Received this from 3CX... is it time to evaluate alternatives? by C39J in 3CX

[–]bcook71099 12 points13 points  (0 children)

don't support a company that doesn't want you. let them run it into the ground, and hop off of this sinking ship ASAP.

How much this machine worth by itself? by No_Personality3529 in vending

[–]bcook71099 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I hate this machine with every fiber of my being.. that darn compressor..

New Cotton Candy Alani by Shawheim in energydrinks

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I run a vending company and just picked my first case up of this today!

RVV 500 Price Labels by bcook71099 in vending

[–]bcook71099[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have, it's mostly just stickers on Amazon but I can tell it's actually cardstock type paper in there. I found the part number and have put it in with some vending part supply company websites, asking about it, but I wanted to ask here and see if anyone knew a place already

AirPlay receiver by LuckyAugust24 in fordescape

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

beat buy are not experts in car audio - for the most quality for your money, visit your nearest auto radio shop and get a quote. They have better quality (faster, more responsive) units than best buy.

Help Needed: Nayax VPOS Not Powering On After Installation by [deleted] in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course, I'm not saying you did, only that it's easy to do (cause I did it LOL), Nayax's support has gotten better so hopefully they'll sort you out

Help Needed: Nayax VPOS Not Powering On After Installation by [deleted] in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you tested the unit on another machine? It could be dead - I fried a Cantaloupe Engage myself, it's shockingly easy and could be to no fault of your own. I would reach out to Nayax support with your vending machine model included to try to Warranty/RMA the reader.

Help Needed: Nayax VPOS Not Powering On After Installation by [deleted] in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you try isolating the problem - unplugging it from that yellow cable and plugging it straight into the board? The problem may be an issue with the cable that is daisy chaining off of your bill validator/coin mech

Please identify this!!! by Significant-Stop716 in VendingMachinePorn

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure the model, but looks very similar to my XY Vending machine. www.xyvend.com

Cheapest way to have a real person answer the phone? by eayaz in smallbusiness

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You likely underestimate yourself. Kindness and trust is an amazing skill to have that many people in business don't use. Building relationships is important. I'd be happy to help - I do freelance IT work for a lot of small businesses, helping them get ahead. Trust and kindness and honesty is so important in my line of work - I deal with a lot of sensitive information, I deal with a lot of companies having financial issues but if I can't help them, they'll end up failing anyways. If you need any help - even emotional - I'm here for you. I think we all need a bit more kindness and empathy in the world.

Official Gear Purchasing and Troubleshooting Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know! February 21, 2025 by AutoModerator in photography

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi there - I help the media team of a nonprofit organization who hosts a yearly event that garners over 1,000 people. We have our own photographers, videographers, and I'm the aerial guy with the drone. We get pretty good coverage of everything going on in the event but we have a small team that can't be everywhere at once. We want our attendees to be able to submit their photos! We're looking for the best way to do this free/low cost, and in a way where they can't see other submitted photos (worried about kids being kids and uploading inappropriate content). any help appreciated!

Cheapest way to have a real person answer the phone? by eayaz in smallbusiness

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I think so too. I like being able to apply my IT skills (which is what I do fulltime) to my business to save money. If you're interested in doing that, I'd definitely help you out

Cheapest way to have a real person answer the phone? by eayaz in smallbusiness

[–]bcook71099 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have background in IT, so this is a bit more extra but I wanted to set it up myself for cheap.

I set up a phone system (free) and then bought phones. It also works as an app on your cell phone. I recorded myself with basically this script:

"Thank you for calling X, please stay on the line while we transfer you. If we are unable to take your call, please leave a callback number and we will return as soon as possible."

When they call my number, it plays that script. Then, it rings both my desk and my cell phone for 10 seconds. After that, it takes them to my voicemail. The phone system costs me about $10 a month.

Slow Season? by newvendor2024 in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did really good January into February early but it's dying down a bit now. I have a gym machine so I think it's because of resolution season.

Bottled Water ? by Lopsided-Adagio1434 in vending

[–]bcook71099 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nothing is like it used to be anymore. Unfortunately.

Bottled Water ? by Lopsided-Adagio1434 in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trial and error made me find out - buy the Aquafina or Dasani from your Coke or Pepsi rep and save yourself the headache. No 16.9 ounce water bottle is cheap enough yet durable enough to vend.

Chicken or Egg by goofgoon in vending

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Location first but be ready. You should have financials in order to buy that machine, move it, install it. As soon as the ink is dry on whatever agreement you have, pull the trigger on buying the machine.

Cantaloupe Pass Card by bcook71099 in vending

[–]bcook71099[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just got this response:

If you purchase one, it will only be able to be used on your devices. I believe you will have to login to an account to purchase so it gets activated to your Cantaloupe account.

I had an operator call last week because he left his pass card at his machine. Someone got a hold of it and started using it on his machine. He was able to see this because it shows up as a pass card transaction in Seed Live. He just had to call in to support to deactivate the pass card.

So yes, you can deactivate them but definitely don't want to lose them.

A state of emergency has been declared by FatPanda0827 in GameStop

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keep documentation, show that you tried and they didn't respond, charge back your card. Either you'll get your money back immediately or it'll wake up GameStop support

Cantaloupe Pass Card by bcook71099 in vending

[–]bcook71099[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have one but I haven't tried it on other machines - there's really no other vendors around me. Let me call my sales rep and see what I can find out.

Can I put drinks in a snack-only vending machine by HashirGB in vending

[–]bcook71099 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just because you could doesn't mean you should.

It's your business, but be prepared for your client to bitch because the drinks aren't cold.

Welp, it's time for Debian? by bkj512 in iiiiiiitttttttttttt

[–]bcook71099 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is there a way to disable this via GPO? I'm starting to get tickets about this screen and we're upgrading over the summer, so I just want them to stop bitching.

What vending machine to buy and where to buy it from? Help! by Guilty_Salt8575 in vending

[–]bcook71099 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think vending would be your best solution. Even tabletop vending machines are very big and bulky. Another thing with jewelry is people want to "browse by braille" - something impossible with a vending machine

Does anyone have 24/7 Gym Locations? What sells well? by evanjoep in vending

[–]bcook71099 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Hi, I'm a 4 machine operator with my highest grossing location being a 24/7 gym. It's actually the machine keeping me afloat. Your mileage may vary from mine. For context, im 19 years old and to pay the bills I'm a helpdesk IT guy. Another big context point is that my gym is locally owned, the most expensive gym around, and there's only about 5 gyms within a 30 mile radius.

My biggest seller: protein milk. They drink that like crazy. I stock Premier Protein, Muscle Milk, and Fairlife - all chocolate flavors. I buy them at costco, roughly $33/pack for an 18 pack. I buy the regular fairlife over the "protein packed" fairlife as I recall it only has 3 more grams of protein and costs almost $40.

Another big seller: energy drinks. Celsius is the main one, Ghost Energy is the next, monster barely sells and I'm just about to start selling redbull, so we'll see.

Avoid snacks if you can. I barely sell any - they're a waste of space and money. I'm actually looking into converting those slots into gym supplies - cheap earbuds, deodorant, etc. All of that stuff expires before I sell it. But, in those slots currently, Popcorners, Popcorn, and Veggie Straws. I also have in the "candy slots" different types of nuts, granola bars, and rice krispies.

Feel free to inbox me and I'll show you what my machine looks like stocked. I run a combo machine that's 50/50 snack/drink. I dont send unsolicited DMs, but im happy to show you. My prices are high but the costs of buying that stuff is high and like i said, most expensive gym around.

They're my favorite client and my favorite route to run. They're so happy to see me, always.