Office coffee services can save you time and energy not having to worry about having enough coffee for your employees, customers and other business associates. Coffee service providers take all of the guess work out of your coffee supply for the month and many even take all of the work out of it all together.

Selecting the right business coffee service can include many factors. Be sure to asses the coffee needs of your office before choosing a coffee service. Consider the following when making the most of office coffee services :

1. There are varying levels of coffee services for offices.

2. There are full pot and single serving options.

3. Choose well known coffee brands for your office coffee services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose an office coffee service that best suits the needs of your office

Having too much coffee each month wastes money and having too little can be disappointing to your guests and employees. Consult with several coffee service businesses about the number of people you plan on providing coffee for, what types of equipment they provide or that you need to purchase, and how often they deliver to your office.

I recommend: Office Coffee has a form to fill out that will help them to suggest the right office coffee services for your business. Alta Coffee Services provides both office coffee services and the corresponding equipment.

Decide if your office would benefit more from a full pot office coffee service or single serving

To be smart about waste, decide how much coffee will be consumed at any given time. If you have a small office with only a few employees, single serving business coffee services may be the best choice for your office. However, if you have a large office or have frequent visitors, keeping the coffee flowing may be in your best interest. It is possible to have both if you want to put coffee stations in various places around the office.

I recommend: Hanson Beverage Service explains the perks of a single serving office coffee service. Aqua Systems provides both full pot and single cup office coffee services.

Choose office coffee services that offer popular coffee brands as incentive

Some office coffee vendors carry well-known coffee brands that may provide as incentives to your employees. Eliminating the need for your employees to stop for coffee on the way into the office will likely increase productivity.

I recommend: Starbucks offers an office coffee service plan. Dunkin Donuts also provides coffee services to businesses.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget the accessories that are needed for a complete coffee station in your office. Remember cups, sweeteners and cream for your office coffee. Inquire with your office coffee service to determine if they, too, provide any of the other supplies you will need.

Ever since its discovery as a drink in Ethiopia during the 9th century, coffee has continued to rank high in beverage choice. The number of companies offering coffee services attests to that. Choosing the right coffee service for the office depends on considering several important factors before making your selection.

Begin with location and size. Some companies serve regional locations, while others operate nationally. Certain office coffee vendors restrict service to offices with 20 or more employees. Consider service level, too. Some coffee service companies provide the coffee and equipment, but you must do the managing of orders, cleaning and stocking. Full service companies, on the other hand, provide sales representatives that take care of these needs. Don't forget the brew itself. Coffee brewers come in single cup, pot, metal and glass type models. The coffee ranges from cans, bags, pods and other assorted packages. Likewise, coffee selection ranges from premium brands and specialty coffees to supermarket varieties.

When choosing a company’s coffee service for the office consider the following:

1. The number of employees using the office coffee service.

2. Your allocated budget for coffee services.

3. Whether you want full service or one where your business takes care of everything.

4. The type of coffee and brewer needed.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Invite multiple coffee service providers to bid for your business

You can interview providers online. Fill out an application form at a broker site, indicating the specifics of the service you require. You'll get free quotes and response from participating vendors based on pot or single coffee service, number of employees to serve and type of location.

I recommend: See OfficeCoffee.com to receive price quotes for single pot or single cup service from four vendors. Go to BuyerZone.com for office coffee services for 20 or more people. Fill out the application at TheDealSeal.com and receive responses from up to 10 providers of office coffee services.

Put coffee quality first with a service that delivers both beans and equipment

These coffee service companies provide premium coffee that you make in your office. Coffee prices may be higher, but are often balanced by discounts for coffee makers and other equipment provided.

I recommend: See SpecialtyJava.com for free shipping on 25 lbs. or more of connoisseur blends, discount pricing, no contracts and wholesale prices on commercial equipment from Bunn Corp. MyFlavia.com offers models for large and small offices that create cappuccinos, mochaccinos, lattes and regular coffee from a variety of blends and flavors. See GreenMountainCoffee.com for their single-cup brewing systems and 35 coffee varieties tailored to office tastes. Select old favorite Dunkin Donuts, which offers coffee services for businesses with 20 or more employees.

Look for a business coffee service that provides additional perks

Some full service coffee service providers go above and beyond, ensuring clean break rooms, seeing that your coffee stock never goes low and providing quality equipment.

I recommend: See Canteen Refreshment Services, which offers, among others, Starbucks, Folgers and Maxwell House in single cup, air pot and glass pot brewers. Contact the Aramark Refreshment Services, providing coffee services for offices from 89 different locations.

Get business coffee services in specific locations

Some coffee service providers cater to select areas, with reps servicing all your office coffee requirements.

