Vending Tokens and Trees

[Waxman]

I'm all tokens and love every aspect of it; except the customers who only have quarters.

Here's my idea to solve this problem, and I can't believe I didn't do this sooner....Vend tokens out of one column of my Laurel electronic vendor! It accepts both quarters and tokens and is the only machinery on the lot that does that, so why not??? Should I put them in an envelope? vend single ($1) or 2 tokens?

While we're at it, I want to vend a smelly tree. what is the best seller? Spice is my fave, but I bet it's newcar or pine or vanilla, right?

 

[Fatboy769]

According to KR's Kleen-Scene issue #11, the top 10 Little Trees are

1) New Car
2) Black Ice
3) Vanillaroma
4) Strawberry
5) Royal Pine
6) Coconut
7) Wild Cherry
8) Peachy Peach
9) Jasmine
10) Watermelon

 

[pitzerwm]

A possible problem with vending from a Laural is that the old mechanical will take any tokens, so you would be getting ripped off, I would get the small envelopes to keep them corralled.

 

[Randy]

Why don?t you make everything take Tokens, Quarters and Dollar coins? That way you wouldn?t lose a vender to only dispense tokens out of. Pretty Simple to me!!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Plus, you won't lose out on all those quarters that may have been spent. Making customers jump through hoops (vending the token for quarters) to spend money is not good service. Many customers won't bother, assuming they even know that you have created that obstacle for them. You seem to usually be all about top notch service and overall taking care of the customer. What's the deal here?

 

[MEP001]

The only things customers have ever requested over the years have been something to clean with and new car Little Trees. I had the Dakota "Ventsations" in two machines (Vanilla and cherry), which were poor performers, so I switched one to Simoniz cleaning wipes and the other to the new car trees. Both are performing well, and the new car trees are selling better than both the Ventsations combined.

I see nothing wrong with your idea of vending a token or two, as long as you don't give more tokens than the value spent.

 

[Waxman]

The deal is that converting everything now, as opposed to having made a different decision when I built new, would be costly. I have money to spend on efficiency improvements, lighting, new detail service platforms, etc.

I definitely do consider 'tokens only' in my SS (2 bays) and vacs (2) great customer service. Here's why: Nobody's smashing the coinboxes all up to get at tokens. I know I would've been victim to this if there were US currency in those boxes. This correlates directly to more 'up time' overall in my bays and vacs. Isn't that what customers want; working machinery to use?

Customers are catching on and most get why I am all tokens, because I tell them why. My regulars buy $5,10, 20 worth and stick em in their ashtray. Next time they're at the wash, they hop out once, in the bay, with their tokens and get right to washing. How convenient is that?

Customers can't spend my tokens at dunkin d's, on cigs, lotto, etc, so they don't get used up the way extra quarters would, which would necessitate another trip to a change machine or piggy bank for more quarters. How convenient is that?

I wouldn't lose $ vending a dollar or two worth of tokens, just provide better service while spending no extra $ on this idea, thereby saving it for other ideas. Trick is to get customers to find this feature and use it when I'm not around to nake change, which isn't too often.

 

[MEP001]

My regulars buy $5,10, 20 worth and stick em in their ashtray.

Just curious, do you offer bonus tokens at $10 or $20?

 

[Kevin James]

Think about it. If you?re a customer and you?ve got a hand full of quarters are you going to go over the vending machine and buy a couple of tokens from a vending machine, I sure as heck wouldn?t. Make easy for the customer to spend his money. Make all your coin boxes, venders take everything like Randy and I.B washncars said. But on second thought why ask for anyone?s opinion, you?ve already got your mind made up so just do it your way. I gain Quarters every week, a lot of quarters and I have Tokens. I would think of not taking Quarters.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Waxman: If I have learned anything from this site, it is take advice for what it is worth. You are the only one that knows your customers, their habits, their wash routines and how they like to spend their money. Try and put yourself in your customers shoes, if you think that your customers would appreciate AND use this, then by all means, what are you waiting for? In the end, I always end up doing what I think is right for me, my business, and mostly my customer. Good Luck!!

 

[Red Baron]

I dispense 50/50 tokens/quarters at the 3/1 I built. The 6/1 I just bought would cost around $6,000 to upgrade to accept tokens, so I've decided I can tolerate the $200 in quarters that disappear to the laundry every day. That $6,000 covers a lot of my hassle factor expense.

In fact, as soon as I go through the tokens I have at my 3/1, I'm going to allow about a month to get them out of my customers' pockets, and stop using tokens. I've reached the conclusion that the added hassles of explaining them to the guy passing through from Oklahom who just put a $20 in my ACW and can't use the $7.50 in tokens he got as change, and sorting, aren't worth the slight benefit of having them.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I definitely do consider 'tokens only' in my SS (2 bays) and vacs (2) great customer service.

For the record, I disagree with that statement. Strongly disagree.

But to answer your question, the little trees co does publish a list of the best sellers, and the supply houses will tell you which ones they supply the most. My 5 best are (in this order) black ice, new car, vanillaroma, pina colada, cherry.

As for selling tokens in a drop shelf vendor for customers who only have quarters - yes, absolutely I would do it. My primary concern would be that you will sell a lot less than you think, mainly because I think these customers will have trouble figuring out that they can buy tokens for quarters, and that they need to go to this one drop shelf vendor to do it.

