Revive Vending / Doozy
Revive Vending / Doozy
NOMINATION TESTIMONIAL
Not only have they implemented and succeeded with new technologies, they have led the way in innovation with Doozy and Dan Varney’s continuous support of AVA Futures.
SV24-7 Vending
SV24-7 Vending
Directors, Ian and Fiona Chambers started the business in June 2012.
Our ethos has always been simple, understand what customers want and deliver and meet the expectations.
Our business offers the supply and service of vending machines including hot drinks, bean 2 cup, cold drinks, snacks & confectionery and we are one of only two companies in Scotland to offer a fresh food service creating availability 24/7! We work with B2B customers, hospitals, leisure, factories etc.
We now employ a team of 15 staff all from the Clackmannanshire area.
We are fully accredited members of the Automatic Vending Association (AVA). We have implemented their Quality System into our business (which is based on ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001) and have set business objectives based on the quality system. These objectives are measured and reviewed on a monthly basis ensuring we are meeting the standards we have agreed.
On our last field audit from the AVA, we gained 100% score across all aspects of our field business that was audited. This included vehicle checks, staff training, cleaning procedures of our machines, merchandising principles and much more.
Over the last 6 years our business has seen double digit growth year on year and profits continuing to rise.
Our People:-
Our staff are the key to our success. Our team are all hand-picked, not necessarily because they have vending experience but because they are polite, energetic, enthusiastic, driven individuals that fit well with the fast pace of our business.
Invest in People
We invest in the on-going training and development of our team. Our staff all have personal development plans to work towards and we carryout weekly 121 meetings with the team.
We have also given opportunities for work experience for college and university students (4 times – various positions).
Summer 2019 – we have given a young person some summer work for 3 hours a day, helping to pick stock for our route merchandisers and helping with warehouse duties.
The Real Living Wage
In 2018, we implemented the Real Living Wage for all team members. This has had a positive impact as staff feel financially recognised for the work they do.
Employee Benefit Scheme
We also offer our team an employee benefit scheme called “Perkbox”. This is a great benefit that offers discount vouchers for high street stores, discounted cinema tickets, gym memberships, etc etc. www.Perkbox.com/uk
Success through Sustainability
Having previously twice won this award at the Clacks Business Awards, our business continues to be focussed on sustainability. This includes choosing suppliers that have an understanding and focus within their business on sustainability, sourcing new, modern vending machines that are more efficient to run. implementing recycling of PET
Sales & Marketing
We have focussed greatly on our brand image, linking our corporate brand nicely with the wonderful Kelpies in Falkirk clearly implements that our business is both local in the Forth Valley but also central across Scotland.
The professionalism of our marketing materials, business overview and sales proposals has made us stand out when competing against the competition for business.
Image is important and our company vans give us some of the best advertising when they are working across Scotland.
Vendmanager
Vendmanager is an operating system specifically designed for the vending industry. This allows us to control all our stock, our cash, our route visits to vending machines, our service team. The system has helped us to be become lean and extremely efficient. We can literally track where every single mars bar is from the minute it is ordered to when it is sold through in a vending machine. Customers love the fact that we are transparent and have real time data to share with them on how their business is performing.
2017, 2018 & 2019 has seen significant growth of new business for us and we have focussed on various sectors that like us they work 24/7.
Some of the prestigious customers we service include:
NHS Lothian (2nd biggest NHS trust in the UK)
Gleneagles Hotel
Marriott, Hilton IHG Group, Yotel and The Balmoral hotel groups.
Highland Spring
In addition to winning new business we have also secured contracts for repeat business. Our biggest customer makes fresh food for marks and spencer and as you can imagine works to the highest standard. It is vital that their suppliers ie us can work to the same high standards.
Having won the business of NHS Lothian, the second biggest NHS trust in the UK in 2017 for a 3 year (plus 1) agreement. We are delighted to receive another year extension to this agreement. This was a huge success for our business as we were competing against all the big, national companies and we won!
It’s a great achievement to win and continue securing such prestigious business. As we are one of the few vending companies that can offer a fresh food service, we have now been able to work with local suppliers e.g We spend £20k a year with our local butcher in Alloa High Street buying pies, sausage rolls etc.
We work with as many local partners as possible and this includes the maintenance and service of our 10 vehicles, servicing, MOT, tyres etc.
