what if you could buy everything out of a vending machine?

What if you could buy everything out of a vending machine? You walk through the mall, swipe your credit card, press E5 and out comes your girlfriend’s engagement ring, your prescription, or even the keys to a new car. You wouldn't have pushy sales people or big stores to deal with. Wouldn't that make life convenient? Maybe at first it would seem like it but I personally don't like doing business with a vending machine. What would you do if you swiped your credit card and the ring never fell down to that little door? What would you do if you had questions about that prescription? And how would you test drive a car you bought from a vending machine? Vending machines don't learn your name. Vending machines don't say thank you. Vending machines don't appreciate your business. Vending machines can't answer questions about their product or fix a problem when one occurs. They are strictly programmed to facilitate a transaction.

Doing business, no matter what you're buying, should be about the people you interact with. It should be an experience, not just a transaction. Why do we buy where we buy? I will pass several salons, probably offering the same service at lower prices, to go to my salon. Why? Because I like the people. They know me there. It's a great atmosphere where the experience is just as much about catching up with my stylist as it is about the haircut she provides.

We have beverage vending machines right in front of our kiosk in the mall. People approach us all the time and ask us for change so they can buy a drink from the vending machine that doesn't take credit cards or offer a change machine. Some stop and ask us how they get their money back when they didn't receive their product. While the machine may seem convenient, it is relying on people, my people, to do some of the work. At All Stirred Up! we are in the business of people serving people. Not just taking your money and throwing a product at you. While I can appreciate the need to drop your dollar in for a quick snack in a hotel or airport, can we get back to doing business with people and not machines?