 

[MEP001]

But on second thought why ask for anyone’s opinion, you’ve already got your mind made up so just do it your way.

That is, once again, a very childish comment. Why did you even bother to reply?

 

[MEP001]

My 5 best are (in this order) black ice, new car, vanillaroma, pina colada, cherry.

I've never had a request for "Black Ice," but I've seen them in the trash, on the ground and on people's rear view mirrors. My question is, what the heck does it smell like?

I can see in a way how dollar tokens are a "service" to customers, mainly that they don't have to handle a large handful of coins. Offering bonus tokens with bigger bills would also be a "service." I agree that getting customers to find and use a quarter-to-token vendor might be difficult - I still have customers walk from a bay to me with a credit card in their hand and ask if we have an ATM. There's clear and simple signage that the bays accept credit cards, and they often just don't see that or the swiper right next to where the quarters go, or that the display shows the start amount and "Swipe card to start" on the same screen.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I've never had a request for "Black Ice," but I've seen them in the trash, on the ground and on people's rear view mirrors. My question is, what the heck does it smell like?

I dont know, I couldnt describe it. Dont use them myself because I cant stand the smell, but they sure do sell.

 

[Waxman]

When my wash was new, I decided to go dollar tokens only in my SS and vacs, and to also accept them in IBA (as well as quarters, cc and cash in iba cashier). There are several valid reasons for this, despite those of you who disagree. You didn't even respond when I said: "less vandalism=more up time". Sounds like you may have your own mind made up, which is fine.

I did not mean to enter into a tokens/quarters debate. I realize there are valid points on both sides of the argument. So be it.

My vendor is next to the token machine, so some signage should accomplish what I want.

For the record, I am giving awesome, Nordstrom's, Griot's Garage -type service here at my place. Being onsite at the detail shop all week and on weekends gives us ample opportunity to interact w/customers, make change, etc. I have my finger on the pulse of my customers. Being all tokens in ss and vacs is a choice I need to stick with for many reasons.

Thanks for the advice! I know just what to do. The ball is rolling.

ps; no I do not give bonus tokens for $10-20 but it is a good idea I will look into. Black Ice is a mens cologne scent, copying Drakkar Noir I think.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

You didn't even respond when I said: "less vandalism=more up time". Sounds like you may have your own mind made up, which is fine.

I did not mean to enter into a tokens/quarters debate.

Right - thats exactly why I didnt respond to your comments about "less vandalism=more up time." I was just trying to respond to your question.

You may indeed have the best customer service in the industry. I dont know. Just trying to provide feedback here to help you improve, not argue about how good a job you're doing.

Since you seem to want feedback: no, I do NOT think "more uptime" = "customer service". I think uptime is the bare minimum to be in business - if your bays are down, you are out of business. Yes, tokens are one way to reduce vandalism which means more uptime - but that is not customer service, that is simply keeping your business open. It is the bare minimum, it is necessary and expected. It is not exceptional or noteworthy, and there are other ways to achieve a reduction in vandalism.

continued...

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

... continued

Next time they're at the wash, they hop out once, in the bay, with their tokens and get right to washing. How convenient is that?

About as convenient as jumping out and using quarters, bills, dollar coins, credit card, gift card... and get right to washing.

My strategy with respect to "coin acceptors" is this: "Make it as easy as possible for customers to give me their money." I know there are mitigating factors, such as which projects you want to spend $ on, not wanting to count/separate quarters, etc. I get all that. But I honestly think that by not accepting quarters you are making it harder for them to give you $, and I think calling that "excellent customer service" is a bit disingenuous.

Customers can't spend my tokens at dunkin d's, on cigs, lotto, etc, so they don't get used up the way extra quarters would, which would necessitate another trip to a change machine or piggy bank for more quarters. How convenient is that?

Your customers must be very different than mine. Yes, I have a few customers who think that way. But in general if I said that to one of my customers, I'd literally get laughed out of town. Telling them to buy my tokens so they cant/wont spend their money somewhere else is not customer service in my market. That would be a benefit to me, not to my customers.

In case you wondered/care, my changers dispense $1 tokens. But I also accept quarters. After 8 or 10 years of only $1 tokens, I STILL get 50% of my revenue in quarters - I'm concerned that you are walking away from a significant chunk of business. My advice would be to put multi-coin acceptors in your bays & vacs, I think your payback would be very fast.

 

[Waxman]

Valid points. I will consider your recommendations. Thank you.

 

[MEP001]

ps; no I do not give bonus tokens for $10-20 but it is a good idea I will look into.

If your changer is a Hamilton, it's a very simple matter of throwing a couple of DIP switches on the controller and posting a sign. I've even considered converting one side of our dual Hamilton to tokens just to offer bonus tokens, and may at the same time add a credit card reader to it to dispense some tokens with a CC swipe.

Black Ice is a mens cologne scent, copying Drakkar Noir I think.

Thanks, so I assume it's more popular with the ladies? We're planning on ordering either a large glass-front vendor or a 5-column Little Trees one, and I'll consider that fragrance. Maybe Fragramatics has it too - I have one serious underperformer in the machines.