Frequently Asked Questions

How many employees do I need to have a vending machine?

The number of employees that are regularly working at your site is the key determinant. Typically, it takes at least 75 employees to make a site economical for vending machines. If you have a smaller site, we do have programs that allow you to subsidize the cost of the vending machines in order to provide the convenience to your employees of having snack and soda vending on site.

SERVICE

Do you handle office coffee too?

No. We specialize in servicing snack and soda vending machines. Nothing else! No coffee, no fresh food, no distractions. Our focus is on providing excellent service for your snack and soda vending machines. Through industry contacts we know several quality office coffee providers and would be happy to arrange for one of them to call on you.

How often will a driver visit my location?

Your vending machines will be monitored wirelessly.  We get a report every 4 hours of how much inventory is remaining in your vending machine.  A driver will arrive just-in-time to fill your vending machine.  Houston locations can be visited every few weeks or a few times a day...its all up to you and how much you use the vending machines.  The higher the volume, the more often we visit.  Like you, we don’t like to see the soda machine "empty light" lit either.

What type of problems might I expect from the vending machine?

Vending machines generally run without any problems, however, from time to time breakdowns occur. The most frequently reported problem is the vending machine takes money but does not give a soda or snack.  This is generally due to a coin jam or the dollar bill validator unable to read a bill. But no matter what the problem, we will fix it as soon as possible to make sure your vending machine is back in service.  We know it is inconvenient for you to have a problem with a vending machine. We strive for excellence in the maintenance and upkeep of all our vending machines and we respond quickly to resolve any problems.

What do I do when money is lost in the vending machine?

If anyone loses money in our vending machines we refund it with no questions asked. Our refund protocols are client specific. The most popular is to establish a “refund kitty” with someone in the office. Then there is an instantaneous refund.

What can I do if a single product like Diet Coke keeps running out?

If your vending machine is constantly running out of a particular product, we can replace a column of another product that isn’t selling with an additional column of the one that is. For example, if you have 1 column of Diet Coke and 1 of Sprite...and no one is drinking the Sprite, it benefits us both to have 2 columns of Diet Coke. If your location can sustain or requires more than one vending  machine - we’ll be happy to place an additional machine to make sure you have enough sodas and selections.

Who do I call if there is a problem with the vending machine?

Simply call the service number posted on the vending machine and we will be out to fix your problem as quickly as possible. If there is a problem that will take longer - we will communicate with you every step of the way.

Where in Houston do you provide service?

While we are based on the west side of Houston, we service accounts all over the Houston, Texas area.  We are happy to go south of Houston, north of Houston, and east of Houston.  The farther away from Houston you are, the more on-site employees we will need to make vending machine service economical. 

PRODUCTS

Can we help choose what goes in the vending machines?

YES!! We are always open to your suggestions.  The drinks are easiest because they don’t rotate too often.  We will constantly monitor what your employees like to eat and try to provide a variety of items they will enjoy.  We spend a great deal of time selecting items that we will rotate through all of our Houston area vending machines.  We have found that people have their favorites, but also like variety rather than looking at the same old snacks week after week.

What about healthy vending selections?

The “Healthy Landscape” has changed in recent years.  There are so many different ideas about what is “healthy”.  Pork Skins that have 0 crabs are healthy for an Atkins participant; Nabisco 100 Cal Snack Packs for those counting calories; fat free fruit snacks for those watching fat grams; peanuts for those counting sugar grams.

We believe in variety and choice. That is why we utilize a balanced approach. We like vending products such as Nutria Grain Bars, Nature Valley Granola, Nabisco 100 Cal Packs, Jars Nuts, Mr. Nature Trail Mix and more. We know many of you are concerned about what you eat. And so are we.

AGREEMENT

Are we locked into a long term vending contract?

Absolutely not! We are in the service business. . .and if you are not completely satisfied with the vending service we are providing, we’ll remove our vending machines upon request. Our simple vending machine placement policy provides you with the freedom to give us 30-day cancellation notice at any time.

What is "Profit Sharing" and how does it work?

We have provided two vending price structures. The standard vending prices listed are the lowest available.  Raise them a little and we have our Profit Sharing Program.  Checks are cut monthly on Net Sales and sent with a vending machine level commission statement.

Are we liable for any damages to the vending machine?

None whatsoever.  All you do is provide the space for the vending machine. If the vending machine is continually damaged or vandalized we may choose to remove it and terminate vending services.

What type of insurance coverage do you have?

We are covered under a $2 million dollar general liability insurance policy.

OTHER

Does Gulp-It! participate in any industry associations?

Gulp-It! is a member of the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA).  NAMA is the national trade association of the food and refreshment vending, coffee service and food service management industries.  Learn more about vending on the NAMA website at http://www.vending.org