NAMA Show 2023: The Future of Refreshment Services
Taylor Hicks / May 24, 2023
The NAMA show, hosted by the National Automatic Merchandising Association in Atlanta, brought together leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts in the refreshment services industry. The VendCentral team had the privilege of exploring the trade show floor, attending panels, and networking with key players in the industry. From exciting innovations found at “Imagination Way” to the launch of new products, the show left a lasting impression.
Interested in learning more about the world of possibilities for the industry’s future? Keep reading to discover a few of the show’s highlights, latest product trends, and more!
Coffee, Coffee, & More Coffee!
Office coffee took center stage at the NAMA Show, capturing the attention of attendees at every turn. The Emblem bean-to-cup coffee brewer was ever-present with its exceptional on-demand brewing capabilities. Definitely, a staple to include on your office coffee equipment roster. National brands and local coffee roasters, including Segafredo, Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, Ellis Coffee Company, Bodecker Brewed, and more kept everyone fueled throughout the 3-day show.
Additionally, the popularity of on-the-go coffee options, including nitro brew, cold brew, and canned coffee is undeniable. Brands such as RISE, La Colombe, Wandering Bear, and Costa Coffee made a significant impact, offering unique coffee drinking experiences for attendees.
Bubbling with Excitement: NAMA Beverage Takeaways
The NAMA Show showcased the latest trends in the beverage industry. It came as no surprise that energy drinks continued to dominate. Well-established brands like Red Bull, Celsius, Monster, and C4 Energy drew substantial attention. However, the show also provided a platform for up-and-coming brands such as Alani Nu, PHOCUS, UpTime, and Sparkling Ice Energy Drinks to make their mark.
Better-for-you beverages were another highlight of the event. Healthy soda alternatives like Poppi, Zevia, and Good Mood made their debut, captivating attendees with their healthier and more flavorful options for the refreshment services market.
New-Age Vending Equipment & Technology
In the realm of vending equipment, the NAMA show revealed groundbreaking innovations. For example, Just Baked’s hot food kiosk was a must-see. Offering a wide range of delicious meal and dessert options, you can select, pay, and be eating in minutes. The convenience and quality of these hot and fresh treats left a delightful and memorable impression on everyone’s taste buds.
Supply Wizards Supply Wizards wowed the crowd with their revolutionized online ordering process. Their user-friendly software seamlessly integrates with operators’ Vending Management Systems (VMS), making invoicing and tracking inventory a simple task! On average, operators have seen an increase in order sizes by 24% when using Supply Wizards for their online ordering. Therefore, this product is ideal for operators looking to grow their office coffee and pantry services!
ZippyAssist ZippyAssist emerged as a game-changer, enabling vending operators to provide immediate support to customers. With simple-to-use features like instant refunds and maintenance requests, they’ve streamlined customer service. This text-based platform accessed from a customer’s mobile phone is helping operators across the globe enhance their unattended retail experience.
Embracing the NAMA Show Momentum
Overall, the NAMA show was a resounding success leaving operators inspired by new ideas and technology for the refreshment service industry. From the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to the introduction of cutting-edge vending equipment, this event set the stage for a future of innovation and growth. The VendCentral team looks forward to implementing the lessons learned and supporting the members of our industry through comprehensive marketing services.
VendCentral is solely focused on the refreshment services industry. Contact us to learn how our marketing programs can help your business GROW!
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Want Better Vending Customer Service in 30 Days? Try ZippyAssist!
Emily / May 15, 2023
ZippyAssist strengthens the biggest concern of vending customers – service. Its cutting-edge technology opens a connection between you and your customers, 24/7. It builds trust in self-service and unattended retail, driving up sales and retention. And it doesn’t take long before vending machine and micro-market users know about it. It turns a service issue into a chance to give great customer service!
Keep reading to find out exactly what ZippyAssist is and its many benefits.
Speedy Customer Service
ZippyAssist is a mobile-first customer support and engagement platform. That means your customers can use their smartphones to reach out to you about the refreshment services in their breakroom. It is simple to use and provides the immediate support that your customers want. In other words, ZippyAssist builds trust and consumer confidence!
Consider ZippyAssist Your Virtual Assistant
Simply by texting, customers can let you know what’s happening in the break room. ZippyAssist collects the info and reports it to you. Customers may ask for a new product. Or, they could send details about an issue keeping them from being able to buy. Whatever it is, ZippyAssist is there to make the exchange simple and positive.
Say Hello to “One-Click” Refunds
One of the best features of ZippyAssist is how easy it is to issue a refund. After all, stuck products and kiosk malfunctions happen. Customers get upset if their money isn’t returned fast.