This is all great business for our local economy.
In addition to supporting our local economy, we contribute to our local community and charities.
In 2018/19 we have supported the following:
Armed Forces Day 2018 & 2019 (albeit 2019 was cancelled due to weather)
The Gate Charity for Homeless
Scottish Autism Golf Day
Alloa Round Tables Shoe box charity
Local View Housing Association, Alloa
We regularly get excellent feedback from our customer, including some of the following: –
I am pleased to confirm that I want to go ahead with the new five year contract as per your recent proposal. The main reason SV24/7 has been awarded the new contract was mainly due to the quality of the hot drinks on offer, excellent customer service with rapid service response, and good value for money. – J Lauder, Senior buyer – Falcon catering Stirling
Many thanks for your team yesterday there did a great job and were a breath of fresh air on site I must say. Machines look fab too.
Highland Spring – June 2019
I wanted to thank you for today’s install, and the professional way it was handled by your team.
General Manager, Westwerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld – August 2018
Outstanding service from start to finish as always – Adam, HR Manager – Yotel Edinburgh November 2019
Previous Awards Won
Success Through Sustainability – Clacks Business Awards 2016
Excellence in Customer Service – Highly Commended 2016
Excellence In Customer Service – Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce 2017
Success through Sustainability – Clacks Business Awards 2018
Apprentice of the Year – Rhys Jones – Highly Commended 2018
Most Impressive Employee of the Yar for our service manager, Craig Mitchell 2019
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2019 Clacks Business Awards
WE are committed to growing our own team and as our business grows the opportunities for our people are being created. An example of this was when we promoted an operator to trainee service engineer and who has now been promoted to our Service Manager. He also won the most impressive employee of the year in 2019 at the prestigious Clacks Business Awards.
Our service manager has worked with us and have now implemented a preventative maintenance program which includes e.g. the cleaning of fridge vents, scheduled deep cleans in high volume sites of fresh food machines and hot drinks machines and filter changes. This is all controlled on our Vendmanager system.
Our product range is always changing as new products arrive in the market place. We work to planograms and have a big focus on healthy products that meet with the Healthy Living Criteria, especially in our NHS sites and workplace. We also have a range of protein and energy products that are a great sellers in leisure sites.
We hold quarterly/six monthly reviews with customers and present the rate of sale of products, this ensures we are stocking the correct products for each individual site.
Express Vending Ltd
Express Vending
Express are worth of winning the Vendies 2020 “Best Overall Operator” as we approach workplace refreshments completely differently. Our company mission is:
“To provide outstanding refreshment services every day to businesses to create an inspiring work environment for their people”.
Express has been successful in striving towards this mission and standing out amongst competitors by:
– Becoming leaders in innovation
– Investing in people by providing ongoing personal development and training
– Having 99% of the machine portfolio serviced in house by Express trained engineers providing customers with industry leading response times
– Offering a full site refreshment solution
Innovation and Technology
Express focuses on providing clients with full site solutions, supplying all products and services clients require in the modern workplace. With workplaces changing for the growing millennial generation, in the last 3 years Express has adopted products and services that stand out from the traditional vending suppliers, to appeal to customers who have critical concerns such as employee engagement and staff retention. Two main products that fall into this are the Express HUB (MicroMarket) and Starbucks on the go (workplace).
The Express HUB is a revolutionary workplace refreshment solution, with a target market of medium to larger businesses who are concerned with employee engagement, productivity, wellbeing and retention. The Express HUB is a 24/7 unmanned, self-serve solution providing employees with access to quality food and drink from over 1000+ product lines including heat-and-eat, fresh wraps, salads, sushi, protein bars, fresh fruit, smoothies and granola bars to name a few. Innovative self-service kiosk technology with cashless payment systems and fingerprint access account options allows for speedy purchases on site increasing staff productivity. Express were the first in the UK to bring the concept to the market and have been successful in scaling the portfolio from 0 HUB sites to over 100 HUB sites in just 3 years.
Working alongside the HUB is Starbucks on the go (workplace) which is centred around brand as a driver for consumers, creating a great place to work and looking after employees by providing quality drinks in the workplace without the need to leave site.
