Service and Vending

Much has been reported about new capabilities of self service equipment thanks to technology, but when it comes to vending, one maxim has never changed since the time Hero of Tesibus is believed to have invented a coin-operated machine to dispense sacrificial water in ancient Egypt: Service makes the difference.

In vending industry parlance, “service” serves as a catch-all term for all aspects of vending machine service: replenishing products, answering customer questions and ensuring equipment reliability. As technology has evolved, however, ensuring reliable machine service has become more critical thanks to the myriad nuances of surging equipment capabilities.

Consider, for example, a fully robotic coffee station that allows customers to place and pay for orders from a menu of over 250 drink combinations using their phones. Robojo Coffee, based in Westerville, Ohio, secures a commitment from the customer for daily cleaning and maintenance before ordering the machine from the manufacturer in Germany.

Speaking of industry parlance, technology has also expanded the definition of “vending” beyond the traditional use of selling consumable food and beverage products to include non-consumable products such as industrial supplies, consumer electronics and more.

And as vending equipment has expanded beyond the more traditional applications, the challenge of providing reliable service has become more multi-faceted for OEMs interested in supporting their customers as well as protecting their own reputations.

In the traditional foodservice applications as well as those in the more recent amusement, financial and gaming machine sectors, professional operators installed machines and took responsibility for servicing equipment. Location based operational management, known as “self op,” existed, but was not the norm. The traditional vending service model provided dedicated service networks that equipment OEMs could rely on.

As applications expanded beyond the established user groups, however, service models needed to adapt. Pioneers in these non-traditional spaces included Redbox (VHS movies), Zoom Systems (electronics) and Fastenal (industrial supplies).

COVID jumpstarts self service

With COVID, the service challenge jumped into even higher gear as retailers and other organizations tapped vending machines to continue to serve consumers in the absence of on-site employees. Many such organizations maintained these unattended sales systems even after employees returned to work following COVID.

“Many of the top challenges facing retailers today – labor shortages, improving the customer experience, data management, and more – are solved through technology,” Jim Roddy, president and CEO of the Retail Solutions Providers Association, told retailsystems.org following the recent RetailNow show in Las Vegas. “With many of those merchants having unique requirements, they are best served working with resellers who can tailor solutions specific to their needs as well as provide fast, personal service.”

Vending equipment OEMs, for their part, have not been slow to recognize the changing service landscape.

“We’ve seen growth in all categories since the (COVID) rebound,” said Ashley Huber, chief marketing officer at Wittern Group, a longtime manufacturer of vending equipment under the U-Select-It, Selectivend and Federal Machine brands.

Foodservice and retail businesses were strongly impacted by COVID, Huber said, but the controlled dispensing segment (such as industrial supply machines for worksites) was even more affected.

“We have seen growth in both segments (traditional vending and controlled dispensing), but I’d say by and large we see a higher level of growth in the controlled dispensing type application in some of those specific verticals,” she said. “We touch every type of operator on both sides, traditional and non-traditional. Obviously, two very different types of customers, different levels of background knowledge on vending, as well as support needs.”

Equipment service needs surge

The need for field service is especially acute for locations not serviced by a traditional vending operator.

Crane Payment Innovations, another longtime equipment manufacturer, has a variety of service models to meet customer needs. The company currently resolves over 75,000 service dispatch tickets across the U.S. and Canada for its vending and unattended retail clientele.

“It depends what you want,” said Jillian Dabovich, director of business development for CPI service. “CPI may not have a contract for a client with one machine, but can service the on-site IT for that unit. When it comes to the actual CPI component, those are always available to be sent back into our CPI depots and repaired. We do have the ability to work with organizations of all sizes.”

“If something breaks I’m able to put it into a ticketing system that is easy to follow,” she said. “I can see where that technician is within their route and when they’re going to arrive onsite.”

Nick Kokkinakis, chief operating officer at Smart Retail-X, which specializes in providing automated retail systems, agreed that field service is taking on greater importance.

“The service side of the business is steadily growing and represents a meaningful and increasing percentage of our overall operations, especially as our installed base expands internationally,” he said.

