Office Coffee Service for Minneapolis and St Paul

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

Are you a facility manager in the Twin Cities area and are looking for a coffee service for your place of business?

Before you make a decision on that here is a great article to read to help you make the decision. 

Just like any other business decision you need to be knowledgeable about the topic before you make a decision.

 A clean, inviting break room can be a great asset to a company and help boost employee moral. A coffee service or a vending service can be a big component of that break room.

A coffee service is a service provided by a company that keeps your company break room stocked with all the products and equipment you need to make refreshments for your employees. The service can also provide products you need to keep everything nice and clean like cleaning solutions and paper towels.

The coffee service provider will keep your break room stocked with all the essentials you need and will also provide the equipment you need to help brew the coffee and teas. 

Most coffee service providers can provide a wide variety of equipment including traditional brewing equipment, single cup brewers, airpots and even microwaves. Some of the equipment will be provided free of charge and some of the new fancy single cup brewing equipment there could be a monthly fee as well. The coffee service providor makes the majority of their money from the products stocked in the breakroom.

When making the decision on the office coffee provider you need to do some basic research. One of the best things you can do is to call other companies in the Minneapolis, St Paul region that they provide services to and ask them how their service is.

Other things to research are basic things like how many years in service, how fast can they repair equipment should they break, how often are they going to come by to restock, are there route drivers experienced and definitely ask them to provide documentation that they are licensed and insured including having workers compensation insurance for their employees. The last thing you want is a law suit coming from one of your employees regarding your break room equipment and supplies.  

Sometimes its a great idea to deal with a company that provides services for your entire break room not only a office coffee service. If the company can provide vending and water filtration services as well then that will help you negotiate a better deal and will also give the service company a better opportunity to make money which will definitely help improve service. Royal Vending is a great example of a Minneapolis and St Paul based company that can provide all three of these services.

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How to Choose a Great Vending Service Within the Twin Cities?

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

How do you know what is considered a great vending company in the St. Paul and Minneapolis Areas?  Will they deliver what they promise?  What types of questions should I ask a potential vending and office coffee service before making a decision?  What are some things that I should be aware of when looking for a full service vending company?  If you have asked these questions then you are not alone.  Most companies look for a vending service that will meet the needs and desires of their employees but just do not know what questions to ask when searching for the right vending company.  Well I have a list of some of the most important questions when searching for the right vending and office coffee provider for your business.  You may even consider these valuable tips that could potentially relieve you from a disastrous outcome.

First and for most you need to make sure that the vending company is fully licensed and insured.  If one of your employees happens to get sick from eating a product out of a fresh food vending machine, you want to make sure that the vending company has liability insurance for potential law suits.  Along this line you may want to consider asking if the vending company offers workers compensation for its route drivers.  If one of their employees gets hurt in your state of business, you don’t want to be liable or responsible for injury compensation. 

Another important question you should ask when interviewing a vending company is how long has the vending company been in business. Is their business a one-person operation working part-time or is their business a full-time company dependent on its customer base?  Do you really want a vending company servicing your office with a variety of snacks and beverages who works out of his or her garage at their state of residence? This actually leads to a third question to ask.  How is the product being handled and how long is the product stored before it is delivered to your customers?  Is it a garage, a truck or a clean warehouse?  Can you visit the vending company’s facility? 

Service is always a great topic for asking questions.  How long will a machine be out of service if there is a problem…hours, days or weeks and does your company have their own machine mechanic and what are the servicing standards your route drivers are trained to perform?  I’m sure you will have disgruntle employees if they are not able to get their mid morning snack like a granola bar or they may have to run to the nearest Starbucks because the coffee vending machine is out of service for days at a time. 

Another important question that is often missed when interviewing a vending company is what technologies does the vending company have in-place for improved customer service?  Are the vending machines equipped with new Guaranteed Product Delivery Systems that guarantee the product or your money back?To explain Guaranteed Product Delivery Systems in greater detail it is an infrared technology which detects any unsuccessful vend cycle, guaranteeing that your employees either receives their product, or gets their money back. This new technology greatly reduces the chance that your employees will lose their money or not get the item they have selected.  This will definitely eliminate frustrated employees and management having to worry about reimbursing employees for lost money.  Do you have a tracking system in place to know slower moving products and potentially out dated items and how often does your route drivers rotate product selections? These are all great questions to ask to eliminate internal stress between the management team of the office and the employees. 

Safety is also an over looked factor when searching for the right vending and office coffee provider.  Have criminal background checks been cleared on the route drivers and technicians entering your facility? Are the employees required to wear photo identification and professional uniforms?  You don’t want to be liable for inappropriate actions at your place of business when steps could have been taken to prevent such actions. And last but not least when choosing the right vending company for your line of business make sure to ask for at least three business references that currently are using them as their vending provider.  Hopefully by asking these questions when interviewing a potential vending service it will clear up any confusion and frustration when trying to find the best vending and office coffee provider for your business.

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Healthy Vending Options for Minneapolis and St Paul

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

Many consumers are looking for healthier alternatives when eating, and even in the work place many companies promote healthier lifestyles to their employees by health management assessments, discounts to health facilities and even healthier selections in their breakroom vending machines. 

In the Twin Cities, Royal Vending is the leader in providing healthy alternative product selections in the Minneapolis and St. Paul greater areas. When looking for a vending company to meet your needs for your breakroom, you need to make sure that they are skilled professionals who are able to meet with you to establish a vending program customized to include healthier products.

