The Benefits of University Vending Machines

University Vending Machines in a cafeteriaWhen most people think of eating on college campuses, they picture unappetizing cafeteria food. The use of University Vending Machines can change that.

 

 

Although cafeteria food has significantly improved, this is not always an option for a hurried college student. Students may not have time between classes to stop by the commons, and hunger can interfere with concentration and ability to perform.

Vending machines are both helpful and profitable. By placing a snack or soda machine in an ideal location, such as a college campus, you can help college students curb their hunger as well as make a profit from your sales.

 

Terrible cafeteria

The Benefits of University Vending Machines

Sometimes, hungry college students do not have the time to navigate their way through the cafeteria for a quick snack. Therefore, snack machines are ideal for universities. On-the-go students simply have to dig up their pocket change in return for an easy, tasty snack. Other benefits of college vending machines include:

  • Helping students get their “caffeine fix” to perk up for class
  • Providing college students with bottled water to prevent dehydration
  • Offering students both sweet and salty treats for a midday pick-me-up
  • Additionally, specialty devices like laundry vending machines can help college students with laundry, which is often a big step for new students. Others, such as medical aid vending machines, offer bandages and alcohol wipes to prevent infections and the spread of germs.

Receiving Your Vending Machine

Receiving Your Vending Machine

Receiving Your Vending Machine Step 1:

Receiving your vending machine is very exciting! First, inspect the vending machine as you unpack it and ask the driver to wait a few moments until you have done a quick inspection. Once you have signed off, you are responsible for the external condition.

If there are problems, note them on the bill of lading.

Receiving Your Vending Machine  Review all documents attached to be sure that it is consistent with your order.

Once the vending machine has reached its destination, the shipping boards can be removed. Split the shipping boards with a wedge or crowbar at either end.

Do not tilt the vending machine or attempt to lift it with a two wheel truck.

Next, level the machine and adjust the four main legs so they are touching the floor.

Place the vending machine 5 feet from the designated power outlet. The ventilation opening in the back must be clear of obstructions.

For refrigerated models allow at least 4 inches between the wall and the back of the vendor for proper air circulation.

For indoor vending machines:

The power cord kit will be located in the coin box area. Before plugging the cord into the wall outlet, leave the metal cover attached and plug the cord into the connector at the rear of the machine. Using the screws provided, secure the protective cover and strain relief in place.

Warning: The false leg helps prevent the vending machine from tipping forward when the vending door is open and one or more bottle trays are extended. Failure to install the false leg on vendors with bottle trays may result in serious injury.

Get more vending tech support videos.

 

Step 2:

AMS SPEAKER: When the AMS vendor arrives, please take time to inspect the vendor as you unpack it. Whenever possible, ask the delivering driver to wait a few moments while unpacking is completed. This will be to the driver’s advantage since, if no problems are found, the driver and his company are not responsible for any external damage. Likewise, be sure that you inspect your vendor fully. Once you have signed off without comment, you are responsible for the external condition. If there are problems, note them on the bill of lading and be sure to keep a copy. Be sure to review any documents attached to be certain the information shown is consistent with your order. For example, match the serial number on the back of the carton with the serial number on the packing slips.

Step 3:

AMS SPEAKER: Once you have received your vending machine, the shipping boards can be removed. Split the shipping boards with a crowbar or wedge at either end. If necessary, lift the vendor to remove the broken boards using properly rated equipment. Do not tilt the vendor and do not attempt to lift the vendor with a two wheel truck. For safe operation, the vendor must be level. On the bottom of the vendor are four threaded leveling legs located at the corners of the cabinet and a fifth support screw is located under the door. With the door closed and locked, check the four main legs and adjust any leg that is not contacting the floor. A level may be placed on top of the cabinet.

AMS SPEAKER: Adjust the support screw after the machine is leveled until the door does not hit the roller. Place the vendor within five feet of the designated power outlet. The power outlet should be accessible when the vendor is in position and the ventilation opening in the back of the vendor must be clear of obstructions. For refrigerated models, allow at least four inches between the wall and the back of the vendor for air circulation. The following is for all indoor vendors only. A one quarter inch nut driver is needed. The power cord kit will be located in the coin box or coin box area. The kit includes the power cord, power cord cover, wire tie which is already attached to the cover, and six screws.

Receiving Your Vending Machine Step 3:

AMS SPEAKER: Before you plug the cord into the wall outlet, leave the metal cover attached. Plug the cord into the connector at the rear of the machine as shown. Using the six screws provided, use a one quarter inch nut driver to secure the protective cover and strain relief in place. The false leg helps to prevent the machine from tipping forward when the vendor door is open and one or more bottle trays are extended. Failure to install the false leg on vendors with bottle trays may result in serious injury.  Make sure to Receive your Vending Machine with these steps

Calorie Info AMS Vending Machines

Calorie Info AMS Vending Machines The government requires all vending machines to comply with the new health codes which means calorie info must be displayed on the machine for each product before the sale. How are operators going to handle this requirement?

