Planet Antares Is A SCAM – Avoid Them

Rising Fuel Prices Add Pressure on Vendors Bottom Line

Antares vending operators are particularly concerned about the gasoline hikes, given the fact that many had already raised prices within a 12 month period to cover higher operating costs. One needs to be sure how much to raise their prices because there is no need to raise prices in the short term, only to have to raise them again after a period of time.

Fuel surcharge not seen as an answer

Most Antares vending operators don’t think fuel surcharges, which vend product suppliers charge operators, are an option. The only options most felt they had in the short term has been to raise prices or to ask customers to reduce commissions. In addition to this they could review routing and cull unprofitable accounts.

There are a number of operators who have switched to diesel fuel over the years; however fuel costs haven’t differed significantly from gasoline, since both types of fuel depend primarily on crude oil.

Some Antares vending operators have been forced to raise their prices because of the fuel price hikes. Other Antares operators have not felt the need to pass on the higher fuel costs on to their customers. They have tried to maintain their prices, hoping that the increases are a short lived cycle that the economy will come out of. Nobody likes to increase their prices, so they do everything to minimize the impact on their customers.

For your Antares operations you can implement GPS on the routes. This will definitely reduce fuel costs. There are a number of strategies that you can use to counter the fuel price increases.

Consider how to prepare customers

While Antares operators are typically reluctant to raise prices, past experiences has shown this task is easier when consumers see prices rising in other retail venues. This is clearly the case today, as everyone is paying more for gasoline. Vendors can also take a lesson from their colleagues in the OCS business, many of whom have been successful in passing on higher prices. Seeing prices increases at the supermarkets, consumers were less resistant to higher OCS prices. The greater the understanding by the consumer, the easier it is to raise prices. In the meantime, vendors can evaluate their vehicles and their driving practices to minimize fuel costs.

posted by Larry Bunker @ 4:33 AM