Bill Acceptors

[peaches]

Hi Guys - it's been a while . . . but I am back! I need some help. We accept tokens at our wash and have the old rotary style meters. We are thinking about purchasing new ones with bill and credit card acceptors. What has kept us from doing this so far is the fact that we accept tokens (which is a money maker in itself) and I know people won't need to use the changers as often once the bill acceptors are installed. I know the benefits of having the ability to take bills in the bays but my token sales would suffer . . . so anyone regreted doing this?

Thanks for your help. I have to get used to this new forum! It looks great!

 

[MEP001]

We built our wash with bill acceptors - I don't find it to be any advantage other than to the customers to save them a trip to the changer. In my opinion, you'd be better off adding credit card acceptance instead of bill acceptors.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

We got new boxes with all of the above that you mentioned. I just wanted to give my customers the ability to pay however they want in the bay. I got my boxes from Etowah Valley and I love them. Good luck!

 

[soapy]

I also have the etowah valley bay boxes. I added them in March. SO far the bill accpetance in the bay runs about 32% of bills in the bay compared to the bills through the changer. You can still accept tokens in the bays with these boxes. I think the bill acceptors lead to people spending more time in the bay as much as credit card acceptors. I would do both CC and in bay bill acceptors at the same time.

 

[LisaLyons]

Peaches - it's so good to hear from you again! I put in credit card/loyalty card acceptors at my wash. Decided against bill acceptors in the bays for security reasons, but the results are that I'm still selling about the same about of tokens but the credit card & loyalty card business has increase business about 20%. Customers are happy and credit card washes are averaging about $7.84 per use. I think you'll find that the younger generation coming up just does not carry cash. Make it easy on your customers to spend money & they will. Are you coming to the WCA show this year? Would love to see you again.

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW the last 2 combo vacs I bought I put in Bill acceptors. Not sure if overall sales jumped, but after years of getting quarters only removing singles and fives was a treat.

I was not sure many peoplke would use them since I have not seen any in the Chgo area. The first month saw about $300.00 in bills for the 2 units including $30.00 in fives.

 

[peaches]

Lisa, what type of loyalty card system do you use? I think, all things considered, we probably won't add bill acceptors at this time. I am interested in adding credit card acceptance to the self serve bays and I would like to change from the old rotary style to the touch system but the husband thinks the electronics would be more of a pain and wouldn't last as long so we will probably keep the old rotary ones until they are no longer made. He would have a rotary phone if he could get one! Not much for change, that guy.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I had the old style touchtron boxes from ginsan. When I purchased my new etowah valley box, I got a rotary style and I like it alot more than the touchtrons. Just personal preference I guess, the new piezo buttons definitely look better though.

 

[MEP001]

Sometimes simpler really is better, especially when you're dealing with self-serve customers. They spray and beat on the boxes and don't care that there are sensitive electronics inside. I'll probably never use anything but rotary switches.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I put bill acceptors and c.c in the bays at one of my washes back in 2004.
The nice thing about it is you don't have to carry around a lot of quarters to the bank anymore.
Customers seem to love both of them.
This last weekend my son and I were at our other wash and it was not to busy but when we went to the one that accecpts bills and credit cards we had all 5 bays busy and people waiting. We both said that it must be the c.c and bills.
About 4 months ago we installed some new coinco bill acceptors in the bays because our other acceptors had been giving us problems all the time.
We had 2 notes in our box over the weekend that said they were glad we actually have acceptors that accept bills now and thank us.
For us it was worth the investment.

 

[LisaLyons]

I got the Washcard system along with the on-site recharger. The system takes both credit & the washcards. Got to admit - I'm with your hubby on the rotary switches!

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Lisa you have a great web site.
Has many people purchased washcards through the site?
How's the blast-o-dry working? Many people using them?
I'm still thinking about installing them.

 

[LisaLyons]

Thanks! I've been very happy with the performance of both the Washcard and the blowers. I was the first to get them in my area and my Distributor put a timer on them to get a read on the usage. We figured that a 2 year payback would average 90 mins a month on the two bays I have them on. I'm averaging about 3.7 hours a month on each bay. I'm going to put them on the remaining bays. A customer this weekend was waiting on one of the blower bays when 2 bays were empty. I talked to her and she told me she has never washed her car as much since she started to come to my wash - mostly because of the blowers & credit cards. I monitored her and she spent $15.00 to wash her car. I really didn't think they would do as good as they are doing but I'm really happy I was wrong about it.

 

[ONEcard]

After tracking quite a few customers sites we have come up with the following. Coin user spend an average of $2.75.. In Bay bill users spend an average of $5.00. Card users spend an average of $7.75 I'm one who always asks why. The reason we have found is the buying decision is made at the beginning of the wash cycle. Coin customers even with $1.00 tokens stack the coins and feed the meter as needed. Bill customer will feed and wash but dont typically use last coin alert features. Card Customer swipe and just wash without the time pressures. Given that the wash has enough features to use they will use them. If considering new Inbay features I would recomend Air Dryers. Have installed for a few customers everyone an instant hit.
Zack

 

[Waxman]

I agree, great website!