This is part of the healthcare reform act and the reason you need to vote.

AMS has a program to comply with this law, but their new firmware does more than just comply with this regulation. If you have older equipment you’ll need some way to do this. AMS has a retrofit for the Sensit 3 board which can be added to the machine, but if you have a Sensit 3 board, you simply need the new firmware in this way you will have Calorie info AMS Vending Machines.

Advantages:
1. Use your computer to input all the data into the firmware on an SD card and then load it on to each machine. This saves a lot of time.
2. You can load multiple planagrams into your machines – a fantastic resource with flexibility.

The initial cost is less than $50.

Going forward all A&M Equipment Sales refurbished AMS machines will have the Sensit 3 board installed. and will have Calorie Info AMS Vending Machines

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

Tom: All right, I’m Tom with the Vending Business Show here again with Larry Towner, who is a vending business consultant with which-

Larry Towner: Service Group International.

Tom: I am having a great show today, everybody.Calorie Info AMS Vending Machines So, thanks for being here Larry. We’re, we’re talking about the new calorie requirements for vending machines that have been coming, that are coming out. The government has basically said all vending machines have to comply with the health codes now and they are required to produce calorie counts for all products in the vending machine if, for vendors, vending operators have more than 20 or more machines. So how are operators going to handle this, do you think, Larry?

Larry Towner  :Calorie Info AMS Vending Machines   Well, let’s settle a couple of questions. First off, if you don’t have more than 20 vending machines, you’re really not in the vending business. You’re just kind of a hobbyist at best. So it’s really going to affect almost all the people that are in the vending business, in some form or another. I’m just gonna throw out this political statement. Folks, this is part of the healthcare reform act. This is the reason why you need to vote. If you, Tom and I were talking about it before the show, if you think that people are going to look at that display screen and say, “Wow, I was going to buy those Cheetos, but they’ve got 140 calories in it and I’ve decided I’m not going to buy them.” but you need to be well informed, so I guess there might be some things to do with it.

Larry Towner: What we’re going to talk about is we’re going to talk a little bit about one of the manufacturers, it’s AMS or Automatic Merchandising Systems Machines. They have come up with a very, very good program to comply with this law. One of the things that I want to just discuss is that the new firmware that they’re offering actually does more than just comply with this regulation, so we’ll get into it. A little bit is, Tom as you stated, that the government has required that we now have to put calorie counts on there before you make the selection on the machine. If you’ve got equipment out there, particularly older equipment, you’re going to have to come up with some kind of a system to do this.

Larry Towner: AMS has a system available now on their SENSIT 3 boards, which if you’re vending, you know about AMS and you know about the SENSIT boards. This is a retrofit to SENSIT that board that you can put on either a SENSIT 1 or a SENSIT 2 machine, but you can add the SENSIT 3 board to those machines. It’s of course going to cost you a little bit of money to do that. But if you’ve already got a SENSIT 3 board, what this is is this is a firmware update that will allow you to transfer your information to your machines via an SD card. The big advantages that I saw with this when I looked at this program was that you are able to make all of your, or input all of your data from your computer into the firmware program on an SD card and then you transport the SD card out to the machines.

Larry Towner: The real beauty of that is is that if you set your planograms up on your machines and if your planograms are all the same on all your machines, you can just walk up to that machine and in about a minute, you download the new firmware, including all your pricing and all your calorie information into each machine. The great advantage to that, if you know about reprogramming machines is is that in a minute you can do the whole machine and you can do multiple machines in the same amount of minute. In an older machine, I’ve spent a lot of my life in the older machines where you have to reprogram every single column every single time and it would take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to reprice, just to reprice the machine.

Larry Towner: So this is a tremendous resource for you to be able to go out and add a bunch of information onto your machines with just a very, very simple insert of the SD card and a download of your firmware onto that board. In talking to the people at AMS, you can load multiple planograms into your machine so you’re not limited to just one set. You can really, they say an unlimited number of planograms. I think you’re limited by the amount of the space you have on your SD card, but be that as it may, you can put a lot of planograms on a two gigabyte SD card.

Larry Towner: So the big advantage here is, I mean, even if it goes right down or if you want to just reprice your machines, you walk in, you plug that thing in, you set your prices in your office in your free time, and then you just go out and reprice all your machines. Wham bam, thank you ma’am and it’s done. Fantastic resource. Initial costs for an SD card in an adapter to plug it into your board is less than $100. In fact, it’s actually less than $50. So really, really good opportunity. Don’t have to do a whole lot of, don’t have to do any retrofitting, unless you’ve got a SENSIT 1 or SENSIT 2 board. But that’s the greatest advantage. Tom, do you have any questions on this program?

