Lost Location

I lost one of the locations for my soda vending machine. It is at one of the three apartment complexes. The supervisor told the manager that corporate had a new vendor that they wanted to go with. Apparently, there is nothing wrong with my service, corporate has just made a decision about who they want to have at their apartments. I am disappointed about their decision. I think that they are making a mistake, of course. I provide some of the best service that they will get. There are not many soda machine operators that will answer calls on the weekend or in the evening. I seldom see a machine that has a contact number on it. I know for a fact that their last contract did not even come close to the service that I provided. I had to remove the machine from the property and call the company that owned it to come and pick it up. It took the apartment complex 2 months of calling before I took care of their problem. It took me 2 more months of calling to finally get the vending machine returned.

The complex that I lost is the lowest producing complex. The machine is located in a gym that is closed at 6 PM. Many people want soda much later than that. I had asked several times to move the machine outside so that it had 24 hour access. I think the complex could have been my highest producing one if the machine was outside at a convenient location. I am more worried about losing my other location that is part of the same corporation. I have not heard anything from them and I gave them their commission this morning.

So, now how do I find a new location? It is very hard to drag 4 kids along to a bunch of apartments while I asked the managers if I can place a machine there. People tend to get overwhelmed with the kids. My kids are good, but 4 young children is unusual enough that people don't know what to think.

Plan A: I have decided to pay a finders fee of $100 to any of the apartment personnel that connect me with my next location. This is the first time I have tried this, so I don't know if it will work. I have given a flier to the personnel in each of the three apartment complexes that I have machines at. My hope is that they are impressed enough with my service and could use $100 that they will recommend me to some of their friends that work at other complexes in the area. Several of the women said that they would find me something. I will just have to wait and see. I will move the machine in about 10 days. I am hoping that I have somewhere to move it to. Otherwise, I might have to go to plan B.

Plan B: I know several locations that do not have a soda machine. I will try finding someone to watch the kids while I go over and talk to the managers and see what they suggest.

Plan C: Dropping in on as many of the apartment complexes in the area as I can without the kids, perhaps while my husband is home on Saturdays.

Plan D: Offering a finders fee through fliers placed on the machines themselves.

Right now, I am not too desperate. I will try just plan A. If I loose the location of the sister complex to the one I am loosing, I will be desperate and have to implement one or all of the other plans.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on getting locations that are kid friendly? I have been blessed with falling into the locations that I have now as easily as I did.