Office Coffee Machines – Why Great Service Matters.
Each and every one of us has stood in front of the office coffee machine and been presented with greyed out menu items, error messages, or flashing lights. The unluckier amongst us will have faced all of these at once, in what can only be described as one of the most frustrating moments that you can encounter in a work environment.
Office coffee machines break – fact. And if you’re sorely in need of a caffeine fix when your coffee machine decides it’s time for a breather, there is nothing more frustrating. There’s nothing you can do, the machine won’t play ball, and you’re faced with an uncertain period (sometimes weeks) before you’ll see another drop of freshly brewed coffee.
The drill from now on is predictable. You raise a fault with your Office Manager or Facilities Manager, who in turn raises a breakdown with your vending operator, and your job gets put onto a list for an engineer to visit the site.
What happens after this point however, can vary massively between different operators, and today we take a look at why, and discuss the importance of great service.
An engineer showing up within a week is ok, isn’t it?!
The short answer to this is no – it’s never acceptable for your vending operator to send out an engineer a week after your office coffee machine breakdown gets logged. A week for your business is up to five consecutive days of no coffee, which depending on the size of your site, could mean hundreds of empty cups and very disgruntled staff.
Put simply, your technical support service should be better than this. Across the vending industry you’d now expect someone to turn up on site and attempt a fix within 8 working hours of you logging the call. If your vending operator is telling you that this is unrealistic, they’ve got it wrong!
Connect’s engineering team attend client sites within 4 hours on more than 80% of occasions. That means that if you’re calling before midday, you’ll likely have an engineer on site by the end of the same working day. Seriously… For those instances where a site visit might not be possible before the end of the same working day, on almost every occasion, we’ll be there the next working day.
Great service is something we’ve worked extremely hard to achieve, and when it comes to fixing vending machines and coffee machines that we’ve recommended to our clients, we won’t accept anything but the best service levels.
Always having someone at the other end of the phone
More and more services are being delivered digitally, either online or through pieces of software, and over the last twenty years there’s been a gradual but significant shift in access to customer service teams. Whether it’s your bank, your takeaway food app or your broadband provider, nearly all companies want you to use their live chat or send over an email.
Finding an operator who can connect you right away to a member of the Service Desk or your Account Manager, is a rare thing, but something that you will benefit from enormously should you ever need to reach out. Here at Connect you can always leave a message for us by email or through our VendBot live chat system, or by calling us – the choice is yours, and as one of our valued clients, we’ll never deprive you of the opportunity to speak to someone over the phone.
Likewise, should you need to find something out about your contract with us, or would like to understand more about expanding your food and beverage offering, you’ll always be able to speak to a member of our sales or account management teams. We’re just a call away!
Empathy and Understanding
Empathy in service goes a long way. When employees encounter issues with the office coffee machine, they want to know that their concerns are heard and understood. A vending operator that takes the time to empathise with users’ frustrations and concerns not only provides a better experience but also contributes to a positive workplace culture. Employees appreciate knowing that their needs are taken seriously, even if it’s just a matter of fixing a blocked nozzle or a jammed brewer.
And that’s not where it stops – when an engineer or an operator comes to site, you want them to treat you how you’d expect to be treated yourself. There are some horror stories in the industry of rude or indifferent field employees not showing enough respect to clients or consumers, but this is far from acceptable.
Connect’s experienced team of merchandisers and field engineers take pride in their work, and when we’re on site fixing a coffee machine or replenishing stock, we want everyone in our client’s workspace to feel at ease, comfortable and that they’re being treated with the utmost respect. We also expect our team to leave the workspace clean and tidy, once the job is complete.
In the realm of office coffee machines and vending machines, it’s clear that service is king. A vending operator that offers prompt attention to issues, empathy and understanding, and hassle-free maintenance helps keep your staff satisfied with great quality coffee. When employees don’t have to worry about their daily caffeine fix, they can focus on what matters most – their work. In the end, it’s the exceptional service that keeps the coffee flowing and the office humming with productivity. So, when it comes to office coffee machines, remember, service reigns supreme.
If you’ve had bad experiences with field teams attending your site and not upholding the highest standards of customer service, we want you to know that there’s alternative.
Speak to our team to find out how we can take on your vending machine, coffee machine or micro market management by calling us on 01865 341011, or by sending us an enquiry.