How do I record each vending machine’s service history for a buyer?
Give every machine its own page: model, serial number, date it joined the route, each service call with the fault and the fix, and parts replaced. Pull the details from invoices and your own notes. A buyer reads a consistent record as a sign of a route kept in good order.
Start by giving each machine a number and matching it to its serial plate. Then gather every source of information: repair invoices, technician emails, text messages, notes in your phone and the memory of anyone who has worked on the route. Put them in date order.
For each entry, record what failed, what was done, who did it and what it cost. Group similar faults so the pattern is visible. If one unit has needed its cooling system repaired repeatedly, say so plainly and explain what you did about it. Hiding a weak machine costs more trust than showing it.
Include routine care as well: cleaning, calibrating the coin and card readers, and any scheduled checks. That shows the machines have been looked after, not only fixed when they stop. Where records are missing, say so and describe what you do remember. Do not invent entries to fill gaps. Keep copies of invoices in a folder that matches the page numbers, so a buyer can check a claim in seconds. Update the record up to the day of handover, and ask your accountant how repair costs were treated in your books.
Key takeaways
- Give each machine its own numbered page.
- Back each entry with an invoice where you can.
- Admit gaps rather than filling them with guesses.
- Keep invoices in a folder that matches the page numbers so a buyer can check quickly.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentEquipment valuation: How to do it
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