We’ve all been there: you’ve only got 15 minutes or so and you’re desperate for a snack and/or drink to keep you going until lunch or the end of the working day. You put in your money, make your selection, watch as your choice edges its way forwards…only for it to then get stuck. Now you’ve not only not got anything to eat or drink, but you’ve lost your money as well. There’s nothing more frustrating!
The temptation is to shake the machine in the hope that your snack or drink will manage to work its way free and drop into the tray below. Is that the best option? And if not, why not? And most importantly, why did your snack or drink get stuck in the first place and what can you do about it?
This article will hopefully answer all your questions.
Why do snacks get stuck in the vending machine?
There are a number of reasons why snacks and drinks can get stuck in vending machines. These include poor initial placement of the product in the machine, poor ventilation leading to overheating, and power issues. It may even just be because you’re still using an old machine that operates on a simple mechanism. It shouldn’t happen, but it does.
And when it does happen, it’s important that you know what you can and can’t do.
Why should you never shake a vending machine?
Of course it’s frustrating when your snack or drink does get stuck and your first, natural and even logical reaction is probably going to be to shake the machine to try and dislodge it. Sometimes it even works. However, there are other things that can happen. For instance, you might break the whole thing. Even old machines have delicate components that aren’t going to benefit much from being vigorously shaken about. Or you might lose your grip and the whole machine could fall over – then you might not just have a broken vending machine, but if you don’t get out the way quickly enough, broken bits of you as well (vending machines are very heavy!).
What should you do if your snack or bottle gets stuck in a vending machine
Call your supplier or stockist
If there’s a problem with the machine, then whoever has supplied it should offer a maintenance service you can call on when you have a problem (if they don’t, then get another supplier – see later suggestion). Alternatively, ask whoever fills the machine to open it up and retrieve your purchase. Of course, if neither are quickly available (and they probably won’t be), that doesn’t solve your immediate problem.
Try buying the same product again
If you’re feeling flush and lucky, try buying the same thing again. If all goes well, the second one will dislodge the first as it falls and, if you have good willpower, you can save the extra one for the following day rather than eating or drinking both there and then. Of course, the second item might get stuck as well, so this is possibly just a solution for the really desperate.
Raise the flap
If the air flow in your machine is compromised, that can cause items to get stuck. Just lifting the flap you would normally use to access a successfully fallen purchase could be enough to get the air moving enough again to release it into your possession.
Move the machine
Again, this isn’t a short-term solution, but if your machine is regularly overheating because it’s too close to a wall or being crowded by other things – a common cause of poor air flow – moving it to somewhere better ventilated might stop things getting stuck in the future.
Turn your machine off and back on again
It’s become something of a cliché in the IT world that this is the solution to every problem. The thing is, it does sometimes work (that’s how these things become cliches in the first place). Rebooting machines does cause some things to reset and start working again and the same can happen with vending machines.
Get a better vending machine supplier
Prevention is always better than cure, and many modern vending machines are equipped with sensors that don’t allow this sort of thing to happen. Or, if they do happen, will identify the problem and automatically fix it for you themselves. If your current supplier can’t offer you a reliable machine with this sort of technology, perhaps it’s time to talk to one who can.
Here at Nu Vending, we’re proud to supply, install and maintain modern vending machines that employ all the latest features and technology to make your vending experience relaxed and trouble-free. And if you do have a problem, then in most cases we’ll have an engineer with you to fix it on the very same day. Our service desk is fully staffed throughout the working day, so you’ll always have a real person to talk to who’ll be able to deal with your problem and keep you informed of when you can expect your engineer.
Want to know more? Then get in touch with the friendly team at Nu Vending today. We work with customers in London, the Home Counties and beyond.
