Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)
Issue: 1941 June - Page 17
A :Jried-and-proven m ethod
0/
Obtaining mOR!: m arble oCocation:J
"I
B. K. Anderson
KNOW that in Kansas City and all large
towns like it there are hundreds of good
locations for re-play pin ball tables that
operators pass by every day without giving
them a second glance_ These places aren't
on some operator's route usually for one
of two reasons: either an operator has tried
one type of equipment there and hasn' t
made a success of it, or no operator has
taken the trouble to find out what's in-
side_"
So says Frank Fasone, co-owner with
Frank Bucceso, of the Acme Amusement
Coo, Kansas City, Missouri. And Fasone
isn't repeating id le gossip in making this
statement. He knows because he's been
there, and any operator who desires to do
so may easily make the same test.
Here's how to do it: Set aside a cer-
tain defin ite section of your city contain-
ing some business establishments. Then
check every building in that district unless
it is a residence. Ask plenty of questions
-"how many people come in here in a
day's time, how long they stay, what kind
of people as to age, sex, and income, and
have you ever tried an amusement ma-
chine?"
"This," says Fasone, "will very early
prove to you one important thing-that it
isn't the best locations that are being oper-
ated, but the ones that are easiest to get."
To better demonstrate, let's take an ac-
tual instance from Frank Fasone's files.
He enters this neighborhood to make a
location check. It's on the rim of the busi-
ness district. He pauses on the sidewalk
to let a taxi cross ahead of him into a
garage. He looks inside. There are a lot
more cabs in there and drivers, too . There's
a water fountain and a peanut vendor and
a small empty space beside these.
Frank sort of hangs around. Certainly
cab drivers l ike re-play tables. Down at
the corner he's seen them in the hamburger
stand gathered around one of his machines
waiting for a chance to play. If there were
room for another machine in there it would
double his profits from this source. And
why wouldn't the cab company like the
profit from one, or maybe they could turn
it over to the Drivers' Aid Fund.
He now is equ ipped to sell the company
on the table. He goes in. Yes, the com-
pany would like it and turning over the
commission to the Aid Fund is a good idea.
Also, it would keep the drivers in the
garage instead of down at the corner. They
would be closer at hand when needed.
Only, there have been a co u ple of ma-
chine in the garage in days gone by, and
the operators took them out. They weren't
profitable.
"Why weren't they profitable?" Frank
asks himself. "Did the drivers resent the
company getting back a hare of their
nickels? Or was the form er owner leery
about this spot, and so used only old, out-
dated equipment here?"
The next day one of the very latest of
Acme's new tables goes on location in the
garage. It bears the legend: "The com-
miss ion from this machine goes to the
Drivers' Aid Fund." Now this garage is
one of the best locations for re-play ma-
chines in the city. The two pinball tables
there get 24-hour play, and Frank Fasone
splits the heavy coin box receipts with the
Drivers' Aid Fund. Yep, you wouldn' t
notice the place from the street, but it has
paid 25 a week.
It is Fasone's opinion that any operator
who has trouble getting all of this type of
locat ions that he wants may blame it on
one of three reasons. He is a poor salesman,
he has developed no au tomatic location
getting program, or he's just outright lazy.
Among the better systems and methods
which this firm have found to assure a
consistently stronger list of exceptional
locations are: direct mail, phone, canvass,
personal newspaper ads, recommended and
sectional contacts.
In using direct mai l, two systems are
suggested. In one a city directory is used
so that the contacts may all be made in the
same part of the city, and thus reduce
maintenance and service costs_ The card is
d irected to all addresses in the district
except residences. It state the firm's busi-
ne s, amusement machines, and the belief
that perhaps there is the opportunity there
for a location that will make it profitable
for both the location owner and the oper-
ator.
The card also suggests a personal inter-
view with the operator and either directs
the prospective location owner to phone
th e operator, or provides a return card for
his answer. Usuall y the return card pro-
vides a better percentage of replies, and
the cost is negligible. The card is a lways
directed to the owner and manager and
suggests that the commis ions may be
turned into any number of channels that
the firm has been paying out of its pock-
ets previously.
This system, of course, is the cheapest
yet devised to give city-wide coverage at
the lowest cost. It not only saves the oper-
ator time, but gets into those places he
misses in "passing by."
The phone system works much the same
way, except that the contact is via tele-
phone, and can be so directed as to utilize
the spare time of the office help. However,
it has proved better to get one girl to
handle this department alone. She can thus
develop a rounded technique and need not
be a full-time employee. In fact, she can
make the calls from her own home and be
paid on a percentage of successful contacts
basis.
Cold canvass follows the same course as
the direct mail except that the operator
sets out thro ugh a district on foot and
enter each door without former contact.
Direct mail may be worked into this by a
mailing that announces that the operator
is to call on a certain day, and lets the
card prepare the way for him_
Personal newspaper ads have proved time
and again to be the most widely read of all
the classified section. T hey are the best
place for the operator to run his location
seeking message because they afford him
the use of originality in gaining interest
for his sales message. He can vary his
appeal here and in the process get at least
one type of appeal that will catch the eye
of most of the people he is trying to reach.
