aiming for a 40 to 50 percent depletion level. Typically, this will involve scheduling it for service at a 30 to 60 percent longer interval.

If collecting these metrics is difficult, or if a manual system is being used, then you can decide to collect the data and note down the information. There are also some questions that you would need to ask yourself, such as:

• How many products have sold out?
• Approximately how empty is the Planet Antares vending machine?
• Which are the products that are selling well and how many columns of each have they been allocated?
These questions will help you keep track of how well the products are selling. The products that don’t sell well can be switched.
The latest software and technology solutions can automate much of the manual route scheduling process, using the following systems:
• Dynamic scheduling – this automates the delivery schedule each day based on user defined parameters, such as the number of sell outs, percent depletion, or the number of days since the last service. If a Planet Antares vending machine doesn’t require servicing, there is no need to waste gas and the time on a trip. Dynamic scheduling works with non DEX as well as DEX able machines.
• Remote monitoring – this requires DEX, as well as a wireless or hard-wired network to remotely enable the machines. This technology allows the operation to optimize scheduling and merchandising by providing real time sales data. It is most suitable for distant locations that are costly to service.
By using these techniques you can not only have reduced visits, but you can also cut entire routes in your Planet Antares vending business. This means that you can add customers without adding staff, or you can also choose to the reduce staff. This would of course increase your vending profits.