ZippyAssist makes it easy and simple to give a refund. Minutes after receiving a request for a refund, you can issue it using a mobile payment app. Give the user money via Paypal, Venmo (US only), Cheque/cash, or Zelle (coming soon). The refund happens in an instant, making the customer happy.
Try ZippyAssist Yourself!
There’s no better way to see what it can do for your refreshment services company than try it yourself. Text: 1011 to 925-744-7770. You’ll be directed to a link that shows exactly what customers see. You can get help, give feedback, or even learn more about the features and benefits.
Get ZippyAssist for Your Break Room Services Company
Don’t let poor customer service be the reason any of your clients switch. Get ZippyAssist to show decision-makers you’ve invested in high-quality service. Plus, it’s a great tool to show facility managers and human resource professionals. Now they don’t need to deal with refunds, plus, it offers a better staff experience. That’s a winning combo.
Don’t hesitate to boost sales and client retention. Reach out to VendCentral today about ZippyAssit. Contact us at (866) 699-8363 or visit us online.
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ZippyAssist Improves Service and Profits for Operators
Jen / April 28, 2022
The refreshment services industry is buzzing about ZippyAssist. The powerful but simple-to-use customer service platform is seeing tremendous growth in the marketplace this year and there is good reason for all the excitement. ZippyAssist can be used from any mobile device and it offers speedy support for customers in unattended environments like micro-markets, vending machines, and office coffee locations. Here we dig into the big reasons why ZippyAssist is receiving a warm welcome from operators in the refreshment services industry.
Easy refunds
One of ZippyAssists’ key advantages is how easy it is to issue a refund online through electronic payment systems like Venmo and PayPal. When a customer submits a refund request through their mobile device, a breakroom operator can see and authorize the request right away, with the customer then automatically reimbursed if they choose an online option. Breakroom operators love ZippyAssists’ focus on simplicity and ease-of-use, with the new online refund feature just the latest example of this attention to improving the customer experience. And for customers themselves, having their money refunded without unnecessary hassle and delays is a game-changer.
Reduced Costs
Calls and emails for customer service issues are drastically reduced when customers shift to ZippyAssist. The ZippyAssist dashboard allows multiple members of an operator’s team to see and manage the service requests submitted. Customer service representatives spend less time receiving and forwarding issues for follow-up. Instead, they can focus on other tasks and become more productive.
Increased Business Intelligence
A key feature of the ZippyAssist platform is its reporting capabilities. Breakroom operators are now able to access information and identify trends in the types of customer service requests submitted. If problems arise more frequently on a particular driver’s route or with a particular customer or piece of equipment those issues can be recognized and resolved more quickly.
Improved sales
Breakroom operators are using ZippyAssist to market themselves above the competition, and they are noticing it instills a higher level of customer confidence from the very start. Operators report that ZippyAssist helps them demonstrate their commitment to superior customer service in a tangible way and allows them close deals with new accounts more quickly. Sales improvements have also been seen with existing customers. Problems are resolved more quickly, missed sales are avoided, and client satisfaction is higher.
For breakroom operators looking to elevate their customer service, save costs, boost sales, and enjoy more productive operations, ZippyAssist is an easy choice. Getting started is simple and the platform can be up and running in a few short weeks. Want to try it out? Click here for a 14-day free trial. Or schedule a quick demo of ZippyAssist to learn more.
Online Ordering: Boosting Profits for Breakroom Operators
Christine / February 9, 2022
Gone are the days when placing an online order was considered a luxury. It is now an expectation for customers, including those in the refreshment services industry. But, online ordering not only makes it easy for OCS customers to order products where and when it’s convenient for them. It’s a legitimate way for breakroom operators to increase sales and cut operational costs.
That is why VendCentral recently teamed with Supply Wizards to help our clients add and promote online ordering capabilities. Supply Wizards specializes in the refreshment services industry. Their online ordering system is fast and easy to implement. Plus, it can function independently or seamlessly integrate with your existing vending management system.
Are you a breakroom operator interested in upgrading from taking orders via phone, email, and fax? Want to explore a streamlined, more reliable process? If so, read more to learn the many benefits Supply Wizards can provide.
A personalized experience for your customers
Supply Wizards allows you to customize your online store by individual customer account. Do you have a variety of pricing, payment terms, or product offerings in your contracts? No problem. Each customer has their own login to the online ordering platform and a unique experience based on their contract. You can even provide budget tracking in the system for customers who request it.
Increased order sizes
Online ordering not only increases customer satisfaction and loyalty. It can also boost sales by encouraging customers to order more. Supply Wizards builds an intuitive product recommendation feature into their platform. And the power of suggestive selling is real. Customers often add on recommended items or additional products available to them through the browse feature. Studies have shown that 52% of customers on the Supply Wizards ordering platform use these features. This means a bigger average order size for you. In fact, breakroom operators report an average order increase of 14% after implementing Supply Wizards for their OCS customers.