Smart Retail-X provides service cost estimates based on equipment type, location, service agreement level, usage profile and warranty status. For larger clients, this is often structured within service contracts or preventive maintenance agreements. Operating costs are calculated using historical service data, energy consumption, spare parts usage, software licensing, connectivity and labor.

“This allows us to provide realistic TCO (total cost of ownership) models to customers,” Kokkinakis said.

Technology grabs a bigger role

As equipment technology has advanced, tech support has become a key aspect of service support.

“Maintenance is included because we are the technology provider, not the operator,” said Gower Smith, chief product officer of Shin Starr, manufacturer of the OLHSO Korean robotic food truck. The company’s service level agreements specify the level of support and response time.

“Our client is the operator,” Smith said. “And as we sell, we include full technical support and all technology support, so that includes all the software support, menu support, the technical support for our partner. We are motivated for their support because our revenue is a share of their revenue.”

Shin Starr offers customers direct operational support, including 20 engineers at its manufacturing facility in South Korea, and R&D support from the South Korean government to maintain the engineering support.

Recognizing the complexities of service in today’s technology intensive environment, Smith has also launched Autonomous Alliance, a San Francisco based coalition for organizations interested in expanding access, placement and delivery of autonomous commerce solutions.

Robojo Coffee, a fully automated retail coffee store, focuses heavily on training the customer about maintaining the machine. One hour per 24-hour day is needed for cleaning and maintenance. The process begins before the unit is ordered from the manufacturer in Germany.

“Once a commitment is obtained, we will work to identify the best location within the location, provide the best financial option, provide a customized operational setup, and order the unit from our partners in Germany,” said Ken Green, company CEO. “Robojo coordinates the delivery of the unit from Germany to a centralized warehouse. From here, the unit is inspected and verified to be in full operational condition, and is repackaged to deliver to our partner’s location(s). Everything from installation, training and initial setup is fully coordinated by Robojo to ensure our clients’ success from day one.”

The first Robojo installation was at a Columbus, Ohio hospital in 2022. Now there are six in total, including hospitals, a corporate building and a museum coming in January.

Technology drives vending use cases

Applestone Solutions, based on Stone Ridge, New York, offers an excellent example of a retailer expanding its operation using vending technology, an evolution that requires reliable service support.

Founded as a butcher shop, Applestone Meat Company installed refrigerated vending machines in its stores stocked with fresh meat and processed foods several years ago to allow customers to purchase its products 24/7.

In 2019, the company changed its name to Applestone Solutions, offering a cloud based vending solution compatible with any vending machine running Android, Linux, or Microsoft Windows operating systems, enabling item-level tracking, variable pricing and multiple network connectivity modes to help retailers expand operations, promote more products, manage inventory and offer automated BOPIS (buy online pick up in store) services.

To ensure reliable machine service, Applestone Solutions partnered with The Pelican Group, a San Francisco based vending management company that specializes in establishing vending service partnerships for retailers and other organizations. By partnering with a vending management company such as The Pelican Group, a client organization spares itself the hassle of finding and contracting vending service providers for its locations, an arrangement that is especially profitable and efficient for clients with numerous locations.

The Pelican Group’s service contracts include installs, maintenance, repairs and parts in addition to product replenishment, said Jason Scherer, company president. He noted that Applestone Solutions sells more than $1 million worth of products annually in its vending machines.

As self service technology has evolved, Scherer noted that micro markets are playing a bigger role than ever on both the retail landscape and in work sites. Micro markets are unattended self service spaces with coolers, coffee brewers and open shelves where customers pay at a payment kiosk using cashless methods. These alternative automated retail systems came on the scene in the mid 2000s and are largely serviced by traditional vending operators.

Larger brands on board

The need for reliable equipment service has also taken on new importance for some of the larger retail brands investing in vending machines, including Chick-fil-A, White Castle and Nestle Pizza.

Ben Wheeler, a kiosk industry consultant, recently joined T-ROC Global, a provider of retail automation and revenue optimization services, to help with a nationwide service organization for brands expanding into vending. T-ROC Global currently has a network of 32 warehouses that support more than 2,000 machines across the U.S. to meet the needs of such brands.

T-ROC Global provides maintenance for a Chick-fil-A branded food vending machine at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, which recently introduced its first branded machine following an initial deployment at Childrens Hospital of Georgia, according to the company’s website. The machine is operated by Kiosk Operators, a Dallas based equipment manufacturer, and is replenished by Chick-fil-A employees.

