accepting tokens only?

[blurdgman]

I'm dubious about more profit gained due to 'tokens only'.

Yes, you can train the customer, but it is still the wrong view point, to me. And I am including myself in this, because I was formerly 'tokens only'.

Being at the wash every day, I learned just how many customers came in with quarters for the SS bays; it was ALOT. Yes you can train them, but you are still neglecting the infrequent or one-time-only customers who have quarters only to spend for some reason. Some customers from out of town, for example, would not qualify for training.

Any lost sale matters to me and my little wash, so that's why tokens and quarters (and soon CC!!) works for me.

To each his own.

You'll probably be stuck at "your little wash" forever because you've got to be on hand when currency is used and you can be there to count it.
Tokens only afford basic "no no" to thieves whether they come from outside or from within, your employees. When there's no cash involved except what goes into the token changer life becomes simpler. The meter on the bill changer records exactly what went in and that's how much must go to the bank. You can also count the tokens in the bay boxes and that should be reasonably close to the amount of tokens that were exchanged for bills. You don't even have to be an on hand owner if you have someone trusted to empty the bill changer and take the funds to the bank. You don't have to separate quarters and take the bag to the bank and get charged by the bank for counting them. When you buy tokens for 40 cents each and sell them for a dollar you're suddenly in a new business of making money when the tokens disappear into never never land, you know, the same place where socks disappear.
When you get your second or third location you'll have a relatively free mind with "tokens only". Trust those that have been doing this for 28 years. Good luck to you!

 

[DbltheBbls]

I see alot of people that still show up with a pocket full of tokens as well. Adding a Quarter to Token changer onto your existing change machine would take care of those people.

 

[blurdgman]

Part of the problem in this entire discussion is that the quarter guys are still selling in increments of 25 cents e.g. $1.25, $1.50 etc. The token guys have graduated into the upper stratosphere and deal their washes in dollars. We offer $2 start but it takes $3 to wash for 4 minutes or a portion thereof. There are too many washes that make the customer feel that cars should be washed with quarters and that's what's keeping them back.

 

[Waxman]

Whale O Wash has lots of experience and almost 40 bays of SS. He's tokens and quarters and CC in his bays. I'm sure he's not the only more experienced (than me) one with this opinion.

I fully agree with the idea of tokens as more secure and less tempting for thieves. No argument here.

To say I'll be stuck at my little wash forever because I choose to accept quarters is silly. Why belittle me because I disagree with one business philosophy?

I'm a hands-on owner and it suits me. I have dealt with employee theft and customer theft, as many of us have. The labor in sorting is minimal when done on a regular basis, like most routine carwash tasks.

My bank charges zero to count the quarters, as do all banks in my area (if you have an account, the coin counter usage is free).

I made less in bank deposits while I was tokens only. It doesn't really matter what works for the other operator, as long as it works for you.

As far as me having a $.25 mentality, I feel the desiring CC acceptance and the fact that I vend only tokens currently negates this.

 

[MEP001]

I'm dubious about more profit gained due to 'tokens only'.

I am too, even after seeing it proven to me. Unless I or someone was on site most of the day, and we had break-in problems, I would never do it.

This thread has made me realize that a fairly high percentage of customers never go to the changer.

 

[blurdgman]

Apology

"To say I'll be stuck at my little wash forever because I choose to accept quarters is silly. Why belittle me because I disagree with one business philosophy?"

Dear Whale of a Wash:
I apologize, I didn't intend my comments as an insult. I still stand behind the philosophy of my comment.

If I didn't have "Tokens Only" and Teamviewer I wouldn't be able to operate my washes from 1300 miles away.

To each his own!
God Bless You!
BluRdgMan