Tom: Well, I was going to ask you what it costs, but it sounds like it’s less than $50 per machine.

Larry Towner: No, it’s not per machine. I’m glad you asked that question. It’s not per machine. It’s you buy the adapter … It’s essentially an adapter cable and an SD card with the firmware on it. You buy that once, you change all your machines. So you’re amortizing that out over the cost of all the SENSIT 3 boards that you have out there in your rotation. So it’s not per machine, it’s a onetime fee.

Tom: I see. Well that’s great. So, that’s good. AMS’ all new machines obviously are going to have this. So that’s how you take care of the machines that don’t have it.

Larry Towner: Well, yeah. All the new AMS machines will have it. Now, Joe at A & A Equipment was telling me he will be retrofitting and anytime he does a refurb job on an AMS machine now, it’s going to have the SENSIT board installed in it. So when you’re looking at your refurbished equipment, just make sure to ask and say, “Does it have a sense at three board in it?” and you’ll be good to go.

Tom: Awesome. Anything else?

Larry Towner: Sounds like a fantastic program to me. It’s very simple to use. You can do it sitting at home on your computer, then you take it out. You can do multiple planograms, you can have … You can segment it by sit by season, by location, by however you want to do it. You can scroll through your various menu options on your on your SD board to see which planogram you actually want to put into that particular machine. So it gives you, really gives you ultimate flexibility and really … I mean, it really is not even a cost. It really is a very nominal costs. Essentially, the cost of an adapter cable and an SD card, which is it’s like 50 bucks. So what? If you’ve got 10 machines, that’s $5 a machine, piece of cake. Compared to some of the systems out there, that’s really, really, really a bargain.

Tom: Awesome. Alright, well thanks Larry. You’ve been watching Calorie Info Ams Vending Machines  the Vending Business Show, a production of A & m  Equipment Sales.

Larry Towner: Thanks, Tom.

More informative blogs How To Start A Vending Machine Business

AMS Vending Machines Durable and Dependable

AMS Vending Machines Durable and Dependable  An interview with John Whitwell of Buffalo Rock

John has been buying AMS equipment for 8+ years and comments on the quality, customer appreciation from the factory and factory reps and the versatility of their machines.

“The reason I use them is they are really dependable. We use very few parts on them over the past 10 years.”

“The brand new machine that’s coming out this year; we just got a few in. The appearance of the machine is just unbelievable compared to what it used to be. The numbers are lit up, everything looks great, compared to what it used to look like.”

AMS Vending Machines Durable and Dependable  “Again, I couldn’t praise more about the durability and dependability of these machines compared to what we used to deal with… good product.”

“One other plus about the AMS refrigerated machines, the 35 and 39 inch machines, is they use the same parts. Besides the shelf being wider, I don’t have to carry duel parts.”

 

 

 

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

 

AMS Vending Machines Durable and Dependable  Tom: This is Tom Shivers with the Vending Business Show, and I’m here with John Whitwell, who is the market equipment manager for Buffalo Rock. Today we’re going to talk about AMS equipment. So thanks for being here, John.

John: Thank you.

Tom: Now with buying AMS equipment, what do you think about the quality, the warranty, and customer appreciation from the factory and factory reps of their five wide snack machines?

John: I really enjoy using the AMS. I think we started back about eight or nine years ago, and I pretty much exclusively use AMS. I toured their facility. I’ve watched from the metal coming in to the end product. I’ve met Roy Steeley, the owner of that company, all the people that work there.

John: But the biggest factor, the reason I use them, is they’re really dependable. We use very few parts on ’em over all the last ten years. And then the sales rep that I have, Tim Paul, is really knowledgeable on the equipment, and if I need him here today, he’ll come today, if he’s in the country. There are times he’ll be in Puerto Rico.

John: But generally we have a great relationship, they do a great job, and that’s one thing that I never got out of some of the other manufacturers.

Tom: Now you buy both the snack machines and the refrigerated machines, is that right?

John: That’s right.

Tom: AMS is the only manufacturer that makes a 35″ four wide, refrigerated vendor. Do you use a lot of those?

John: Well when we first started purchasing them, we bought only the refrigerated, and that’s because the refrigeration unit was, actually, the expense was only a few hundred dollars more, and we lease them back to ourselves, so that’s a big savings. And they also make a food … I don’t know if you knew that, but they make a food machine, a 35 and a 39, and that’s all I use on food as well. I use their AMS 39 and 35s.

Tom: What types of food do you dispense from the refrigerated food machines?

