Gift from God

"Your vending machine is broken"
I know. 
"Hey, your vending machine is broken!"
Yes, I know. 
"You need to fix your machine, it's tipping over." 
Yes, I know.  The guy is 5 minutes away! 

It was an exhausting day. 

It started out well.  We had a later pickup so I slept in until 7.  We went to the warehouse, where I got my snacks. 

Then we arrived at work, and I found snack 2, my baby, tipping over due to a missing leg.  Snack machines sit on 4 legs, mine had one completely out of the socket and laying on the floor (thank God it was still there).  I stuck it in my pocket, thanking God my repairman was coming at 2 (we arrived around 1). 

Then I had over a dozen people tell me the machine was broken, it was a safety issue, I had to fix it.  I kept telling them I had a guy coming at 2.  They finally went away. 

I had mixed emotions seeing an ice machine slotted in next to our bottled vendor, which had been moved - a violation of our contract because the machines are delicate.  Sure enough, the bottled vendor was broken, the flapper was hanging down and some loose parts in the bottom of the machine. 

I was upset.   I commend management on their decision to provide their own ice machine for the postal workers.  I understand that area was the only one with a water line, and a good outlet.  I would have been OK with them slotting it in.   I am unhappy because it will hurt our cold drink sales, but we can't stop them. 

I was not OK with them moving our machines, without permission, and breaking a $5000 vending machine! 

The machines belong to the State Blind Vendors program.  Ron and I only own the inventory.

We called the boss.  He was NOT HAPPY (with them, for moving it).  I made sure to tell the maintenence guys someone had broken my machine, moving it. 

I stocked what I could and made the machines look as good as possible, except for the broken snack with the missing leg, which I didn't touch.  Some idiot came along while I was talking to an admin, and started shoving the machine, making it wobble.  I kept telling him to leave it alone, it was a safety issue, LEAVE IT ALONE!   IT'S BROKEN!  The admin told him to stop and he finally did.   Next time I will take out my cell phone and video him, and my requests to stop, then share with his supervisor. 

AGH. 

Another maintenence guy came by and told me my machine was broken, as I stood in front of it.  I smiled tightly and said "Thank you, I know".  I finally put one of my handcarts, loaded with supplies, in front of the broken machine.

Praise God, the phone rang.  It was our guy.  For the record, he is Latino. 

Imagine my horror when I went out and saw police arresting a Latino guy at the front gate!  I was horrified, thinking it was my repairman! 

Thank God, it wasn't. 

He came in.  I presented the snack machine leg and begged him to get that first.  He fixed it.  I found a maintenence guy who'd been pestering me and took him over to the machine. 

"Is it fixed?"  I asked. 
Yeah, looks fine. 
"Go back and tell them, please." 
OK, and he left. 

Our guy got to work on the coffee machine.  He told us he got the last valve from the big warehouse.  Thank God. 

He made loads of coffee and it all looked and tasted fine.  Good.

Then I had him "look" at the broken bottled vendor.  "Just give us an idea what it'll cost, so we can tell [the boss]" 

I showed him the parts I'd found, and kept.  He got to work and said "I don't know..."
Oh, I replied.  I guess I'll have to call the other guy. 

Wait a minute... and he got to work.  He fixed it.  We still need a part which is on order but it is vending properly most of the time. 

3 machines fixed. 

I think this guy is a gift from God.  The boss was thrilled when I called and told him everything was working.  "I still sent some e-mails" he said, grimly. 

We both know it could have had a much less happy ending.