We are extremely proud to announce that Coinadrink Limited, the vending machine company, is this month celebrating its 60th birthday. Our Managing Director Roger Williams first opened the doors in February 1962, and we haven’t looked back since!
Today regarded as one of the most-respected vending companies in the whole of the UK, we have been on a thrilling adventure that is only set to continue. Take a moment to understand where it all began and some of the key attributes that make our business.
Whilst it was 1962 that Coinadrink was founded, the roots can be traced back to 1956. MD Roger Williams engaged in a commercial apprenticeship with Joseph Sankey at a time when the modern-day vending machine was fast taking shape.
It was during his apprenticeship that Roger oversaw the production of a variety of vending machines. From snack vending machines to hot drinks vending machines, the country and too the world was fast discovering the convenience of this facility.
The knowledge and experience gained at Joseph Sankey later encouraged Roger to later set up his own firm. Just six years after we started out saw us offer our first ever snack machine. Then, four years later saw us add in-cup vending machines to our range, which offer hot drinks in a snip of the time.
Coinadrink was starting life very nicely indeed. Our history is a healthy mix of traditional values combined with progressive innovation that leaves us standing here today celebrating six decades in business.
Right from the very beginning we knew we wanted to build a reputation for providing excellent customer service. Progressing through the years has only emphasised to us just how valuable that is to the customer.
Fancy equipment is nice and high-quality products are nicer. These are attributes we offer of course, but everything we do is centralised around providing an excellent service that brings out the very best of vending.
We are always transparent with all costs and our lead times, and we can offer our equipment on simple purchase or rental plans. Many customers choose our operated service, however. This takes care of everything, so you don’t need to, including maintenance, replenishment, and service.
Vending is designed to be convenient and hassle-free. That’s why we maximise that convenience by cherry picking the most reliable equipment and backing it up with the fastest service response time in the industry at under 2 hours. When you need something quick, you shouldn’t need to wait.
Meanwhile, and unlike a lot of vending operators, we have our own dedicated customer care team. They will check in with our customers on a pre-agreed schedule just to make sure you’re happy with your service. If you’re not, we’ll act on it. It’s just another touch point you have with us, so you’re never alone.
Service is the core of our business, but none of our promises could be maintained without our staff who we have always labelled as our greatest asset.
It is our hard-working team that navigate the business through hard times and are central to all the good times. During the Coronavirus pandemic we were one of the few vending companies to retain all our service-based staff just so we could continue providing the level of service our customers expect from us.
Our service desk was and always is open and available 363 days a year, whilst our field-based engineers and operators led the front line without hiccup to keep our customers’ fed, watered, and refreshed. During such a momentous challenge our staff were there for us, and in turn there for our customers.
Being such a key part of our day-to-day operations is something we don’t take for granted. We consider our business to emit a strong family-type culture where everyone is taken care of and looked after.
Everyone represents Team Coinadrink with pride and together we help achieve our goals. We are respectful of personal lives and invite staff to have a say in the way the company is run and any improvements we can make moving forward. For example, we work tirelessly with our community and charitable organisations, with a chosen charity selected every year. Our team have a huge input in those we pledge to support.
Maybe that’s why our length of service stands at over 14 years?
NO TIME TO STAND STILL.
Our staff are also central to growing the business, which is something we’ve done on a large scale since that very first day in February 1962.
With most of our team being with us for years if not decades, they know the business inside out and we trust them to implement the best ideas to take us further forward. From tweaking our service strategy for constant improvement to the introduction of branch divisions, we never stand still.
A few key milestones include the introduction of our fresh food service in 1978 and our dedicated water division in 1991. We also have our own coffee label and Express Refreshments, our Micro Market division that sites a flexible, self-service “refreshment hub” in the workplaces.
Our divisions are in response to the changing trends across the market and our target customers. Our MD’s respected status in the industry grants first-hand access to these movements, with a team that are also proud to be pro-active themselves.
Over the years we have also introduced QR codes to our machines to make logging a service call even more effortless and a customer portal that ensures accessing invoices is equally as simple. These are in addition to industry changes, such as healthier product choices and flexible payment options.
Such an innovative mindset is what sets us apart from the competition and stands us in good stead for the future. Vending is a fast-paced industry, and we are proud to drive these changes.
So much makes up the Coinadrink business today that are “more than just vending” tagline has never been more appropriate. We are proud to look back on these last 60 years and see just how far we’ve come, but in truth it makes us more determined than ever to go another 60 years and beyond!
Thanks to a committed team and a keen eye for innovation, the future could take us almost anywhere and we cannot wait to see what it has in store for us.