AI 0 messages in the "personals" build up
a strong "I heard" or suggestive result.
They are constantly read by persons seek-
ing some way of making a little side-
money.
Recommended and sectionalized con tacts
NEW
BALTIMORE
COLLECTION
• BOOKS
FORM
P for Panoram or Movie Machines
W for Beverage Machines
(Frigidrink. Spacarb. Vendrink.
etc_>
D for Bally Beverage Machine
o Maintenance Report pads for all
operators
Added to Our Standard Forms
FORM
K
R
V
A
F
S
C
T
M
for Pin Games
for Phonographs
for Vending Machines
for Slot Machines
for Diggers
for Salesboards
for Record Requests
for Cigarette Machines
for Location Agreements
Specially printed books for all types
of coin operated machines. Let us
check your present forms for better
design and more efficient use. Write
to Charles Fleischmann, specialist on
Coin Machine Forms.
COIN
Baltimore Solesbook
Company
120 WEST 42nd ST., NEW YORK
MACHINE
REVIEW
17
FOR
JUNE
194 1
are probably employed today by more oper-
ators in seeking new locations than any
other method. In the case of the "recom-
mended" they seek to learn from their
e tablished loca tions where else might be
a good spot for their machines_ In this
case, Fasone suggests that better results
will be attained if this becomes a regular
program and not just a matter of chance.
In other words, instead of having the
service man or someone else around the
place ask the question at intervals, let the
operator or contact man of the firm set
aside regular days for this pursu it alone.
Then he can follow out the suggested con-
tacts immediately and you can be sure of
you r coverage.
Sectionalized contacts, of course, confine
themselves to going into the yellow sect ion
of the telephone book and picking out one
particular type of business and plugging
it. For example, taverns, drug store, res-
taurants, etc.
It is true that operators have found that
certain types of business as a class are
more profitable locations than others_ But,
once the supply of these choice locations
is exhausted in the preferred category,
then the operator must, if he is to ex-
pand, either develop powers of clairvoy-
ance, or develop an automatic and fool-
proof system that assures him new loca-
tions.
The latter system, h aving been tried and
proved, is more reliable in most cases in
Frank Fasone's way of thinking.
•
*
*
*
Arriving Missionary: "May I ask what
course you intend to take with me?"
Cannibal King: "The regular one. You'll
follow the fish."
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your best introduction to our advertisers.
0/
Obtaining mOR!: m arble oCocation:J
"I
B. K. Anderson
KNOW that in Kansas City and all large
towns like it there are hundreds of good
locations for re-play pin ball tables that
operators pass by every day without giving
them a second glance_ These places aren't
on some operator's route usually for one
of two reasons: either an operator has tried
one type of equipment there and hasn' t
made a success of it, or no operator has
taken the trouble to find out what's in-
side_"
So says Frank Fasone, co-owner with
Frank Bucceso, of the Acme Amusement
Coo, Kansas City, Missouri. And Fasone
isn't repeating id le gossip in making this
statement. He knows because he's been
there, and any operator who desires to do
so may easily make the same test.
Here's how to do it: Set aside a cer-
tain defin ite section of your city contain-
ing some business establishments. Then
check every building in that district unless
it is a residence. Ask plenty of questions
-"how many people come in here in a
day's time, how long they stay, what kind
of people as to age, sex, and income, and
have you ever tried an amusement ma-
chine?"
"This," says Fasone, "will very early
prove to you one important thing-that it
isn't the best locations that are being oper-
ated, but the ones that are easiest to get."
To better demonstrate, let's take an ac-
tual instance from Frank Fasone's files.
He enters this neighborhood to make a
location check. It's on the rim of the busi-
ness district. He pauses on the sidewalk
to let a taxi cross ahead of him into a
garage. He looks inside. There are a lot
more cabs in there and drivers, too . There's
a water fountain and a peanut vendor and
a small empty space beside these.
Frank sort of hangs around. Certainly
cab drivers l ike re-play tables. Down at
the corner he's seen them in the hamburger
stand gathered around one of his machines
waiting for a chance to play. If there were
room for another machine in there it would
double his profits from this source. And
why wouldn't the cab company like the
profit from one, or maybe they could turn
it over to the Drivers' Aid Fund.
He now is equ ipped to sell the company
on the table. He goes in. Yes, the com-
pany would like it and turning over the
commission to the Aid Fund is a good idea.
Also, it would keep the drivers in the
garage instead of down at the corner. They
would be closer at hand when needed.
Only, there have been a co u ple of ma-
chine in the garage in days gone by, and
the operators took them out. They weren't
profitable.
"Why weren't they profitable?" Frank
asks himself. "Did the drivers resent the
company getting back a hare of their
nickels? Or was the form er owner leery
about this spot, and so used only old, out-
dated equipment here?"
