Financing a coffee machine

AntennaMan

AntennaMan

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Hi all

I don't know if this is strictly the correct place to post this, so mods, please move if necessary.

We are currently in the process of moving offices to a larger, and newer, building. As part of the move, I want to try and convince the powers-that-be that we should get one of those nice bean-to-cup coffee/cappuccino machines. These machines are around R7K - R15K, depending on features.

My immediate boss says it might be possible, but we will need some system where it is pay per cup until the machine is paid for.

I don't think my co-workers are honest enough to put some money in a jar for every cup they take, so that is not really feasible.

My question is how we should go about this, as making use of a coin operated machine is not really what I am hoping for? Has someone done something similar?
 
AntennaMan said:
Hi all

I don't know if this is strictly the correct place to post this, so mods, please move if necessary.

We are currently in the process of moving offices to a larger, and newer, building. As part of the move, I want to try and convince the powers-that-be that we should get one of those nice bean-to-cup coffee/cappuccino machines. These machines are around R7K - R15K, depending on features.

My immediate boss says it might be possible, but we will need some system where it is pay per cup until the machine is paid for.

I don't think my co-workers are honest enough to put some money in a jar for every cup they take, so that is not really feasible.

My question is how we should go about this, as making use of a coin operated machine is not really what I am hoping for? Has someone done something similar?
Click to expand...

Dude seriously, staff paying for a cup of coffee, nee man that's a cheapskate company.

We have a bean to coffee machine, supplied by Servest.

We buy the coffee beans from Woolies.
 
Pooky said:
How many people will be making use of the machine?
Click to expand...

If I had my way, only our department, as we are all technical people that won't break a machine, so around 15 people. But I guess we should let everyone use it, so around 30 people.
 
Skywalker786 said:
Dude seriously, staff paying for a cup of coffee, nee man that's a cheapskate company.

We have a bean to coffee machine, supplied by Servest.

We buy the coffee beans from Woolies.
Click to expand...

How does this work? Do you rent the machine for some nominal monthly fee from Servest and just add your own coffee?
 
AntennaMan said:
If I had my way, only our department, as we are all technical people that won't break a machine, so around 15 people. But I guess we should let everyone use it, so around 30 people.
Click to expand...

That's a small enough amount for the company to supply it as a perk free of charge. Happy employees = better work.
 
Pooky said:
That's a small enough amount for the company to supply it as a perk free of charge. Happy employees = better work.
Click to expand...

We do get coffee for free, but it is nasty drip filter coffee machine. They will probably only need to offset the cost of the machine in some way. Going to the big boss and telling him to drop R10K for another machine and he will lose it. That it why I want to investigate cost effective alternatives.
 
AntennaMan said:
How does this work? Do you rent the machine for some nominal monthly fee from Servest and just add your own coffee?
Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge Servest handles cleaning etc of building and it seems the coffee machine was thrown in, we supply our own coffee beans. I buy I think 1 kg packets of the Woolies Espresso beans for R66 a packet.

What you will find is that in the first month everybody gets excited about the coffee and have a ton of coffee and then boredom sets in, so u should average about 2-3 cups per person per day.
 
AntennaMan said:
We do get coffee for free, but it is nasty drip filter coffee machine. They will probably only need to offset the cost of the machine in some way. Going to the big boss and telling him to drop R10K for another machine and he will lose it. That it why I want to investigate cost effective alternatives.
Click to expand...

get 30 people to chip in for a new coffee machine and get the company to agree to supply the beans free of charge as a perk.

30 divided by 10k = R334 per person

Not a lot for a once of cost provided everyone contributes. Then the employees own the coffee machine and not the company

Or get the company to chip in half the cost and the employees the other half which will make it even more affordable for everyone
 
Shame I've never heard of employees paying for their own coffee, even if the company does spend 20k on a coffee machine
 
If the company isn't willing to pay R15,000 to improve the workplace quality for 15-30 employees, it's truly a horrible company.
 
loc said:
Shame I've never heard of employees paying for their own coffee, even if the company does spend 20k on a coffee machine
Click to expand...

same here,

//shrugs

Good luck OP, hope u guys dont end up paying for it.
 
I think many companies just give their employees Ricoffy or Frisco.
At least OP gets filter coffee.
 
We have Ricoffy, Nescafe, filter coffee, Ciro machines that make cuppacinos, hot choc etc

Every tea imaginable

Coffee shop for things like lattes
 
There are a number of companies that specialise in supplying corporate tea & coffee services.

The actual services vary but (in the past) have included (for example) a free coffee machine if the company undertakes to purchase a set number of bags of coffee beans per month.

Google on "corporate tea and coffee services" in your area.
 
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Electric said:
Lol your boss makes you pay?
Sorry for you.

We get our filter for free :D
Click to expand...

Sorry, maybe I should have been a bit more clear. We do get our filter coffee for free. We also get our five roses, rooibos and ricoffy for free (some people still drink ricoffy.... ).

I am a bit of a coffee snob. I want better coffee than the standard House of Coffees grinded stuff we get. Using beans will mean that the coffee is fresher and therefore taste better.

The reason that management won't want to drop R10K on a coffee machine is because they won't see the need for it as there are already normal filter coffee machines. Why fix something if it ain't broken...?

I just want to convince them that there is a better way. Decent coffee is not a sin.

I will send a survey around our office and ask people what they think about splitting the costs of a machine. I will also look at the corporate coffee service option.
 
AntennaMan said:
I will send a survey around our office and ask people what they think about splitting the costs of a machine. I will also look at the corporate coffee service option.
Click to expand...

Ya right good luck with that. I will tell you to go get stuffed :D

Sorry dude but that sounds like a recipe for disaster.

My suggestion buy yourself a coffee press. Buy your own coffee beans/coffee, lock it away. make your own coffee when you want it.

If you have a stove at work, get yourself a cafitiere and make your own.
 
Last edited:
AntennaMan said:
Sorry, maybe I should have been a bit more clear. We do get our filter coffee for free. We also get our five roses, rooibos and ricoffy for free (some people still drink ricoffy.... ).

I am a bit of a coffee snob. I want better coffee than the standard House of Coffees grinded stuff we get. Using beans will mean that the coffee is fresher and therefore taste better.

The reason that management won't want to drop R10K on a coffee machine is because they won't see the need for it as there are already normal filter coffee machines. Why fix something if it ain't broken...?

I just want to convince them that there is a better way. Decent coffee is not a sin.

I will send a survey around our office and ask people what they think about splitting the costs of a machine. I will also look at the corporate coffee service option.
Click to expand...

Four options for you:
1. Buy an Aeropress. Remain a snob. Enjoy good coffee. Alone.
2. Look at the rental options as there are companies which supply the higher end machines who are willing to put them out on service contracts/rental arrangements - still unlikely to be cost effective for a small office though
3. Lower your sights, look at one of those Delonghi or Saeco automated bean to cup machines instead of a high end automated or semi-automatic machine - also most staff will find it easier to use an easy push button thing instead of pulling proper shots and steaming their milk. If I'm not mistaken you can pick those machines up for between R3500 to R7000. Dion's got a Delonghi for R6900 on sale - probably others that are also pretty decent.
4. Speak to the powers that be and pitch it as an incentive based on xyz deliverable/project. We did that at my previous company - told the team if they make us Rxxx extra on a certain building project, we'll give them their coffee machine. Worked and done!
 
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