Office Coffee Services

What is an office coffee service?
Office coffee services provide a variety of hot beverages and state of the art brewing equipment for your business. They offer a variety of different coffees and teas, consumables like sugars and creamers, and customer support to ensure you are happy with the service.

Why office coffee services?
Many employees stop by coffee houses before heading into work, and in some cases, throughout the workday. While offering coffee services to your employees is a nice benefit for them, it also keeps employees in-house rather than out on lengthy coffee excursions. An office coffee service can save time and increase overall productivity.

"But we already have a coffee machine," you say? Well the old, rusty coffee pot in the break room may not be sufficient for your company's needs anymore. Office coffee services can provide new equipment at no charge - many vendors provide the brewers free with a contract. As long as you maintain minimum order requirements, you don't pay anything extra and simply return the equipment when your contract is through. You can also choose plans with no minimum requirements and a monthly equipment rental fee.

Office coffee services supplies
The supplies you get from a coffee vendor may vary, but here are some of the most common you should expect:

• Brewing equipment: Size and technology will vary from vendor to vendor. Typical coffee brewers include traditional drip, portable airpot, single-cup machines, and espresso makers.
• Coffee and tea: Vendors may have contracts with certain companies and offer a variety of blends and flavors from those companies exclusively. They may also work with large national or local "mom & pop" manufacturers. Service may include flavored teas, instant soups, oatmeal, and hot chocolate.
• Filtration systems: Provided to remove lead and bacteria from water.
• Consumables: A monthly supply of filters, individual coffee packs, creamers, sweeteners, stirrers, cups, and lids may be included in the contract or can be supplied for a monthly fee.

Obtaining office coffee services
You can initiate office coffee services two ways: contact a vendor and have him do a walkthrough of your office and discuss your needs, or sign up online. It's always best to have a live person to meet with, negotiate contract terms, and set up delivery schedules. But companies that accept requests for service exclusively online may be able to offer considerable price breaks. Just make sure they provide a live customer service representative that talk you through any problems with the account. Your choices of brewing equipment through an online vendor may be severely limited vs. what an in-person vendor can offer.

The vendor will either send a delivery person to your office each week with coffee and supplies, or they will deliver it by mail. An office coffee services vendor should comply with route standards assuring dependable service, regular cleaning and polishing of the equipment, and restocking.

Office coffee services vendors can serve multiple locations. You want one that can provide prompt and friendly service and offers flexible contract terms. Many vendors will assign teams to a company: A customer sales representative, a service representative and technician (also known as "route driver") and a team leader that oversees the process and ensures accurate billing and customer satisfaction. You should be able to contact any of the three if you have questions about your account or if problems arise.

Office coffee services buying checklist

• How many people would drink coffee if we offered it?
• What alternatives can I offer those that drink neither coffee nor tea?
• Do I have my own coffee making equipment or do I need the vendor to provide it?
• What varieties of coffee can I offer to the company?
• How long does my contract for services need to be?
• Do I need a high-end coffee maker to use office coffee services?
• How do I place a new order?
• Can I maintain the minimums required for free coffee equipment?
• Is it easy to contact customer service if there's a problem with my contract?

Pricing
Coffee brewers can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but since many vendors supply the equipment for free, the cost of an office coffee service contract will come from the actual beverages. A case of 24 pre-ground bags (1.75 ounces makes a full pot) costs about $20-$25 per box. Premium coffee blends or larger quantity cases can cost $25-$45. Expect to pay about $5.00 per box of assorted teas (24 bags per box).

If you don't want to commit to purchasing a certain amount of coffee each month, you can still rent the equipment for $40 to $50 per month.

Consumables may be included as part of your contract, but if they aren't, the cost is minimal. For an extra $5 to $20 per month, you'll get all the extras you need.

If applicable, delivery or shipping fees can be either a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the total amount spent for the month.

Office coffee services tips

• Not just beverages. Some office coffee services vendors can supply you with other items for your office that have little to nothing to do with coffee such as paper products, snacks, cleaning supplies, and even first aid kits. They require separate contracts and varying prices, but if you need these other items, you can save time by getting everything from a single source.
• Raises for all. With the increased prices of beverages from gourmet coffee houses, offering high-quality coffee to employees for free allows them to save money on an everyday purchase, almost as if you are giving them an instant increase in pay.
• Homegrown coffee. For the socially conscious, organic coffees from farm-identified sources are available.