RFPs on the rise

With the demand for self service on the rise, RFPs for vending service are expanding. A recent review of RFPs found most require equipment service.

“There are a lot of RFPs where they want all of that included,” said Jillian Dabovich at CPI. “They see a value and see more uptime when you have specific experts doing a piece of that puzzle.”

Nick Kokkinakis at Smart Retail-X sees RFPs paying more attention to post installment service.

“In most professional tenders, equipment service expectations (uptime, response time, preventive maintenance, spare parts availability) are clearly defined and treated separately from vending or product-related services,” Kokkinakis said.

As a case in point, the Garland County Courthouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas posted its first vending RFP in 2025 which cited “equipment reliability” and “service and responsiveness” as key points for evaluation.

“If it takes them two weeks to come and look at it, that’s usually not a good response,” Darryl Mahoney, the county judge who oversaw the Garland County Courthouse bidding process, told this website. “We’d at least like to have them here within a week.” Mahoney said evaluations can be done by checking the bidder’s references, either by phone or in person.

Service arrangements vary

Service arrangements vary considerably for vending machines and other automated retail systems in today’s operating environment.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has expanded its self service offerings in recent years and relies on its retail concessionaires for managing equipment service, said Roxann Favors, assistant aviation director and chief revenue officer at the aviation department. The aviation department business project managers have monthly meetings with the concessionaires for updates on any service interruptions.

“PHX has not experienced widespread systems being down for equipment,” Favors said in a phone interview. Sometimes machines are out of service for technology upgrades, many of which take place overnight.

“If those units are not back up, they have staffed registers to be able to still process everyone,” she said. “We’ve never experienced a significant number of ‘down’ units with the concessionaires’ self service equipment.”

Following are summaries of vending equipment providers’ field service operations listed in alphabetical order.

Crane Payment Innovations

Crane Payment Innovations, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, launched its depot service center in 2024, allowing customers to ship components to be repaired, maintained or serviced at a centralized CPI location. Previously a machine owner or operator had to set up an account with an authorized third party service center. The new service model provides strategic distribution of spare parts across the country to expedite availability and reduce downtime.

The company currently has more than 450 service techs, all of whom are company employees as opposed to subcontractors.

“Businesses no longer have to wait for days or weeks to get their payment systems back up and running,” said Jillian Dabovich director of business development for CPI service. “Instead, technicians can swiftly diagnose issues, replace faulty components and restore functionality. This agility translates to improved customer experiences and uninterrupted revenue streams. With CPI’s service model, businesses can avoid unnecessary stockpiling. Instead of maintaining a large inventory, they can rely on CPI’s just-in-time parts availability.”

CPI evaluates first time fix rates, as well as mean time between failures, by account on a weekly and then month-over-month basis to look for trends and help provide proactive resolution. The mean time between failures analysis is a common metric in other markets which CPI brings to the vending/unattended retail space.

“While ensuring the first-time fix provides maximum uptime, the mean time between failures (by machine) tells a full diagnostic story to identify commonalities in service requests to adjust and solve for,” Dabovich said.

FASE Vending

FASE Vending, based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, offers several machines that serve casual hot food, such as pizzas or wings, within minutes.

The company’s Pizzadoor machine features a 32-inch order touchscreen to offer pizzas 24/7. The machine uses an electric oven to rethermalize and serves a chilled 14- to 20-ounce pizza in a box in as fast as 90 seconds.

The company has also launched a hybrid vending and locker unit called Barizza for micro markets and other locations along with a self-service oven called Ovensys that features an in-tray cooking technology. The machine includes a parent module that communicates with other modules to place and pick up orders.

Gregory Raffaele, company CEO, handles most service issues remotely since the equipment features connectivity systems to upload updates and perform remote troubleshooting.

The most common hardware maintenance issue consists of recalibrating or replacing sensors that can be performed by operators in a few minutes.

Payment terminal related issues are handled by the payment terminal manufacturers and typically consist of firmware updates.

Robojo Coffee

Robojo Coffee, a Westerville, Ohio provider of a fully automated coffee store, secures a commitment from the customer for daily cleaning and maintenance before ordering the machine from the manufacturer in Germany.

