Seattle Cashless Vending | Mobile Payments | Refreshment Solutions

3 Benefits of Cashless Payments in Your Seattle Break Room

Seattle Cashless Vending | Mobile Payments | Refreshment Solutions

The vending industry has evolved over the past year. COVID-19 has transformed what the typical workday looks like and the refreshment industry has stepped up to the task. One major factor is cashless payments to purchase vending machine products.

The awareness of staying safe and keeping good hygiene has grown. That makes right now the perfect time to consider adding cashless payments to your break room. Plenty of benefits exist for going cashless, including increased convenience, easier refunds when they’re needed, and security provided by state-of-the-art vending equipment. Yet, perhaps the most pressing reasons to go cashless involve reducing the risk of COVID-19 in your Seattle break room.

A Cashless Break Room Equals A Safe Break Room

The primary benefit of cashless Seattle break rooms revolves around keeping employees safe. Modern vending machines are equipped to accept mobile payments like Apple and Google pay. When they pay through mobile payment apps, state-of-the-art refreshment equipment or modern vending machines, employees reduce their chances of getting sick.

Risk reduction occurs because it allows employees to socially distance themselves, eliminating lines and crowds that form around the checkout. A Seattle micro-market allows for mobile payment options to decrease unnecessary contact with high-touch surfaces.

Employees Find Mobile Payment Enabled Equipment Convenient

Employees find a Seattle cashless break room convenient. By eliminating terminals formerly used to purchase meals, employees only need to touch those items they intend to buy. What’s more, fewer people carry cash in today’s world. By going cashless, employees no longer need to visit the ATM for money to purchase lunch from the kiosk. Additionally, cashless payments and modern vending machines provide high payment security, reducing the risk of identity or credit card theft.

Seattle Micro-Market Kiosk | Cashless Vending Payments | State-of-the-Art Technology

Modern Seattle Vending Machines Eliminate Loose Change

Another benefit is that cashless break rooms get rid of the need to exchange loose change. It also stops the necessity of passing dollar bills and coins back and forth between employees and cashiers. Without this movement of cash, you protect your employees from coronavirus and other unwanted germs. Above all, offering modern Seattle vending machines in your break room is a major employee benefit!

Ready to Take Your Break Room Cashless?

Is your Seattle business ready for a cashless break room? Contact Vista Vending today to talk to a break room specialist! They can help you determine your company’s best options, including micro-markets, vending machines, and many more options. Call (253) 592-2843 today and find out what cashless vending can do for your company!

Touchless Technology in Seattle

Technology and the Touchless Seattle Break Room

Touchless Technology in Seattle

In the past, companies made changes to break room technology for one of two reasons. The first was to solve a problem. The second was to be known as a company at the front of innovation.

Today, things are different. Many Seattle companies have started adding various technologies that change how their businesses run. The goal is to help employees and customers stay safe. But, once things “return to normal,” the challenge will be to keep these advances.

One such upgrade is touchless technology. Whether connected to vending machines, micro-market equipment, or office coffee brewers, touchless is the new “it” word in Seattle break rooms.

COVID-19 has made touchless options critical for break rooms during the past year. Therefore, it is essential to examine why and how this technology will be valuable going forward.

Everyone knows the scenario of being in a public place and wondering what else has touched the surface you’re about to touch. Most of us didn’t think twice about it, but the new awareness around hygiene is here to stay.   

Break Room Solutions

In Seattle break rooms, vending machines and micro-markets have a lot of surfaces. But the areas that employees touch most often are those where payments occur. Whether it’s a micro-market self-checkout kiosk or a vending machine, the solution is touchless payments.

Touchless Technology in Seattle

The break room provider may offer several options. Mobile apps such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, a mobile wallet, or an app from the vending provider are a few options. The results, especially in heavily trafficked areas, are fewer Seattle hands touching the equipment.

Another option is the MR1 mobile platform or app. Anyone with a smartphone can use this app. Employees can contact the vending provider directly and share information about a problem they may be having. In many cases, the problem can be solved by just using the app.

Office Coffee and Technology

Office coffee service has also been changed by touchless technology. Many equipment manufacturers have modified coffee and cafe-style brewers so employees can buy beverages from their phones. All the employee must do is place the mug down, press a few buttons on their phone, and take the mug away.

How will your Seattle business adapt touchless technology in the break room? Vista Vending has various options that can help today and in the future. To learn more about our vending services, including micro-markets, vending machines, and office coffee service, please call us at (253) 592-2843.

Adapting Vending Machines in Seattle

Vending Machines in Seattle Keep Adapting

Adapting Vending Machines in Seattle

2020 has brought about many unforeseen changes, especially in Seattle break rooms. Whether a break room offered vending machines or a micro-market, refreshment providers have had to adapt. This isn’t, however, the first time that break room equipment has been modified to meet a new need. Since the very first vending machine was developed, individuals have continued to use them to solve a variety of different problems.