The next day one of the very latest of
Acme's new tables goes on location in the
garage. It bears the legend: "The com-
miss ion from this machine goes to the
Drivers' Aid Fund." Now this garage is
one of the best locations for re-play ma-
chines in the city. The two pinball tables
there get 24-hour play, and Frank Fasone
splits the heavy coin box receipts with the
Drivers' Aid Fund. Yep, you wouldn' t
notice the place from the street, but it has
paid 25 a week.
It is Fasone's opinion that any operator
who has trouble getting all of this type of
locat ions that he wants may blame it on
one of three reasons. He is a poor salesman,
he has developed no au tomatic location
getting program, or he's just outright lazy.
Among the better systems and methods
which this firm have found to assure a
consistently stronger list of exceptional
locations are: direct mail, phone, canvass,
personal newspaper ads, recommended and
sectional contacts.
In using direct mai l, two systems are
suggested. In one a city directory is used
so that the contacts may all be made in the
same part of the city, and thus reduce
maintenance and service costs_ The card is
d irected to all addresses in the district
except residences. It state the firm's busi-
ne s, amusement machines, and the belief
that perhaps there is the opportunity there
for a location that will make it profitable
for both the location owner and the oper-
ator.
The card also suggests a personal inter-
view with the operator and either directs
the prospective location owner to phone
th e operator, or provides a return card for
his answer. Usuall y the return card pro-
vides a better percentage of replies, and
the cost is negligible. The card is a lways
directed to the owner and manager and
suggests that the commis ions may be
turned into any number of channels that
the firm has been paying out of its pock-
ets previously.
This system, of course, is the cheapest
yet devised to give city-wide coverage at
the lowest cost. It not only saves the oper-
ator time, but gets into those places he
misses in "passing by."
The phone system works much the same
way, except that the contact is via tele-
phone, and can be so directed as to utilize
the spare time of the office help. However,
it has proved better to get one girl to
handle this department alone. She can thus
develop a rounded technique and need not
be a full-time employee. In fact, she can
make the calls from her own home and be
paid on a percentage of successful contacts
basis.
Cold canvass follows the same course as
the direct mail except that the operator
sets out thro ugh a district on foot and
enter each door without former contact.
Direct mail may be worked into this by a
mailing that announces that the operator
is to call on a certain day, and lets the
card prepare the way for him_
Personal newspaper ads have proved time
and again to be the most widely read of all
the classified section. T hey are the best
place for the operator to run his location
seeking message because they afford him
the use of originality in gaining interest
for his sales message. He can vary his
appeal here and in the process get at least
one type of appeal that will catch the eye
of most of the people he is trying to reach.
AI 0 messages in the "personals" build up
a strong "I heard" or suggestive result.
They are constantly read by persons seek-
ing some way of making a little side-
money.
Recommended and sectionalized con tacts
NEW
BALTIMORE
COLLECTION
• BOOKS
FORM
P for Panoram or Movie Machines
W for Beverage Machines
(Frigidrink. Spacarb. Vendrink.
etc_>
D for Bally Beverage Machine
o Maintenance Report pads for all
operators
Added to Our Standard Forms
FORM
K
R
V
A
F
S
C
T
M
for Pin Games
for Phonographs
for Vending Machines
for Slot Machines
for Diggers
for Salesboards
for Record Requests
for Cigarette Machines
for Location Agreements
Specially printed books for all types
of coin operated machines. Let us
check your present forms for better
design and more efficient use. Write
to Charles Fleischmann, specialist on
Coin Machine Forms.
COIN
Baltimore Solesbook
Company
120 WEST 42nd ST., NEW YORK
MACHINE
REVIEW
17
FOR
JUNE
194 1
are probably employed today by more oper-
ators in seeking new locations than any
other method. In the case of the "recom-
mended" they seek to learn from their
e tablished loca tions where else might be
a good spot for their machines_ In this
case, Fasone suggests that better results
will be attained if this becomes a regular
program and not just a matter of chance.
In other words, instead of having the
service man or someone else around the
place ask the question at intervals, let the
operator or contact man of the firm set
aside regular days for this pursu it alone.
Then he can follow out the suggested con-
tacts immediately and you can be sure of
you r coverage.
Sectionalized contacts, of course, confine
themselves to going into the yellow sect ion
of the telephone book and picking out one
particular type of business and plugging
it. For example, taverns, drug store, res-
taurants, etc.
It is true that operators have found that
certain types of business as a class are
more profitable locations than others_ But,
once the supply of these choice locations
is exhausted in the preferred category,
then the operator must, if he is to ex-
pand, either develop powers of clairvoy-
ance, or develop an automatic and fool-
proof system that assures him new loca-
tions.
The latter system, h aving been tried and
proved, is more reliable in most cases in
Frank Fasone's way of thinking.
•
*
*
*
Arriving Missionary: "May I ask what
course you intend to take with me?"
Cannibal King: "The regular one. You'll
follow the fish."
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your best introduction to our advertisers.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).