One of the most easiest ways for a vending company to integrate wellness into your vending program is by offering you Fit Pick approved snacks.  If a vending company is a member of NAMA, they can offer you a variety of nutritional choices that meet the Fit Pick approval by identifying healthy product selections in the vending machines with a Fit Pick sticker.  It’s that simple! No more worries about having to break your commitment to eating healthy while at your work place.  With the right vending provider your office vending machines will always include a variety of products that are low in sugar and fat.

Large manufacturers like Nestle and Pepsico are also developing newer healthier products for the vending channel. Because Royal Vending is unmatched in customer service, when those products become available they will always rotate them into the vending machines.

Royal Vending encourages their customers to make suggestions to their highly trained route drivers. Royal Vending has a team of  qualified employees who will take product suggestions and incorporate them into the product mix.
It truly is a team effort to get the perfect selection of healthy products and Royal Vending is flexible to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Here is a snap shot of healthier for you items in a vending machine.

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The Importance of Water Filtration Service

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

When choosing a vending service for your break room think about all the services that they can potentially provide for you before making a final decision.  Do they offer office coffee service? Do they offer fresh and/or frozen food? Will they provide a wide variety of products including a healthy selection if requested? Lastly, do they have available a water filtration service? You don’t want to be outsourcing vending, office coffee and water service to three different companies.  The convenience of having one company to service all areas of your break room is the direction to go. 

You will be developing a relationship with their route team as they provide you with a variety of services. If there are any questions you have one company to contact for all inquiries.  It is that simple. 

Having a water filtration service is usually a primary request in the work place, therefore when choosing a water filtration system, you need to be aware of the options that are available. The most popular option among businesses is the bottle less system.  With the bottle less system, its filtration devices features the most advanced filtering and UV systems available and it delivers safe, crisp-tasting hot and cold water on demand, at the push of a button. This unit needs a simple water line installed, which can easily be completed on installation.

The second most popular option is the 5 gallon bottles. With the 5 gallon bottles Spring and Purified options are available featuring both hot and cold water. This is also great for offices and does not need a water line.

Offering a break room that is kept clean and continually serviced with snacks, food, hot and cold beverages including an office coffee service and water filtration service will boost the morale of all your employees. Royal Vending can offer you a complete vending service to include all of your break room needs.

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Local Twin City Vending Company versus Vending Management Company

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

When you decide to select a vending company to install vending machines in your Twin Cities break room:

I think an important question that you should ask is “Are you a local vending company or are you a vending management company”?

I personally believe that a top quality local vending company based in the greater Minneapolis, St Paul area is a better option than a vending management company based half way across the country. 

A vending management company is a company that is in the market to scoop up potential vending accounts. They negotiate the contract with you and then they turn around and contract a local vending company to install their machines and to keep them filled. The vending management company will charge the local vending company a commission and they will turn around and pay a smaller percentage to you and keep a percentage for themselves. I am not saying vending management companies are bad but I think you can get a better deal if you deal with a top quality local vending company directly. The good thing about vending management companies is they will try to get a decent vendor for you and hold the vendor accountable which is good. 

If you be patient and do a little research and potentially download our free “selecting a vending company white paper” you will be able to find a great local vending company that will bend over backwards to give you a great vending service and a flexible product selection that your employees will enjoy for years to come.

vending products

In order for the vending management company to make money they are going to need to get paid a return for negotiating the contract. That return can result in higher prices at the machine and results in lower margins for the local vending operator who installs the machines. If you deal directly with a local vending company the higher margins they will make can be reinvested in newer equipment or lower prices to your employees. Plus the local company will be able to make a little more money which in turn can be used to help support local communtiy events and potentially be able to afford paying their employees slightly more wages. 

Vending companies all around the country right now are struggling to make ends meet because of increased product costs, fuel costs and labor costs. In order to provide a top quality vending service including newer equipment, lower prices and better service they need to be able to turn a small profit and paying a percentage of the machine sales to a management company is not going to help them.

So if you are in the process of selecting a new vending service ask the question. Local vending company or vending management company.

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Single Cup Office Coffee System in the Twin Cities Area

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Royal Vending

In the workplace management is always looking for ways to keep production levels high with their employees.  With so many gourmet coffee shops such as Starbucks, Pete’s Coffee and Tully’s that are available practically on every street corner, it can be very difficult to keep employees in the office when they are in need for a hot cup of coffee or tea.  It can easily take two  minutes for an employee to access a variety of gourmet coffees in the break room versus taking 20 minutes to run down the street and wait in line to receive the same quality product.

You can have the best of both worlds by introducing to your team of employees an office coffee system that offers a single cup brewing system such as Flavia.  With Flavia all the variety of gourmet coffees and teas are at your finger tips. It is just a press of a button and within seconds you have a great cup of coffee, tea or even hot chocolate!

Flavia offers a “FRESH RELEASETM brewing system which unlocks the integrity and aroma of the blend, serving a delicious fresh cup of coffee or tea every time”.  The best hot beverage experience starts with the freshest ingredients and Flavia has a three step process to insure customer satisfaction guaranteed with every cup. 

Why loose productivity several times a day with your employees when you can order an office coffee service from a credible vending provider.  If you live in the Twin Cities area and are interested in greater detail about what an office coffee service can do for your company call Royal Vending today!

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Posted on November 5, 2010 by Royal Vending

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