Westomatic has become the first vending machine manufacturer to join Parcel Suppliers, the new manufacturer/supplier arm of the award-winning Parcel Holders service.
Parcel Holders has been doing brisk business with companies operating in the water and vending industries – Connect Vending, Water Coolers Direct, LTT and SnackTime, for instance – but this is the first agreement the company has reached with a manufacturer.
The Parcel Holders solution revolves around the establishment of PUDOs – Pick Up, Drop Off points – in the vicinity of an engineer’s field base; usually his or her home. PUDOs are typically independent newsagents and convenience stores that are open from 6am till late, enabling engineers to collect parts either on the way to work in the morning, or on the return journey in the evening. The scheme has eliminated a swathe of operational headaches: engineers are no longer required to make a specific journey to HQ to collect a parcel, saving time and fuel: most critically, though, Parcel Holders’ delivery ‘short cut’ ensures that machine downtime is pared to an absolute minimum. They’re back working, and earning, much more quickly than would otherwise be the case…
Westomatic, in common with all businesses, is ‘always looking for innovative ways to streamline services and reduce costs.’ By collaborating with Parcel Suppliers, the company will enable its customers to ‘minimise logistic paths to save both fuel and man hours.
‘Parcel Suppliers’ online-booking system is straight forward and very easy-to-use’, Westomatic’s Andrea Goswell said. ‘Their service is extremely professional and a welcomed addition to the service and support Westomatic can offer.”
MD Richard Brinsley was aware of his company’s ‘first’: “We’re very proud to be the first vending machine manufacturer to be collaborating with Parcel Suppliers, he said. ‘We want to be seen as the best manufacturer in the industry for customer service, so looking into new ways to improve and build upon our parts service will help us achieve that goal. The flexibility of this service and the nationwide network of PUDO locations will not only save operators time and money, but also enable them to offer an even better service to their customers. We hope collaborations and advances such as these will make us the operators preferred choice for vending machines!’
‘We feel this is an important milestone in the development of our business’, said Parcel Holders’ MD Ed Fraser. ‘Parcel Suppliers adds complete supply chain transparency to Parcel Holders’ PUDO service. Westomatic has been helping us develop new innovative solutions, which address not only the outgoing leg, but the return leg too… I think Westomatic’s willingness to explore working with the Parcel Suppliers service even before we launch in November speaks volumes about the company’s commitment to the ‘customer experience’.’
- Watch out for a forthcoming interview with Ed Fraser, in which he proposes that Parcel Suppliers can change the face of vending…
