Having grab and go options in the school vending machine at your Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school is important. It can help beat long lunch lines, encouraging students to eat and hydrate. It can also serve as before and after school nourishment when kids, parents, and even sports fans need a pick-me-up. However, school vending is also a special type of service that requires attention to detail, from products to scheduling. Here are five things you should look for in your Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school vending service provider.
1. School Calendar Conscious
A Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school vending machine should have special service around the school calendar. Before students come back to school, the vending operator should stock up and keep service levels high until winter and spring breaks. When we service a school, we watch the calendar for that school very closely. We ramp up service or taper it off in preparation for what will happen at the school. We feel this produces the best service level for each of our Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound schools.
2. Plenty of School Product Options
In recent years, school food programs and administrators have snack and beverage guidelines for school vending. These revolve around the amount of sugar, calories, fat, and sodium in snacks and drinks. You want a vending provider who has a wide variety of products that meet the criteria. These include lots of healthy vending snacks and nutritious drinks from the top national brands like we offer to our school vending and healthy vending clients. Additionally, your school vending provider should know the guidelines, so your Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school is never in violation.
3. Personalized School Vending Service
Depending on the grade level or needs of your Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school, you will want different types of service. Some schools want vending machines available to students during lunch times. This allows students to augment the lunch program or add to cold lunches they brought from home. On the flip side, some Seattle, Tacoma, and Puget Sound schools need the vending machines to be off when classes are in session. Make sure your vending service provider is willing to work with you on turning the vending machines on and off. Our service is based on the needs of the school and we are happy to keep the machine powered on or off as dictated by the school administrators.
4. Vending Technology User
While it is unlikely all students are using credit cards at the vending machine, the technology that allows their use is important to service. Having the ability to accept credit cards allows remote monitoring of the vending machine and prekitting of products for restocking. That means that the vending machine is always reporting what is still inside and what items need restocking. With out leaving our warehouse, we can pack a tote with snacks and drinks for your specific vending machine. Then we come restock it just when it needs. That is the power of vending technology and utilizing it properly.
5. Experience With School Vending
There is no substitute for experience. Look for a school vending service provider that has existing clients and has stood the test of time. That way you can have a knowledgeable partner for your Seattle, Tacoma, or Puget Sound school that you can count on for years to come. Vista Vending currently serves nine different school districts in the Seattle, Tacoma, and Puget Sound areas. That’s more than 400 vending machines that we manage. If you need help with school vending, give Vista Vending a call at (253) 592-2843.