Influence over what’s purchased
In addition to the recommended products feature, the Supply Wizards platform includes dedicated space for promotional ads. VendCentral can work with you to design promotions that move slow sellers, introduce new products, or reward customers for buying more. For clients on select marketing programs, VendCentral can further promote these specials through exclusive website features, social media, or email campaigns.
Streamlined operations
Staffing shortages have become a significant pain point for breakroom operators. Keeping up with customer orders across various methods can be time-consuming, create bottlenecks in the system, and cause inaccuracies that lead to dissatisfied OCS customers. Supply Wizards streamlines order management for more efficient back-end operations. Orders can now be processed by your team with little to no manual effort. Breakroom operators using Supply Wizards report significant decreases in operational expenses – enough savings that the Supply Wizards system actually pays for itself.
Better inventory management
One of the biggest challenges for breakroom operators is efficiently managing their inventory. Supply Wizards seamlessly integrates into your existing vending management system. Once items are set as out of stock, they are automatically hidden from the customer’s view on the Supply Wizards ordering platform. They will not reappear on the ordering platform until they are acknowledged as back in your inventory.
An online ordering system can be a powerful addition to your website – loved by your existing customers and impressive to new prospects. With Supply Wizards, adding online ordering to your website is easy and completed in only a few short weeks. In the end, the only thing breakroom operators wish is that they had done it sooner. If you are ready to see the Supply Wizards ordering platform in action, VendCentral can help. We will arrange a quick demo and show you how we can help launch and promote your new online ordering capabilities. Contact us and our team will help you get started!
A brand-new Coolbreakrooms has launched for 2022 – just in time for a year that is sure to be filled with new opportunities for the refreshment services industry. As an extension of VendCentral, Coolbreakrooms offers an online community where operators and manufacturers can thrive.
Coolbreakrooms speaks directly to breakroom decision-makers. It is a platform designed for operators and manufacturers to promote their goods and services directly to HR and facility managers. With its expansion this year, Coolbreakrooms is developing new industry partnerships. How it can help you reach your business goals for 2022?
Promotes the Industry
Coolbreakrooms’ main initiative is to promote breakroom operators and the refreshment services industry as a whole. Its website inspires breakroom upgrades by showcasing how better breakrooms positively impact employees and improve workplace culture.
The website’s Featured Breakrooms page highlights gold-standard breakrooms that deliver modern technology, satisfying food and beverages and a welcoming environment for employees. It provides customers interested in updating their company breakroom with the inspiration they need to get started.
Coolbreakrooms intends to rapidly expand their featured breakrooms gallery with pictures of breakrooms in all sizes. This is a great opportunity for operators to showcase their work. Operators are invited to submit photos of their premium breakroom installs for inclusion on the site. Selected operators may receive free marketing exposure through photo credits, in-depth articles, and social media promotions.
Boosts Business for Operators
Coolbreakrooms is focused on providing more leads to top-notch operators in the refreshment services industry. It does this by consulting with breakroom customers and matching them with Authorized Providers in their own hometown. They enhance the service by guiding customers to products and equipment best suited for their workplace environment.
Coolbreakrooms is valuable for larger companies that are interested in breakroom upgrades but have limited time or resources to dedicate to the process. It’s particularly useful for companies with workplaces in multiple cities, as it provides one turnkey solution for breakroom services across the US and internationally.
To become part of the Coolbreakrooms Authorized Provider network, breakroom operators must satisfy certain quality standards. There is no fee to join.
Drives Sales for Manufacturers
Manufacturers in the refreshment services industry have long found themselves short on channel-specific marketing opportunities. But the Coolbreakrooms website provides a new way to promote products and equipment directly to breakroom customers. Those partnering with Coolbreakrooms can now drive demand for food and beverages, gourmet office coffee, water filtration systems, breakroom technology, and more.
As it grows, Coolbreakrooms will shine a larger spotlight on the best of the best from all business categories. It will develop key relationships with industry manufacturers and create an impactful way for them to market directly to breakroom customers and influence sales.
The website will promote newness and innovation in a constantly evolving industry and educate customers on the latest breakroom options available.
VendCentral’s goal with Coolbreakrooms is straightforward – to promote breakroom upgrades and support the growth of the refreshment services industry. This year, the new Coolbreakrooms website will generate content geared towards breakroom decision-makers and provide a unique platform for all members of the industry community to participate and benefit. If you are interested in realizing greater demand for your goods and services VendCentral welcomes you to contact them to discuss joining the Coolbreakrooms movement.