Coffee prices have reached record highs. For vending and OCS operators, this shift affects the cost of every cup sold, every contract signed, and every restocking decision made. When margins tighten and costs are harder to predict, the way you operate becomes just as important as the coffee you serve.
Price increases may not always be passed on to customers. Fixed contracts, customer resistance, or competitive pressure can make that difficult. But there are ways to soften the impact without compromising your service. It starts by focusing on what you can controlโusage, efficiency, visibility, and communication.
Start by understanding where youโre losing margin
When prices rise, the first step is not to raise yoursโitโs to get a clear picture of how coffee is being used across your fleet.
IoT tools give you visibility into:
- Machines dispensing more coffee than expected
- Locations where consumption patterns have changed
- Sites where ingredient usage doesnโt match sales
- Machines being serviced more often than needed
This level of insight allows you to focus your time, service visits, and resources where they will have the greatest impact.
On-site recipe adjustments can make a big difference
Recipes canโt be changed remotely on any machines. Thatโs a technical limitโbut it doesnโt mean youโre stuck.
If a machine is overdosing by just 0.5 g per cup, and it serves 150 cups a day, thatโs 2.25 kg of coffee lost every month. At current prices, this adds up quickly.
Use telemetry data to identify overdosing or inconsistencies. Then send a technician to adjust only the machines that truly need it.ย
Help customers manage consumption without removing the benefit
When coffee prices rise, perks like free office coffee come under pressure.
Understandably soโcosts are climbing, and companies are looking for ways to save.
This is exactly when operators can step in with smart tools like QuickPik, rather than removing the benefit entirely.
As Vija Volfa, Global IoT Product Manager at Vendon, explains:
โWhen coffee prices go up, offices start looking for ways to cut costsโwhich can put service contracts at risk. We’ve seen many Vendon clients using QuickPikย to limit coffee consumption and control costs โitโs a simple, effective way to protect margins and retain customers.โ
With the QuickPik app, offices can:
- Set daily cup limits per employee or group
- Offer virtual bonuses and discounts
- Easily manage all users and perks via a cloud platform
Make pricing changes based on data, not pressure
When pricing changes are unavoidable, donโt apply them across the board. Use data to guide smarter decisions.
With sales and usage insights, you can:
- Test price changes in select locations
- Track how consumption responds
- Apply updates only where the impact is minimal
This allows you to balance profitability and customer retention, rather than risking volume loss with blanket increases.
If you canโt change prices, improve your efficiency
In many cases, pricing is locked inโby contract or agreement. In these situations, efficiency becomes your best lever.
Use real-time data to:
- Identify product lines or recipes with high costs
- Adjust service schedules based on performance
- Back up renegotiation discussions with facts
Efficiency gains protect your margin when price adjustments arenโt an optionโand help your customers understand whatโs driving the change.
Rethink your approach to service and maintenance
Service costs are also affected by inflationโfuel, labor, and parts all cost more. When coffee prices rise, every trip and every downtime incident becomes more expensive.
Telemetry helps operators:
- Monitor ingredient levels and usage to optimize visit timing
- Spot early signs of machine failure
- Reduce unnecessary visits to low-traffic machines
Preventative maintenance and usage-based scheduling help reduce costs while keeping machines runningโand customers satisfied.
Final thoughts: focus on what you can control
Coffee prices will continue to fluctuate. What you can control is how your business responds.
With real-time data, targeted adjustments, and stronger customer communication, operators can stay profitableโeven when external costs rise.
At Vendon, we believe efficiency starts with visibility. And the smartest operators are the ones who act early, based on factsโnot assumptions.