“Everything from installation, training, and initial setup is fully coordinated by Robojo to ensure our clients’ success from day one,” said Ken Green, CEO. The company also provides maintenance support.

“For preventative maintenance we have predetermined costs for each type of event based on the amount of labor and costs for parts from our experience in doing it,” Green said. “For other maintenance and repairs, we use a pass-through model and cost-plus on parts.”

Shin Starr

Shin Starr, based in San Mateo, California, provides direct service support for its robotic restaurant trucks which automatically prepare, cook and serve phoned-in orders. There is currently a flagship OLHSO Korean BBQ restaurant and two OLHSO robotic food trucks in California with new openings scheduled in 2026.

The company is developing a service manual so that operators will be able to handle regular maintenance, with Shin Starr providing support if components malfunction, said Gower Smith, chief product officer. High severity issues such as a machine not serving customers would get an immediate response.

Smith gained experience developing a national service organization when he launched Zoom Systems in 2002 to sell electronics. Prior to creating his own service network, he partnered with Fujifilm, which had over 500 W-2 employees who were engineers, for field service, in addition to some 1099 techs.

“They had electro-mechanics, they had electronics, and they had software capability,” Smith said. “That was a very important partnership and we’re looking to replicate that.”

Smart Retail-X

Smart Retail-X, a Miami, Florida based provider of automated retail systems, offers vending machines made by Magex, an Italy based manufacturer, featuring elevator dispensing and configurable product shelves using variable weight management. The company’s field service team focuses on installation, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance and upgrades.

The company offers customers a service contract for ongoing support, including hardware trouble shooting, software updates and system upgrades.

Service KPIs include first-time fix rate, response time, mean time to repair, equipment uptime, preventive maintenance compliance and customer satisfaction scores.

T-ROC Global

T-ROC Global, a Coral Gables, Florida based provider of retail automation and revenue optimization services, has a network of 32 warehouses that support more than 2,000 machines across the U.S.

“Who has the reach to reach out?” asked Ben Wheeler, a kiosk industry consultant who serves as senior director of business development for retail at T-ROC Global, citing the challenge of establishing a nationwide field service organization for brands invested in supporting their brand equity.

T-ROC Global currently provides maintenance for a Chick-fil-A branded food vending machine at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, which recently introduced the machine inside the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons following an initial deployment at Childrens Hospital of Georgia, according to the company’s website.

Vending Concepts

Vending Concepts, a Fort Worth, Texas based provider of both new and refurbished vending equipment, is a wholesale vending equipment provider, part of the traditional model of the vending equipment distribution system (manufacturer to wholesale to operator to location to consumer).

The company provides service support for both new and used equipment and provides phone support for all equipment and on-site repair, including refrigeration support.

Refurbished used equipment remains popular due to the rising costs of new equipment, said Mark Bentley, the company’s national sales manager.

Some of the machines include parts warranties. Customers that don’t have a warranty can buy parts, have them sent and get a local tech recommendation if necessary.

The company also provides service for glass door coolers, which are used extensively in micro markets, which continue to expand.

The Wittern Group

The Wittern Group, a Clive, Iowa based manufacturer of vending equipment under the U-Select-It, Selectivend and Federal Machine brands, offers service for all of its equipment under its Vendnet division.

Vendnet has facilities nationwide and in Mexico and Canada, providing phone troubleshooting, repairs and parts support.

“If somebody’s having an issue with their machine, they call in,” said Kim Murphy, customer experience manager of Vendnet. “If it’s not something that we can walk them through over the phone or through videos, then they have the option of sending a technician out to them.”

The company repairs all equipment parts, including payment equipment, whether or not the card reader is a Wittern equipment brand.

When a customer requests an onsite service visit, they get a price estimate.

There are currently more than 1,000 products available that can be ordered online or over the phone that can be delivered in one to two days.

The Wittern Group also hosts a service school four times a year for service techs, all of whom are subcontracted, and grants a company certificate. In addition, there are more than 500 service videos.

The company provides a factory direct warranty on equipment but does not currently offer extended service contracts.

Technology drives vending use cases, tasks equipment service teams