Going Cashless?

[wash man 2000]

I am building my express tunnel, and really trying to make this an awesome experience for our customers. I have heard a bit about being cashless, and how it reduces employee theft, time getting cash deposited, getting change, and vandalization theft from the pay stations. Major theme parks, concerts, and parks are starting to go 100% cashless... but should I?

I've also seen that there are Cashless Tip applications to help solve that side of the equation.

However I think my town may be a little more oriented towards cash. I've seen on podcasts articles that some of the larger operators have converted and think it's great. Anybody have experience with this that you'd care to share?

 

[Randy]

There are couple of large car wash chains here that have gone totally cashless and they seem to be doing very well. They went cashless do to to the crime problems we have here.

 

[wash man 2000]

There are couple of large car wash chains here that have gone totally cashless and they seem to be doing very well. They went cashless do to to the crime problems we have here.

If you think about it, even if they don't get in, they can do hundreds or thousands in damage each time they try... then you have to pay a manager to go get the cash, account for it, deposit it, and reload change... They also mentioned people loading singles into the machine on the weekend taking longer than its worth to sell them the wash.

 

[Keno]

This is very market dependent and what form of payment your customers have available, some markets will have customers that don't qualify for cards. If you think you can do it and not lose much potential business, it's probably worth it for all the reasons you stated. Other thing to consider with chains going cashless, they have a bigger pool of washes to average any bigger losses from a single site, so even if 1 site loses more business than expected due to cashless, they can average that over their whole portfolio. Not possible for single or few site operators. Definitely plus and minus to going cashless, but if your market can handle it, probably more plus than minus.

I don't think comparing to theme parks, concerts, parks, etc is a good comparison either. They have what is basically a monopoly, where your customer who wants to use cash can go down the street to your competition that still accepts cash.

 

[Car Wash Man]

I am building my express tunnel, and really trying to make this an awesome experience for our customers. I have heard a bit about being cashless, and how it reduces employee theft, time getting cash deposited, getting change, and vandalization theft from the pay stations. Major theme parks, concerts, and parks are starting to go 100% cashless... but should I?

However I think my town may be a little more oriented towards cash. I've seen on podcasts articles that some of the larger operators have converted and think it's great. Anybody have experience with this that you'd care to share?

I think that in the fact in your original post you stated "However I think my town may be a little more oriented towards cash" is your answer that you shouldn't drop cash if your town is accustomed to it.

 

[kentadel]

Cash % keeps dropping at my washes. Just checked today's sales in 1 automatic bay in a small rural town. 40 washes, 37 card, 3 cash. Normally out of 40 8 to10 would be cash.

 

[Earl Weiss]

See if you can ask a local Gasoline retailer why sales percentage breakdown of Cash / CC is. That may be a good metric for your area.

 

[Wash4Life]

See if you can ask a local Gasoline retailer why sales percentage breakdown of Cash / CC is. That may be a good metric for your area.

I do not look at gas stations and car washes as being an apples to apples comparison. Gasoline is a higher ticket item than a car wash. Also, there are credit cards that give higher rewards for gas purchases. I don't believe there are any credit cards that reward car wash use.

 

[wash man 2000]

Cash % keeps dropping at my washes. Just checked today's sales in 1 automatic bay in a small rural town. 40 washes, 37 card, 3 cash. Normally out of 40 8 to10 would be cash.

Wow, OK that's still 20-25% Interesting, thank you!

 

[wash man 2000]

I think that in the fact in your original post you stated "However I think my town may be a little more oriented towards cash" is your answer that you shouldn't drop cash if your town is accustomed to it.

That is why I am here asking for input from folks with actual experience having made the switch.

 

[Axxlrod]

Cashless works fine in higher demographic areas. I wouldn't do it in lower demo areas.

I am building a new express that will be cashless, but it is in a high income coastal area. My other washes that are inland still get about 60% cash. As nice as it would be to stop dealing with cash at those sites, I think it would be a mistake.

 

[wash man 2000]

Cashless works fine in higher demographic areas. I wouldn't do it in lower demo areas.

I am building a new express that will be cashless, but it is in a high income coastal area. My other washes that are inland still get about 60% cash. As nice as it would be to stop dealing with cash at those sites, I think it would be a mistake.

You just described my area... and while I would love to go cashless, it sounds like I shouldn't.

I went to the Convenience store across the street, and asked the assistant manager their cash % and she said 60%, my jaw dropped.

Thank you for the input.