When you sign the dotted line on any contract, you’ll know you’ve made the choice that’s right for you now and for the short-term future. But sometimes, the service you get might not be what you were led to believe you’d get. So when your service starts to go wrong and you’re not getting the service you expect, you might look to change suppliers – and the same goes for your water cooler supplier.

Should you fire your current water cooler supplier?

When you sign the contract for your bottled or mains fed water cooler, you’re signing for a complete package which should include regular deliveries for bottled cooler refills, cups, and accessories, together with the servicing and maintenance of the unit itself. Sounds pretty straightforward and not beyond the realms of possibility. So why do things go wrong for so many people?

Like any other supplier, a water cooler supplier isn't infallible. Mistakes can happen from time to time and circumstances beyond their control could disrupt your service from time to time as well. But if you’re contracted to a national supplier and things go wrong consistently or on a more regular basis, the time has come to fire your supplier and make a change. So, can you do it? And if so, how?

How to give notice on your supplier

Fortunately, the short answer to the first question is a resounding ‘YES!’. A disrupted, inconsistent, and unsatisfactory service is common among many national water cooler suppliers which can leave you feeling frustrated with a workplace full of thirsty staff. So, here are 3 steps you can take to terminate your current contract and sign up with a local supplier that can deliver on all fronts for you.

1. Contact your current supplier

Call your current supplier and explain your issue(s), telling them what’s wrong and what’s not working, whether it’s being let down with your deliveries or just not doing what they say they’ll do. It might be useful to keep a log of missed deliveries or call-outs to refer to during your conversation. But the key is to ask them how or when they’re going to resolve the issues(s) and then give them time to act on them and put them right.

2. Check your contract

If your supplier can’t, won’t, or hasn’t been able to resolve the issue(s), then you need to know where you are in your contract. The two crucial bits of contract info to understand are: 1). are you still within your minimum contract term? and 2). Is your contract rolling over and renewing on an annual basis?

It’s usual for any water cooler supplier contract to be anywhere between 12 to 60 months – this would be your minimum term. Beyond that, your contract would normally renew annually, extending for another 12 months and so on.

3. Give notice on your contract

Once you know where you are in your current contract term, you have the right to give notice on that contract. Tell your supplier you don't want it to renew at the end of your minimum term, or at the end of your next renewal period. You can give notice over the phone, but it's good practice to follow up with some kind of written communication as well, such as email or letter. Don't forget to keep these communications just in case they're disputed later on.

Depending on who your current supplier is, and if you’re within your minimum term with a lengthy-term left to run, they may offer you a discount to pay your full contract term and end it early. Or they might offer you a settlement figure. Either way, you’ll still be stuck with the same service and delivery problems you raised in the first place or left with no cooler at all.

New supplier next steps

Your best course of action at this point is to reach out to a new water dispenser supplier. We have a guide explaining what you should expect from a new water cooler supplier as standard, but a local supplier like Thirsty Work can do more for you, including helping you switch to them. This is a service we offer to any customers who are unhappy and stuck in their current contracts.

After speaking to one of our team, we can help you navigate your contract, show you how to get out of it, and offer you an incentive to join us. Depending on your circumstances, here’s one example of how we can do that for you:

1. You’re stuck in your contract, paying your monthly fee for a really bad service

2. Chat with Thirsty Work to help you switch so you won’t be paying two rental fees

3. We deliver and install one of our premium coolers for you right away

3. Use our cooler, rent-free, for the remaining contract period with your current supplier

So you get released from the contract and delivery nightmares of your national water cooler supplier and you get to experience a guaranteed service from us with timely deliveries when you want them from a trusted and competitive local supplier.

Let Thirsty Work help you make the switch

We totally understand the frustration of being stuck in a contract and not getting what you’re paying for. No one wants to have to worry about when – or if – your next delivery will appear, on time or at all. And that’s why we’re here to help you. We want you to enjoy your water cooler and maximise your use of it with the minimum of disruption, inconvenience, or hassle to you or your staff.

if you’re frustrated with your current supplier and think there’s no way out of your contract - think again. We can help you fire your current supplier and start over with us today. For more help and information about joining Thirsty Work and our water coolers, hot water dispensers, deliveries, and service and maintenance packages, call us on 01392 877 172 or email us at hello@thirstywork.com today.