I have a vending location which i faithfully servicing it for almost 2 years something. This is a location which i go twice a week during my early days. On a strong location you have to service it every 3 days to fill some spots on the vending machine.? Then here comes the new management.
But sometimes it doesn’t make sense if you service it after 3 days.
The chips are all sold out but still left with a lot of chocolate bars. The time and gasoline will not be economical for me. I just then decided to do it once a week making sure its all filled up 100%.
The said location i had before required me to pay commission every month which i did.
Suddenly sometime last month i was caught unaware and as i mentioned i don’t answer calls when im driving.
I listened to my voicemail and there was the old management then and left a message. He said the remove the machines by the end of the month. I got worried again and thoughts racing in my mind where to put the 2 machines in such a short notice.
You see every time you loose a location, you have to spend.
Moving for each machine is about $120. Finding a location through a locator ranges from $500 to $2,000 depending on which kind of location.
It’s not all the time that you have an instant location. Sometimes it takes weeks or months to have a replacement. So actually you are loosing money in the process.
Such process is also time in removing products on the machines. And also all other expenses mentioned previously.
Going back to the voicemail i received.
I immediately called the manager and he told was jokingly telling me to calm down.
He told reassuringly that i should try my best to talk to the new management and properly introduce myself as the vendor,
I immediately stop what im doing that day and went to see the new replacement manager from the new management.
At first i called and talked to the new manager and had a negative reaction.
Since i was a new face unfamiliar, but i was very calm. I left my business card and desperately went to the head office of the new management.
I requested to have a 5 minutes meeting which was very fruitful.
Since then i when i got back to the location with the new management i tried to be very diplomatic. Introduced myself and voluntarily offered commissions to the new management.
It is the new management after all and i hope and pray that it will work out.
The present manager is great. Whenever i visit the location it seems to be working out as i expected.
New management thinks that you have money of you have a new van.
I got mine because the old van breaks down. I have the pay 7 years for this new van which i don’t need if the old van is still working. I look more professional i guess.
Maybe im destined to go through this process so that my customers will see me a bit more professional.
I reminisce doing business back home in Manila selling computer parts. I used to have scooters and motorcycles for 7 years without touching a car. People in Manila likewise has the same look as the people here. It doesn’t have that much difference.
The strong humid smell of perspiration and mixed with the smog of carbon monoxide fumes from jeepneys and cars in the Philippines. I get home with oily face from pollution.
When you are using a run down vehicle doing business, the impression is that you are not professional.
I also was able to hire motorcycle deliveries and stopped scootering myself and saw the impression of people towards me when i ditched the motorcycles and bought myself a professional delivery van doing business.
As they always say good impressions with good tools and nice delivery transportation.
I again was able to save this account.
You just have to try your best. If you are a small business person you try to be very humble at all costs. Always try to communicate and just hope for the best.
I have several accounts that have some form of agreement and both parties signed. But sometimes when you secure a location it is done via handshake.
During the early days of vending, i had a machine at a film school in downtown. I don’t have a professional looking van and only 10 locations that i started. The film school changed management.
The new guy in charge wanted to change into just 1 vendor from existing 3 vendors.
Even when i submitted a nice proposal. The impression was not good for a guy with 10 locations to a guy with hundreds or if i dare to say thousands of machines.
I sincerely hope that people here see the sincerity of the vendor be it big or small.
I will always give a new person a fighting chance and prove oneself.