We are experiencing high levels of satisfaction across our customers. HUB customer Daisy Evans from The Home Office Tring says, “There is always a large gathering at the HUB and it certainly seems to be helping us create an exciting business environment for our members. It has also played a key role in the recruitment and retainment of members, as it’s a unique service, which sets us apart from other competitors.”
Alongside the HUB and Starbucks concepts Express have revolutionised internal processes with technology such as Lightspeed, a pick-to-light system that allows for high speed order processing, VOD (visit on demand) and 3D augmented reality for planning of customer installations. These innovations have streamlined processes, allowed for growth and reduced carbon footprint.
Learning and development
One of Express’s four core values is ‘Personal Development’ and we strive for this throughout the business. For the past 6 years we have run an award-winning graduate academy which involves an initial 3-month training programme with enthusiastic and determined individuals, before they are injected into the sales and retail management teams. The training doesn’t end there though, we encourage everyone in our business to strive for excellence, so we continue to run training development plans throughout the year.
Alongside new starters we also upskill our staff across all departments. Our engineering team are regularly trained on our machine portfolio so that 99% of our machines can be serviced in-house. We are also proud to say that we send our staff on external training qualifications for sectors such as HR, Accountancy and Marketing.
Customer Service
Express have an account management department solely responsible for managing our existing customer base, working closely with clients to build strong relationships with key stakeholders within the business. This ensures Express are consistently meeting with customer demands on a day-to-day basis and allowing plans for future growth with the customer.
Demanding KPI’s are set for regular contact between the client and a dedicated account manager. Meetings are conducted by reviewing performance, consulting on specific trends within their account, as well as new innovations in the marketplace. These combined allows Express to work cohesively with the customer to increase staff-level engagement in the solution, which has a direct impact on revenue with existing machines.
One example of working closely with our clients to provide great customer service, was with a high-profile Distribution Centre just outside of London. Express typically deals with Facilities Managers on a day-to-day level and encouraged the customer’s Property Director involvement as well. They were able to advise on plans for growth expected from their business. Express worked with the customer on an 18-month project, consulting exclusively on a new and innovative refreshment solution at their new centre, which employs 400+ staff. Not only did this help to strengthen the relationship at the existing site, but it also grew Express’ machine base and increased revenue through the customer’s new sister site.
Development of consumer range
One way that Express work with clients on a consumer level around product range is through Survey Monkey feedback. This process allows staff to share with us what products they want to buy and any specific dietary requirements. Our product list is continuously developed to provide seasonality, trending products, and a wide offering of healthier product choices. We make sure there are vegan and gluten free items available and encourage healthier options by providing fresh fruit in most HUB sites. All of our fresh food items are labelled with the food industry standard traffic light system, allowing consumers the option to inspect ingredients before purchasing having the option of healthier choices.
Sustainability
One of Express’ missions for sustainability is around food wastage. We have partnered with DENs (a local homeless charity) to make weekly donations of fresh food product from our head office, which they then distribute to those in need (in January 2020 we donated 187 units). Express have also recently partnered with Olio a company that sends volunteers to our customer sites to collect products before they expire, and redistribute amongst local communities using an app. We also, where possible, swap single use plastic bottles for cans only in our HUB fridges and vending machines.
As well as working with our clients to achieve their sustainability missions, we have launched schemes internally through our CSR committee. These include:
– Cup recycling scheme
– Reusable cups and mugs to reduce paper cup usage
– Recycling of machine parts
– Reducing single use plastics
– Telemetry data and VOD to reduce our carbon footprint
Preventative maintenance programme
While having industry leading call-out times when machines do break down, we also have an ever-evolving planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme, to ensure our clients continue to receive high quality products with reduced machine downtime. Our PPM programme includes regular filter changes to prevent limescale build up, hygienic sanitisation on all hot drinks and water machines, and annual boiler inspections on fresh milk coffee machines to ensure optimum performance. We also work with larger client sites to rotate machines on a bi-annually basis, so that higher usage and lower usage machines are swapped around to avoid potential breakdowns.
Excel Vending
Excel Vending
When entering any awards, the applicant will talk about company growth, expansion and recent success stories. Unfortunately, the events of 2020, which are still ongoing, makes our application somewhat different. We believe Excel Vending is a deserving winner of the Year’s Best Operator because of our actions throughout 2020 and 2021:-
- Protecting and supporting our staff and their jobs.
