Most vendors that provide equipment will also service the equipment for free while product is being ordered from them. Having a routine maintenance, inspections, and appropriate cleaning scheduled into the operations of your store helps avoid issues down the road. Utilizing our checklist application streamlines the process by ensuring proper accountability of those assigned the responsibilities.
A. Ice Machine Trouble. Ice machines are often trouble-free, but like most of your equipment, some maintenance and/or repairs are likely to be expected at some point.
1. Self-Diagnostic Machines. Some ice machines are self-diagnostic.
a. All employees should familiarize themselves with the machine’s display and the machine’s common maintenance/error messages.
b. Know where to find the reset button on the ice machine and whether there are any steps that you must follow before or after using it.
2. Ice Level. Most machines have a mechanism which tracks the level of ice in the hopper and, when triggered, automatically shuts the machine down when the ice reaches a certain level. Know where this mechanism is located and know how to free it in the event it becomes obstructed.
3. Sources of Help. Keep the manufacturer’s operating manual readily available and make sure the telephone numbers of reliable service persons are easy to find and/or posted on the machine just in case the problem can not be easily corrected by store personnel. The Internet can also be utilized to search trouble shooting steps for particular equipment.
B. Point-Of-Sale System Trouble. Point-of-Sale (POS) system failure can be more costly than any other equipment malfunction. You cannot ring up a sale and make change if the POS system does not work correctly!
1. We highly recommend PCAmerica’s annual service support service. They are able to assist 24/7 and can even remotely access your POS to help solve issues.
C. Fountain Problems. All employees should know simple equipment and system troubleshooting procedures (i.e.: how to reset the refrigeration equipment or locate and change a user replaceable fuse). In addition, knowledge of the following is also recommended:
1. Carbonation System. Employees should understand the basic operation of the carbonation system including:
a. How to read the CO2 (carbon dioxide) gauges so that system pressure and carbonation are properly maintained;
b. Knowledge of the proper syrup ratio;
c. Spare CO2 tank hook-ups; and
d. The telephone number for service from your soda supplier in case there is a problem that cannot be handled in store.
D. Lottery Machines. Any issues with the lottery machines should be dealt with by calling the number that the lottery provides. Due to security measures, there isn’t much that can be done by the franchisee with these machines. Due to security measures, phone lines are no longer used anymore and terminals have their stand-alone way to connect (online) to their network.