The Home Office is a flexible co-working office space for individuals, freelancers and small businesses, based in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Since opening in January 2019, The Home Office’s client base is growing and is already on track to reach over 100 members.
The Home Office began working with Express Vending in August 2018, when it decided it was time to expand its refreshments offerings for its growing in-house staff and member base.
Company Director Daisy Evans commissioned the installation of an Express HUB in the building’s atrium, after spending time researching various catering options.
The pull for Daisy was the HUB’s innovative design and self-service element, as it was created as a bespoke facility to fit The Home Office space. The HUB also comes with fingerprint and smart card technology, giving members self-service access 24 hours a day, which, in turn, complimented The Home Office’s flexible working policy
"The initial reservation was the up-front cost to install the HUB – as The Home Office had only recently launched – but the return against the cost of spend now means it is already starting to pay for itself". Daisy Evans - Company Director
Despite offering a range of fresh products, there have not been any issues with waste.
The best-selling products quickly run low due to high demand.
Coffee is the biggest seller in the Home Office's HUB. with members refuelliing constantly throughout the day.
Breakfast tends to be a popular mealtime, with many members preferring healthier options like porridge.
“Express is super responsive, tweaking stock levels for us on a really frequent basis to ensure none of the most popular products like bananas are gone for too long”.
The HUB provides a range of food and drinks options – from sandwiches and coffee to indulgent treats like chocolate – and the variety is always being updated to accommodate the tastes of The Home Office’s members.
For example, when many of the members went on a health kick in January, Express Vending was quick to respond to their calls for more healthy options, adding more salads and healthy snacks to the HUB’s offerings.
“One of our aims at The Home Office is to support a culture of innovation and creativity. We want our members to have access to communal spaces, where they can meet and share ideas with other like-minded individuals to develop their projects."
“There is always a large gathering at the HUB and it certainly seems to be helping us create an exciting business environment for our members. It has also played a key role in the recruitment and retainment of members, as it’s a unique service, which sets us apart from other competitors.”
One of the problems facing The Home Office and its members is the building’s location is half a mile from the main shopping area in Tring, leaving many having to walk into town to grab lunch or a snack.
The HUB solved this problem, providing an in-house product selection situated next to an atrium seating area. This has created a space where staff can take time out, away from their desks to enjoy a relaxing break or lunch.
The introduction of the HUB has also helped to develop The Home Office’s community feel, with individual members and those from different organisations sitting down to lunch together and chatting over snack breaks:
The relationship between Express and The Home Office didn’t end at installation. Since introducing the HUB, Express has accommodated every tweak or change to offer the best experience possible.
In addition to shaking up the refreshments offering to appeal more to members’ appetites, Express Vending even helped The Home Office deliver a HUB credit system as a perk for its clients.
The Home Office wanted to offer several free product credits as part of its packages and Express was happy to oblige, sending over tokens that work easily on the self-service machines.
“We’ve been very impressed by the look of the HUB and how it fits with the building space. The self-service offering is also a great addition. With so many members working to different schedules, introducing this option has made the whole process feel effortless and stress-free.. The customer service has been faultless, too. Every time we’ve needed a tweak or someone’s made a new suggestion Express has taken it on board and resolved it for us in next to no time at all. We cannot recommend Express highly enough!”
Charlotte Jackson - Marketing Manager
The Home Office Tring