- Ensure we support our customers
- Adapt to new ways of working – staff and clients
- Supporting our community
In unprecedented times, Excel Vending entered the initial lockdown in March 2020 with a great deal of uncertainty. No company prepares for the level of disruption we have all experienced; in such circumstances core values play a vital part in responding. Twenty-seven years of experience, dedication to customer service, and our commitment to our staff alongside our willingness to support the community have contributed to our resilience.
In the initial period of the lockdown, Excel Vending took all the necessary steps to ensure the staff’s safety by moving to a remote working operation wherever possible. However, many of our customers are classed as key worker status, which meant they needed to have their vending operations as usual. Excel is delighted to have provided vending services to all customers who have required us to be there.
We knew this was important to customers, many of whom had closed down traditional catering facilities such as staff kitchens and canteens. These key workers required vending operations more than ever. Hence, we provided all operating customers with adequate vending services. Today, we continue to provide these services in every location where customers are continuing to operate.
Like many, Excel Vending experienced stock with Best Before that could no longer be used in vending machines. Unwilling to let this stock go to waste, Excel Vending entered into an enriching partnership. Glasgow Community Food Group aims to bring together organisations in the private, public and third sectors to develop a flourishing food system in Glasgow. They identified a short-term need to connect the food supply chain with community organisations to enable food products distribution during the recent pandemic.
Excel Vending was delighted to donate large volumes of stock taken back from vending machines and out of our warehouses. We have also made similar donations to Kilbryde Hospice and St Andrew’s Hospice.
This year we have seen just how important our people are to the company. We need to make sure their hard work and loyalty are adequately rewarded. We are delighted to have recently been re-accredited as a Living Wage employer. At Excel, the Living Wage is an excellent starting point. Accreditation ensures everyone in the business, regardless of their responsibilities, experience or abilities, is paid a fair hourly rate. We are proud to be a Living Wage Employer, and we will continue to be committed to it in our efforts to ensure the health and wellbeing of the whole team.
We accept that our staff are critical to our success. We will continue to invest in personal development and to develop new talent throughout the business.
The environment is also important to Excel Vending. During 2020 we continued to champion Reverse Vending. Our early adoption and support of a Deposit Return Scheme are now paying dividends. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will become law in Scotland on the 1st of July 2022. From that date, retailers will be required to charge 20p deposit on all sales of PET plastic bottles and tin cans. The deposit is then refunded when the item is returned for recycling. Our Reverse Vending technology investment puts Excel Vending at the forefront of delivering a successful DRS programme in Scotland.
Over the last year, we have also been a major sponsor of the Glasgow Cup Movement in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful. This was an important initiative to encourage users to recycle paper cups. Working with our partners, we provided free recycling boxes in commercial properties that enabled the easy collection of paper cups for recycling.
We are committed to delivering the highest vending standards and are the first independent vending company in Scotland to hold ISO45001, ISO14001, ISO9001 Safe Contractor and CHAS Health & Safety Assessment Scheme.
We are proud of the level of engagement we achieve with our customers and the various campaigns we run to support our vending clients. For example, we recently commissioned an animated video to demonstrate the often overlooked hygiene benefits in vending. It shows the number of potentially hazardous touchpoints when conventionally making a cup of tea compared to using a vending machine. Such was the video’s success that many other vending companies also used it with their online campaigns.
We were more than happy to share our content because we appreciate that all other vending companies are enduring similar Excel Vending challenges. This year, more than most, we have truly appreciated the benefits of active membership in the Automatic Vending
Association (AVA) and Associated Vending Services (AVS). We pride ourselves in a long association with both organisations. Finally, communication is a critical element of success. We have always strived to create a good and transparent flow of information to our clients and our online communities. We have continued to grow our online communities and publish relevant content regularly.
While others may have reduced spending during the current crisis we used this point to invest in our website. The new website focusses on the overriding ethos of the company – We Care. The primary purpose of redesigning the website was to impart clear information about the business, our services and what we offer. However, the ‘We Care’ theme that runs through the site reinforces our commitment to our people, our quality standards, the environment, the local community and our customers. We are proud of what we have achieved in the last 27 years, and in particular, the past very challenging year.
Tower Leasing Limited
Tower Leasing Limited
Tower Leasing’s employees are the forefront to delivering our customer’s needs.
