Cut out free drinks waste

Cashless system manufacturer Quintus Systems claims large corporations with around 1,000 employees can save up to £72,000 a year by eliminating waste from the free vended drinks issue they give staff.

Peter Quinney of Quintus agrees it is motivational to continue to give staff the perk of free beverages, but says the problem with free drinks is that all too often they are half drunk, left to go cold and then poured down the drain.

With coin operated beverage machines drinks are either free or paid for, but he says a cashless system like Quintus's EPnet is much more versatile and can create and control a pre-set daily allowances for staff. When that quota is used, staff have to pay.

"That way, your generosity is better appreciated, fewer drinks are poured away and you save a considerable amount of money," he says.

EPnet is a Windows-based, online cashless payment system controlled from a back office PC. At no time is cash ever held on the card, which makes it totally secure.

Instead, it works by giving access to a staff member's account.

A pre-determined daily allowance is controlled using EPnet Cashless and drinks are accessed using a card or proximity tag. Once the daily allowance is used up, the system automatically reverts to the pre-set charges and the staff member's account is debited with subsequent drinks purchases.

Adds Quinney: "Unlimited free issue drinks is an open-ended commitment, which makes it difficult for managers to budget accurately.

"With EPnet Cashless, these costs are not only capped, they are established in advance, so a clear and finite budget may be set."

The savings figure of £72,000 is based on a company with 1,000 employees, each taking seven drinks per day. If this is reduced to four free drinks a saving of 15,000 cups a week can be achieved.

At an average ingredient price of 10p per cup that saves £1,500 a week or £72,000 per year.

For more visit www.quintus.co.uk.