I recommend: In Southern CA, go to AltaService.com to see their program on free installation, use of equipment, favorite brand coffees, free repairs and cleaning of equipment. In OH see A-1 Coffee Systems for products, installation and maintaining your coffee station. Go to CoffeeForLess.com to see their coffee services for offices in the Delaware Valley. For the Baltimore/Washington area, see WagnerCoffee, which also provides a service rep to clean your brewer every route day.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Office coffee services cost $60 to $100 per employee each year. For example, plan on budgeting $1,200 to $2,000 for 20 employees per year, excluding possible discounts.

Although, at first blush, it may seem do-it-yourself coffee is the most economical choice for your business, many companies find they are actually saving money on office coffee services. Most of us realize having coffee on hand for employees boosts productivity, can reduce stress (research shows the scent of coffee has a calming affect), improves morale and helps keep employees in the office. If offered to customers, it can also increase positive feelings about your company. But there are also many cost benefits to hiring out coffee services.

One of the major ways coffee service providers save your business money is by making it easier to track your coffee expenses. Paying your accountant to track many receipts takes up much more of his time than if he only has a monthly coffee invoice to consider. It also costs your business time and money to have employees buying coffee and supplies, often from multiple sources. In addition, with office coffee services, you can get free coffee-making equipment and maintenance. To save money further, consider the following tactics:

1. Choose a business coffee service based on how much your employees are consuming.

2. Look for perks and freebies when researching coffee services for offices.

3. Obtain multiple quotes from coffee service companies.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy only what you need from coffee vendors

The average American consumes 1.6 cups of coffee per day, while heavier coffee drinkers consume 3.1 cups each day, with the typical cup measuring 9 oz. Every office is different, however, and every time you have a lot of wasted coffee, you're also wasting dollars. On the other hand, too little coffee can frustrate employees and lower morale. So the first step to saving money with a coffee service for the office is to determine approximately how much coffee your company consumes each month.

I recommend: Sunbelt, Home and Office Coffee Service offers services for small offices and home offices. Peet's Coffee & Tea has services for both small and large offices.

Look for perks and freebies from your office coffee service

Many coffee services for businesses offer perks and freebies that can save you money. For example, most good providers of office coffee services give you a quality coffee machine, complete with maintenance. Other perks to look for are filtration and consumables (such as filters, creamers, sweeteners and stirrers) included in your package. Also, consider whether the service offers any beverages for non-coffee drinkers and whether snacks are included.

I recommend: Bankrate has a handy chart of office coffee vendors and what they provide, including perks such as consumables. ARAMARK Refreshment Services offers a great variety of drinks and snacks included in their business coffee services package.

Compare quotes for coffee service for offices

Once you know what you need, it doesn't take long to get quotes from several coffee service providers. You may either call companies for quotes or fill out a single form online to get quotes from several coffee service companies.

I recommend: OfficeCoffee.com, BuyerZone.com and The DEAL SEAL each offer an easy, quick and free way to compare quotes from multiple office coffee vendors online.

Office coffee services can save you time and money on your breakroom coffee and other assorted supplies. They help you to determine how much coffee you'll need based on the number of employees and visiting clients you have, which ensures that you don't buy too much. However, when making your decisions about office coffee service, you need to learn the lingo. Do you want a full service coffee service or just someone to deliver brand name coffee? What type of brewer do you need? Learn these words to help you decide.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Single cup brewers vs. full pot brewers

A single cup brewer will brew just one cup of coffee at a time while a full pot brewer can make eight cups or more. If you have a small office, a single cup brewer may be the better solution, because a pot of coffee can go bad if employees don't drink it quickly. However, full pot brewers are a good choice for large offices with many coffee drinkers.

I recommend: See examples of single cup brewers and full pot brewers at Filterfresh Coffee Service.

Coffee pod

A coffee pod is used to brew a single cup of coffee. It is similar to a bag of tea, with coffee placed into a sealed filter pouch. Coffee pods are usually round and come in many flavors. They are usually used with special pod brewers.

I recommend: Visit American Coffee Services to see examples of coffee pods.

Full service coffee service

A full service coffee service offers more than just coffee. They'll also offer other breakroom essentials, such as coffee and cream, cups and napkins. Some services also offer snack foods.

I recommend: Coffee Systems Hawaii is an example of a full service coffee service. View the extensive list of products they deliver.

Brand name coffee

Some employees prefer to have a name that they recognize on their coffee. This is called a brand name coffee. Brand name coffees are sometimes more expensive, but it tends to improve morale when you show that you care enough about employees to provide the best.

I recommend: Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are both brand name coffees that offer office service.

Coffee vending machine

A coffee vending machine requires employees to input money in order to buy coffee. You can hire a coffee vending services to bring the machine to your office. In most cases, there is no charge for either the machine or the coffee because the vendor recoups costs and makes a profit from selling the coffee.

I recommend: View types of coffee vending machines from Cuda Coffee Vending.

Espresso machines

Espresso machines are more complicated to use than a regular coffee brewer, but many employees prefer espresso or cappuccino to brewed coffee. An espresso machine helps them make their own specialty drink.

I recommend: EspressoCoffeeBiz.com offers a number of espresso machines.