With over 30 years in the finance industry, we provide our customers with an exceptional service through our knowledge, efficiency and experience of the finance industry.
Our team collaborate together to ensure the Operators’s journey runs smoothly, from our first interaction (the proposal) to our completion of documentation, processing and after care. We pride ourselves to manage every deal in a timely manner and communicate effectively amongst our team to get the job done. With a growing appetite to achieve more, service is the core of the business. We support each other, sharing our experience and take great care in learning and development for our employees so they have the skillset and opportunities to prosper.
2020 has seen a fantastic start to our New Year and New decade at Tower. Awards and recognition are highly sought, so when they are voted for by the very customers you serve, they are a great testimony to the skill, hard work and effort put into the relationships by the team.
To that end we were delighted and extremely honoured to be recognised for premiere quality service to the vending industry by two of the largest vending bodies in the UK. Tower received service awards in both ’Best Company’ and ‘Best Individual’ (for our very own Kevin Reed) from the AVS and received the NIVO ‘Business Service Award’ for the second year running.
Our service excels, we are winning new customers and new opportunities to help existing operators grow their customer bases. Not just with premium service, also new innovations, faster technology to speed up decisions, accept more business and process agreements far quicker.
We have trained our underwriters to provide pioneering underwriting and flexibility, to create a more positive portfolio. Allowing operators to sell even more and to open new customer channels, not just to their existing customer base. As equipment evolves and the operators work increases, Tower opens more doors and options to providing the best solution.
Tower has had a presence in the vending sector for almost 30 years, but decided to really focus on vending with a specific vending channel 2 years ago. The team consists of dedicated individual support managers and process team, pulling upon the already well established underwriting, customer service, accounts and business support structure within Tower.
A major difference is that as well as having the benefit of a dedicated vending division to support the industry. All clients have a Key vending contact along with a National Support Manager who understand vending and is dedicated to supporting vending customers.
We aren’t just a sausage machine, we don’t ever want to lose that personal touch. It’s massively important to have systems to cater for all, never forgetting that vending’s own customers buy from and work with people not just faceless machines, but remembering there is a place for technology.
Finance can be vanilla, so is it all about the cost? The simplicity of the paperwork? The quality of the systems?
We start with the best people, we train them on the best systems which are constantly evolving.
Last month as an example, we created over 15 patches to the systems to improve the work flow, speed and customer facing web portal.
To endeavour to raise the levels of service offered, the skills and personal focus of our people and maintain recognition for industry leading innovation and quality of delivery is our driver as a company.
Our customers are not dependent on us. We are dependent on them. They are an integral part of our work. All customers have a choice and we aim to make Tower the vending operator’s first choice.
We are a relatively small business who surround ourselves by colleagues who love what they are doing and always put the customer first.
“When you put the customer first, the customer will last.”
Tower strives to build healthy relationships with their operators by identifying their needs and providing the best-possible experience to its customers.
Where we win is that we provide each and every one of our Operators a personalised customer experience.
Our team also acknowledge and thank their customers for their business from time to time, through various different methods. Including award evenings, industry dinners, golf days, simple thank you notes. Tokens of appreciation – we never take our customers for granted. A recent example of this was a thank you published in Vending International.
We aim to excel in customer-care and after-sales service. We listen and evolve. We like to do things differently and always go the extra mile.
We leave our customers with an ‘agree and forget’ policy, we confirm what we are going to do so they can get on with the rest of their day safe in the knowledge that Tower will respond without them having to chase.
Putting the customers first isn’t a strategy, it’s a culture!
Our customers require quick decisions, approvals & quick simple payment; all of which we are suppling industry leading levels of support. Our customers also contact us for solutions to problems and ideas to drive the business forward. We are seen as trusted advisors not just sales people or another finance company.
This is why we have been able to build a strong army of loyal customers, who are more than happy to keep coming back to Tower and this is why our vending business has grown dramatically in the last few years.
Ensuring that your customers get easy access to each and every single one of your products and services at all times. With longer opening hours at our service centre in Bracknell and our 24hr web based portal allowing everything to simply be completed on line when required.
We even have the facility now for Operators to deliver E-Sign documentation directly to their customers.
At the most fundamental level, customers are happy when a business satisfies both their needs and their expectations.
At Tower we exceed those.