John: We do everything from the big sandwiches, to some of the platters, like wing platters. You can just about configure it any way you want. And, of course, that’s pretty much set through our corporate office, how they want the machines set. But we can pretty much sell anything through ’em. And we sell a lot of different things.

Tom: AMS is the only company that makes an ETL approved, high security, outdoor vendor. Do you use a lot of those?

John: We use them in the schools.

Tom: Okay. What configuration of snack machine do you buy from AMS? Single helix or dual helix? Regular fluorescent light or LED light? Gum-

John: Well, everything that’s coming to us now is the dual helix, and LED, and, of course, they’re all ADA approved. Actually the brand new machine that’s coming out this year, we just got a few in, and the appearance of the machine is just unbelievable compared to what it used to be. The numbers are lit up, everything looks great compared to what it used to look like.

John: To me, again, I couldn’t praise more about the durability and the dependability of these machines compared to what we used to deal with. Just a good product.

Tom: What do you think about the new epoch look on the machines now?

John: That’s what I was saying, the new look, to me, is just unbeliev … you know where it extrudes out and it just looks way better than the other ones. It’s a little bit more. Again, to me, as long as they work, that’s bet … you can have the best looking machine out there with all the bells and whistles, but if it doesn’t work, it’s not dependable and you’re going back to it, and you’re putting money in it as far as parts trying to make it work, then it’s no good unless it’s dependable. I think these things work great.

Tom: Do you use any of the healthy vend machines?

John: I don’t think we’ve gotten into that, I think there might be a few selections in there that they’ll code healthy vend, as far as whether it be a … I ain’t gonna say a chip because I can’t, I don’t think they are, but I know that the full line vending team does recognize, they’ll put something on there, I’ve seen it before, it says, “Healthy vend,” or something that’s on there. Is that what you’re talking about?

Tom: Yeah. Overall, which company, in your viewpoint, makes the best refrigerated vendor?

John: Again, to me, because I use AMS and I wouldn’t have stayed with them if I didn’t like it, but it’s not hard to change out the refrigeration unit if it’s bad. After a couple times, if you ever had to do it, pretty simple. So we stay with them, we really enjoy that machine. My guys’ll like it. Simple to use, that’s the biggest thing. Simple to work on.

John: One other plus about this machine, and again, I hadn’t … I’m not in touch with what the other ones do because I hadn’t given over the last ten years probably haven’t given them a whole lot of opportunity to come in here, because I get such good service out of the people from AMS, but the parts I use in an AMS 35 are the same parts that go in a AMS 39. Besides that shelf being wider, everything else is the same, so I don’t have to carry dual parts, and that’s a plus in itself.

Tom: That’s great. Now is there anything you’d like to tell us about Buffalo Rock?

John: We’ve been in business for a pretty good while, over a hundred years. I don’t know what, it was a hundred years a few years ago so I don’t know the dead on number. But I think it’s a great place to work for. I think we all is … because we have divisions all over Alabama and Georgia, and Mike Bunt is the CME, corporate marketing equipment, guy in Birmingham. We all work well together. And if we need things from each other, it’s just a phone call or an email away. We meet quarterly, and just a great place to work.

Tom: Alright, well, you’ve been listening toAMS Vending Machines Durable and Dependable  at the Vending Business Show, a publication of A&M Equipment Sales.  More Vending Business Blogs  USA TECHNOLOGIES ePORT G9

AMS High Security Outdoor Combo

AMS High Security Outdoor Combo Machine

AMS High Security Outdoor Combo   EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:

AMS High Security Outdoor Combo  Tim Paul: This machine has a poly-carbonate cover over the glass to protect you against vandalism. It has a lock cover to protect the lock. It has a vandal cover over the hinge to keep people from prying on the hinges. It also has a steel escutcheon so that, that is harder to break in to.

Tim Paul: When you open the door of the AMS High Security Outdoor Combo machine, it has a hinged glass inside that is a triple paned, heated glass, so that you can clean this glass from the inside.

Tim Paul: Again, the AMS High Security Outdoor Combo vendor, has a complete, sealed, refrigeration system, with a cover over your condensing so that you can easily clean the screen.

Tim Paul: AMS High Security Outdoor Combo, just like all other AMS machines, have a shelf that is fully adjustable for 19 different positions for motors. Each shelf is fully adjustable in one inch increments, so that you can vend any size product that you may need to vend.

Tim Paul: This machine is unique in that it is for outdoor use, but you have many locations were outdoor use machines are exactly the thing for your location. Give AMS a try.  The High Security Outdoor Combo also comes in just a snack version at the same price.  The High Security Outdoor Combo can be set at a temperature of refrigerated 38 degrees  or chilled 60 degrees.  This machine comes with a 3 year parts warranty on the compressor. On most rest areas in the United States.

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