Every robot deployment is unique. Our technicians start with a site assessment. Robots must be adjusted until they completely map their assigned territory. Some robots won’t work in tight spaces. None of our robots can climb stairs, but elevator interfaces are available for select elevator systems. Robots must carefully navigate through doors that don’t open automatically. Robots that scrub floors can be connected to water and sewer lines to further simplify the process. Customers can’t simply open the box, flip a switch, and expect the robot to start working.

While our least expensive robots sell for about $10,000 with currently available discounts, our most expensive models with various options, interfaces, and custom programming could approach $100,000. Most customers will buy a robot that costs between $15,000 and $30,000. Leasing programs are available to qualified customers. We will not quote a price until we complete a site assessment. We are more like electricians than appliance salespeople. Each jobsite is different. The choice of models and options will determine the price. There is never any obligation to buy and our consultants are not rewarded for selling more expensive products.

Return on investment (ROI) should be the primary factor in deciding whether or not to purchase a robot. A robot that only works two hours per week probably cannot be justified. Most users will find that the payback period ranges between 12 to 24 months if the robot works at least 30 hours per week. The ROI can be accurately determined during an evaluation period.

Unless a returning customer is buying additional units for the same or identical locations, the second step of our sales consultation process is a mandatory demonstration of the model that our consultant recommends for each specific situation. This demonstration will often involve a deployment technician making adjustments for the operating environment.  If the potential customer agrees, we will leave the robot on site for up to two weeks and send the deployment technician back as necessary to fine tune the equipment. While we believe our robots will sell themselves, the customer needs to confirm that they are a solid investment before making a buying decision.

While most deployments are straightforward, there will be some locations that require substantial work to make a robotic system functional. For example, a hospital pharmacy may want a team of robots to deliver medications to dozens of scattered nursing units. This not requires elevator interfaces, but also restricted and documented access by the nurses removing the drugs. We have electrical and robotic engineers on our staff as well as full factory support for everything we sell. In these complicated engagements, we will outline a path forward; the customer will not be obligated to purchasing anything until defined milestones are achieved.

Keenon robots carry a one-year factory parts warranty. We can offer four-year factory parts warranties on most models at a very reasonable price because Keenon robots have been proven reliable in worldwide use for several years. Note that warranties do not cover consumables such as mops and brushes. Full warranty details are provided with each model.

Service contracts are available, but we generally do not recommend them because they provide few additional benefits that we don’t already provide at zero or low cost. Factory parts warranties are available for up to five years. We provide telephone support 24/7/365 to our customers. Customers can do some minor repairs themselves. In the rare case that a robot needs something more, our shop charges are reasonable and we will provide a free, temporary replacement robot in the interim. We see no reason to make robot owners essentially pay for another robot every three years.

We will offer leases through our leasing partners to qualified customers. Customers can also obtain leases from their own financial institutions.

We generally do not offer robot rentals as they usually require significant set up time that would make them cost-prohibitive. However, we will consider special situations where rental robots may provide significant value to the user.

Robots As Service (RaaS) is developing rental model for factory automation. Users pay for each use of the robot (items picked, pallets moved). The seller and the renter share the risk – if the factory is busy, it pays more; if production is slow, the factory pays less. At this time, the technology to charge for RaaS in the hospitality industry does not exist.

Robot owners usually keep their robots. Since hospitality robots are relatively new to the American market, none are nearing the end of their life cycle. Unlike cell phones, robots don’t quickly become obsolete. If the owner makes an informed decision about the most appropriate robot, upgrades should not be necessary for several years.

While we have robots that are used for demonstrations, most customers opt to buy the one we deliver. If we use one for multiple demonstrations, it will be offered at a discount at the end of one of those site visits.

Generally, no. We are robot dealers and no one has asked us to take an old robot – because there aren’t any.  Any serving carts or pallet jacks that someone wants to dispose of may be sold on websites such as eBay.

Generally speaking, robots do not eliminate jobs. Commercial service robots are assistive technologies that perform repetitive and unpleasant tasks. While you may connect to your friend Heidi in Switzerland by simply asking Siri to call her, 70 years ago, you would have dialed your local operator. Multiple operators, from Omaha and New York City to London and Zurich, would connect wires that crossed under the Atlantic Ocean to reach your friend’s phone. After several minutes, your operator would come back on the line and say “I have Heidi on the line for you.” We may not have many operators today, but we now have cell phone salespeople, satellite technicians and app designers. And no one would suggest returning to rotary phones that sit on a desk.

The robots we sell are designed to carry trays of food from the kitchen to the waitstaff who will have more time to actually serve restaurant patrons and earn larger tips. Other robots will mop floors or carry boxes from the storeroom to the sales floors. The drudgery disappears and shoppers have a better experience in clean stores with fully stocked shelves.

While we are a growing company, we will not sacrifice quality for quantity. Every employee and every location must provide the expertise our customers need. This is a nascent industry – people with actual robotic knowledge are rare. We invest heavily in on-the-job training and have very low employee turnover. Growing too rapidly will benefit no one.

In some markets, we may have sales and/or deployment technician opportunities. Salespeople should have executive level sales or management experience in one of our targeted industries. Retired and part-time candidates are encouraged to apply. Deployment technicians should have completed basic engineering or programming courses at the college or technical school level. Most deployment technician opportunities are part-time. 

You can send a resume – or simply tell us about yourself - using the following link (to humanresources@xcelrobots.com.) We will generally not respond to applications unless we have a suitable job opening; however, all applications are kept on file for 180 days and reviewed by humans as opportunities arise.