Ken's Beverage

[pdrake65]

Anyone here ever work for Ken's Beverage? They are looking for experienced people in my area and I am thinking about applying if they have a need for a good tech for the refrigeration side of the biz.

[VTP99]

We have a KB here where i live. I didn't know they were national. I assumed all they did was service soda & do installations. Don't know if they do refrigeration. Do you ?

[pdrake65]

We have a KB here where i live. I didn't know they were national. I assumed all they did was service soda & do installations. Don't know if they do refrigeration. Do you ?

Yea..ice machines ,Multiplex and Servend soda and beer chillers...anything dealing with refrigeation of beverage and ice. They are nationwide.

[VTP99]

Last time i saw them was at a McDonalds. Seem to take two guys all day for one multiplex. Maybe you could show them how its done.

[pdrake65]

Last time i saw them was at a McDonalds. Seem to take two guys all day for one multiplex. Maybe you could show them how its done.

I am hearing that they have a bad rep. That is why I am asking around about them.

[coolerfixer]

Every ice machine they have installed in my area, I've had to correct in one way or another. My opinion, a bunch of hacks.

[RuudInstaller]

They are supposedly beverage experts, but none that I have met can successfully connect a soda system in any reasonable amount of time. I also do beverage systems and compete directly with Kens as we are both subagent for Coca Cola in my area. They have never made any good impressions with me. It just seems that they really aren't sure about what they are doing most of the time. Consequently the customers most always choose us over them for Coca Cola service calls and installs. Not bashing them or anything just my personal observation.

[pdrake65]

They are supposedly beverage experts, but none that I have met can successfully connect a soda system in any reasonable amount of time. I also do beverage systems and compete directly with Kens as we are both subagent for Coca Cola in my area. They have never made any good impressions with me. It just seems that they really aren't sure about what they are doing most of the time. Consequently the customers most always choose us over them for Coca Cola service calls and installs. Not bashing them or anything just my personal observation.

Yea Ruud, I heard enough not to bother with them. I also found out that they install ice makers and refrigerated equipment but do not service them.The starting pay for an EXPERIENCED tech is pathetic! No wonder they have the rep.I probably know some of the people you know in the biz. Anyway, thanx for all the good advice guys.

[Dowadudda]

when I first got out of the Army back in 96, I interviewed with them. They offered me a very low start wage as I recall. I took a different gig.

When I was in business, I use to deal with them on ice machine stuff where I was the Ice Machine Guy and they were the dispenser guys. I had good experiences with them myself. One guy I knew kinda well and he was pretty sharp on his equipment. He was a good seasoned guy and knew what he was doing.

[MI_Fulldraw]

Stay as far away as you can from Kens. I worked there for 5 months. They look alright at first but you soon find out how dishonest and corrupt that place is. The 2 other guys i worked with at my branch had hvac service backgrounds and we were not hacks they were great techs but that company has no problem hiring hacks and the management were some of the worst. Our branch luckily didn't have full time management. They however did hire a service manager when I was there that had no service experience of any kind. He was employed there for about 3 weeks until he got tired of being a pawn which he was basically hired to be. The branch i worked at went through 11 techs in 2010 all quit except 2 were fired for basically not going along with there dishonest practices. I know a lot of people including myself were cheated out of pay. They will do anything to get paid I was told by management to fabricate a story to cover up a mistake that was made by a prior tech so they could get paid for the call I was on. After that I was out of there as soon as possible. I traveled to other states for them and the problems weren't just in our state it seemed to be company wide. The funny thing is they call themselves world class and even have you give your definition of what world class is....haha Whatever you do just stay away from that company!!!

[paulyd18]

I don't know what area you're in pdrake. Ken's just started a contract in St. Louis and are subcontracting the account. I know a tech that applied and they only offered 20/hr. This guy has 18 yrs in the trade and is the best beverage guy I've worked with.