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Has your office outgrown your current coffee service agreement? Are you juggling multiple suppliers trying to meet the needs of an expanding office palate? Did the board finally approve all those requests to get a “real” office coffee service?

Whatever the reason, you are now charged with the task of finding a great office coffee provider.

Finding a coffee service that can provide a solid array of hot and cold beverages in the office break room may seem daunting, but making the right choice will ensure happy staff, more efficient work days and kudos to you for making it possible.

With close to 20 years experience in providing a stellar office coffee service to business throughout NYC and New Jersey, Corporate Essentials is happy to offer advice that can guide you through your decision making process.

Think of it as three steps to a better office environment for everyone.

Research

The first step in any procurement process is research. You have to do your due diligence and sift through the scores of potentially great office coffee providers in the area to create a short list of vendors most likely to meet your needs.

Start by asking for recommendations – ask everyone you can think of, including colleagues at businesses your firm works with, coworkers who may be familiar with coffee services from former employers and even that ocean of information we call the internet.

Do local searches. Do social media searches. Heck, look it up in the phone book if you like. What you are likely to find is that out of what seems to be a huge field of competing coffee distributors, a few names will be mentioned more often.

These are the names you want to add to your short list, along with any direct recommendations from trusted associates. Once you have got a list of half a dozen coffee services, you should take care to read up on their business history and reviews.

In addition to asking everyone and their mother for the name of their great office coffee provider in NYC, you need to get a firm handle on what you actually need from an office coffee service. This means putting on your wizard hat and asking other people for their opinion on what makes for great office coffee.

There are plenty of free online survey tools you could use to poll the in-house crowd, or alternatively, you could make an event. Schedule a “Great Office Coffee Challenge” during lunch one day and make up games or paper ballots that staff can make their office coffee preferences known. Now, the real fun begins.

Evaluate

Comparing different office coffee services is a lot more fun than you might imagine. You will get to meet representatives from the companies you are considering, sample great office coffee products and ultimately help shape a decision that will provide a real shot in the arm for your office culture. Things to evaluate when you are comparing the vendors on your shortlist include:

  • Product portfolio – a great office coffee service will have a wide variety of high-quality coffee products. This means providing the national brands that most people are comfortable with, as well as local favorites and of course, seasonal offerings for special occasions. You need to really consider the personalities in your office and what type of products they want – or need – to make it through the toughest deadline weeks.
  • Delivery options – some coffee distributors have vague language about deliveries – but when it comes to office coffee, you have to be precise. You will need to know how often your break room supply orders should be placed; how promptly “emergency” deliveries can be arranged if something unexpected happens; and, what the lead time is for establishing coffee service for your office. A great office coffee service needs to provide a delivery that is both dependable for staff and flexible enough to meet shifting demands.
  • The right equipment – because you have to make the coffee somehow, consider the differences between the machines on offer and what they might require in terms of training, maintenance or repair. Many of the modern office coffee machines offer amazing flexibility, so users can prepare a wide variety of hot and cold beverages without having a room full of machines that are dedicated to a single type of drink. Be sure to check whether routine maintenance, service, repair and replacement costs included in the standard service rates? What is the response time like in the event of an office coffee catastrophe? Can you have a trial of the equipment in the office to see how the staff will get along with the machines before committing to them?
  • Reviews, referrals and recommendations – great office coffee suppliers take pride in their client lists and will gladly provide you with referrals from active customers. If you know anything about online reviews, you know that one or two disgruntled customers can really ruin a business online with little effort, so take unsubstantiated online commentary with a grain of salt, and aim to pair it with real world testimonials for a clearer picture of the coffee distributor’s reputation for service in your area. First-hand recommendations for a coffee service from trusted contacts can be a great informative tool for your quest to provide great office coffee.
  • Taste the difference: one of the most critical things you can do when evaluating potential coffee distributors is ask for a tasting or trial. Select products you know your office will love and gather a group of willing guinea pigs from across the office to sample the wares. This is a great opportunity to involve others in the process, taking some of the decision-making burden off your shoulders. Know that truly professional office coffee services will be happy to provide taste-testing opportunities during the evaluation process.

Decide

After careful evaluation, you will likely have a clear champion from the field of coffee suppliers vying for your company’s business. But there might be a little resistance to pulling the trigger from those who control the budget, but fear not.

Move forward knowing that taking the plunge to work with a great office coffee service is the first step toward a happier workplace culture.

Hydration is an essential part of clear thinking and balanced moods, which makes guaranteeing a solid supplier for great office coffee and other beverages an excellent option for proactive employers.

Consider the time saved by having coffee on site instead of having to send someone out before a meeting to gather beverages that cater to everyone’s cravings. Add in the boost to morale being able to commiserate during the deadline crush over a warm cup of cocoa in the break room.

Now include a dash of good cheer, because where there is great office coffee, staff will always come together and exchange greetings, boosting communication and inter-departmental collaboration in often unexpected and wonderful ways.


Joe Simonovich

Joe has a strong background in marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). The start to his career as a customer service representative has given him a unique foundation and different perspective on almost all business-related situations. Joe is now the Chief Growth Officer (and Director of Creating Awesomeness) at Corporate Essentials. He brings a unique skill set and a hands-on approach to any leadership role and believes that hustle is simply a way of life.