Importance Of Customer Needs In Vending Business

Vending is a customer oriented business. Understanding customer’s needs and wants becomes very crucial. But how many operators are really aware of what customers really look for? Understanding their requirements and living up to their expectations becomes very important. One way of doing this is by proving the location with a state of art machine that is capable of vending a wide range of products. The other methods which an operator can adopt are mentioned below:

• Suggestion box: Place a suggestion box near the machine. Customer feed back related to the products you vend and service you provide can be gathered using this.
• Survey: Random surveys need to be conducted on a timely basis. This helps in understanding changing tastes and preferences of customers.
• Regular monitoring: Regular monitoring of products vended helps you assess the most fast moving one and also the ones with least demand. Slowly you can replace slow moving ones with those that have maximum demand.
• Data: There are few vending manufacturing companies that supply you with customer preference data. This helps you know which product has maximum demand.

The tastes and preferences of customers are not standard. They vary from individual to individual and from one age group to another. Few common things which most customers look in a vending machine are:

• Convenience: The main reason why vending machines have gained prominence is due to the convenience they offer. In today’s hectic lifestyles, most of us do not have the time and patience to wait in long queues to purchase products. This is one reason why we switch to simpler and faster means.
• Branded or standard products: Modern customers are willing to pay anything for branded and established products.
• Best quality products: Customers are not at all willing to compromise on the quality of products they purchase.
• Environmental friendly equipment: User and environmental friendly equipment if encouraged by all.
• Reasonable and competitive prices: High quality products reasonably priced is the choice of one and all.
• More choice options: Customer always looks for a wide variety to choose from.
• Flexibility in mode of payment: They prefer acceptance of various modes of payment.
• Quick and prompt services: Quick and prompt servicing is the key to success for any business.

Once an operator realises these and implements them in his business, he is sure to be successful. For any guidance and advice you can also contact Planet Antares and get help on all aspects of setting up and running a vending business.