Vending Machine History

The concept of a vending machine has been around for a lot longer than most Seattle residents realize. In fact, the first vending machine was said to have been written about by the mathematician Hero in 215 BC in Ancient Egypt. In this machine, the user placed a coin in the machine and received holy water; a job previously performed by an individual. Here are several important changes that have helped make the vending machine what it is today include:

1888: Tutti-Frutti gum vending machines were installed in a New York City subway station.
1946: The first coffee vending machine was invented.
1950: Refrigerated sandwich vending machines expanded the lunch menu.
1950s – 1970s: located in U.S. airports, vending machines sold life insurance policies covering death, should the buyer’s flight crash.
1961: Canned soft drink vending machines offered customers new beverage options.
1972: Glass-front snack machines were introduced.
1985: Credit/debit card payment devices were introduced.
1987: Frozen food vending machines were introduced.
1991: Flavored coffees, espresso, and cappuccino were introduced in coffee machines.

Today

In the 150+ years since the first fully automatic vending machine was invented, a wide range of products, from practical to crazy, have been sold. In 2020, non-edible options including personal protection equipment (PPE) can be found. The following organizations highlight how vending machines can be converted to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

New Jersey Transit (NJT) has installed vending machines in handful of stations that sell PPE such as face masks, hand sanitizer, sanitized wipes, and disposable gloves to the public. Kevin Corbett, CEO & President of NJ Transit, explained, “We want our customers to trust that we have prepared the safest and cleanest transit system possible for their return and will continue to work hard every day to keep it that way.” 

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has developed a similar program. Located throughout the campus, vending machines offer masks, hand sanitizer and other protective products at no cost to the students or university employees. The university tracks “purchases” via the school’s id card system, ensuring that everyone can only make one purchase per product per month.

Adapting Vending Machines in Seattle

As with the new machines at VCU and NJT, vending machines in Seattle break rooms offer several benefits for employees. Employers can create a customized menu that includes the snacks, beverages, and fresh food their employees want. Not only are a variety of payment options available, including cash, credit/debit cards and mobile payment apps, but employers can also cover part or all the costs for their employees. In addition, break room vending machines can encourage employees to stay on-site when they need something to eat or drink, reducing person to person contact and the likelihood of coming into contact with COVID-19.

Is your Seattle break room ready to safely offer sought-after refreshment options? We are here to help you create an inviting and welcoming space that also safely delivers everyone’s favorite snacks, cold beverages, fresh food, and coffee. For more information, please call Vista Vending at (253) 592-2843.

vending technology in seattle break rooms

Technology Plays an Important Role in Seattle

vending technology in seattle break rooms

In 2019 state-of-the-art technology is king, especially in Seattle break rooms. But, and it’s a big one, adopting new technology should not come at the expense of good employee experiences. Based on the most recent Consumer Payment Study performed by Total System Services (TSYS), researchers found that while Americans want to adopt and use the newest payment technology to pay for purchases, they also want to be able to speak with someone when there is a problem.

For Seattle employers, the challenge is to find the ideal balance between state-of-the-art payment technology and old-fashioned customer service when it comes to the break room experience.

What Employees Look For  

  • the option to use a mobile device – whether it’s through a mobile payment app or a bank’s app – to pay for snacks, beverages and fresh food 
  • speed, agility and convenience during the buying process
  • intuitive and user-friendly equipment and processes
  • personalized offers based on individual purchasing preferences such as buy-4-get-1-free and information about promotions and rewards

Adding new technology in the break room also helps employers provide excellent refreshment services. Vending equipment, open-front coolers and touchscreen self-checkout kiosks are connected to vending suppliers, thus supporting remote data management or sales and inventory data analysis as well as machine maintenance. Vending machines with sought-after products and less time offline are a win for everyone.

vending technology in seattle break rooms

“Old-fashioned” Customer Service

Reflecting on the TSYS study, John Dale Hester, Senior Vice President of Relationship Management at TSYS, explained, “Americans are demonstrating a strong appetite for digital technologies…but that willingness to adopt the latest technology has its limits. When people encounter a problem…most still want to interact with a real person.”

When Seattle employees have a problem with any part of the refreshment services in their break room, there must be a way to connect with someone who can help solve the problem. Whether it’s via a facility/office manager or the mobile app, effective customer service in the break room is about helping your employees be as successful as possible.

But ultimately, customer service issues in the break room should fall back to your Seattle refreshment provider, and Vista Vending understands that. Not only do we offer state-of-the-art technology and sought-after snacks, beverages and fresh food, but we deliver top-notch customer service. Your employees’ break room experiences are important to us.

For more information about delivering top-notch technology and “old-fashioned” customer service in your break room, please call Vista Vending at (253) 592-2843. We look forward to designing the best solution for your organization.