Properly stocked machines save workers time, offer freshly prepared foods
Workers at the headquarters of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in downtown Toronto can enjoy anything from packaged sushi and grilled calamari rings to a freshly fried doughnut from restaurants and stores nearby, but they don’t always have time to run out of the office.
So having vending machines on-site makes for a happier and more productive workforce, says Landon Anderson, facilities manager at CIBC’s Toronto headquarters. And employees play a proactive role in selecting the products carried in each of the company’s four machines.
“We listen to the needs and wants of our employees with respect to their snacking preferences and go out of our way to ensure the company who manages and services the machines sources the types of snacks our employees want,” says Landon. “Looking down the road, we see our employees are increasingly interested in healthy snacks — it’s just a matter of time before healthy products constitute the bulk of products carried in the machines.”
Having vending machines dramatically reduces the amount of time it takes employees to get a snack, says Landon.
“It would take a minimum of 10 minutes for a staffer to ride the elevator to the food court, make a selection — of something unhealthy in most cases — and get back to the office. And that’s without chatting to a few people on the way and doing a little window shopping,” he says.
There’s no excuse for Canadians being too busy to eat or snack healthily, says Kim Lockie, president of the Canadian Automatic Merchandisers Association (CAMA), the industry watchdog responsible for overseeing and regulating professional vending and office coffee retailers. “Today’s vending machines are completely different from those of days gone by. Not only are they very technologically advanced but they also vend healthy foods like salads and fresh-made soups.”
Cundari, an advertising firm in Toronto, has embraced its vending machines, which dispense anything from snacks and chips to granola bars, according to Carol-Ann Granatstein, manager of corporate communications.
The vending machines are well-used by employees, despite the fact there are many food and snacking choices just outside the company’s door.
This is for two reasons, she says. Like CIBC, picking up a simple snack anywhere outside the office is a five- to 10-minute trip. The company is also cognizant of the importance of healthy snacking and ensures the selection of products available in the machine caters to the needs of health-conscious snackers.
“Our employees are hard-working and, being in the advertising industry, are used to working long hours,” says Granatstein.
“Our machines are especially well-used during the afternoons and early evenings when deadlines are looming. Our people get peckish and don’t have the time to hit the streets for a snack. And, because our machines carry a wide assortment of snacks, we find it serves them very well.”
Not that long ago, vending machines were considered by many as unreliable pieces of equipment that dispensed mostly unhealthy snacks and luke-warm drinks. Today’s machines are sophisticated, reliable and able to dispense an array of freshly prepared foods and drinks.
John Sacke is president of Sacke & Associates, a Toronto-based public relations firm that represents the Canadian Automatic Merchandisers Association. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, visit www.vending-cama.com.
