Golden Dollars vs. Quarters

[ScottV]

I'm building a new wash location and was thinking of setting up my dual Hamilton changer to issue quarters on one side and golden dollars on the other. Eventually I'd like to only offer the dollar coins, but figure I need a transition period. I'll also have dollar bill acceptors and credit cards at all bays, vacs and vending.

Have any of you tried this, and if so did the customers adopt the dollar coin, or avoid it and continue pulling quarters?

Thanks
ScottV

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I tried dispensing just as you mention and it didn't work. No one paid any attention to the large decal stating which coin they would get, so whichever side they used they got whatever coin. I took them off when a stringer noticed the decals and proceeded to string the dollar side. It is a challenge to say the least to get them to understand that the dollar is real money and not a token. It is also a challenge to get them out of the "We have to use quarters" line of thinking. I switched to dollars only within a couple of months. That caused a little confusion because I was priced at $1.50. Within about 6 months I converted my dual Hamiltons to dispense 4 quarters and the balance in golden dollars. It was a very easy conversion and works great. I'm still dispensing the same way 8 years later although my start-up price is $2.

 

[DavidM]

We dispense only dollar coins. Our start up price is $2. There is initial confusion from people who think it is a token however the benefits far outweigh that issue.

If I were building a new wash I probably wouldn't dispense any coin. If everything has a bill acceptor use a Bill Breaker style machine to dispense ones and fives instead of coins.

We have not dispensed quarters in 8 years.

 

[boywonder]

We've dispensed dollar coins for almost 10 years. Yeah theres a little education involved, and when they relize that you can use them at the wash, they don't think twice about it. I do like the idea of a bill breaker, but don't know how that will go over. When our upgrades are finished we will dispense all dollar coins. Anything now that 50cents will be raised to a buck.

 

[JIMT]

I tried dispensing just as you mention and it didn't work. No one paid any attention to the large decal stating which coin they would get, so whichever side they used they got whatever coin. I took them off when a stringer noticed the decals and proceeded to string the dollar side. It is a challenge to say the least to get them to understand that the dollar is real money and not a token. It is also a challenge to get them out of the "We have to use quarters" line of thinking. I switched to dollars only within a couple of months. That caused a little confusion because I was priced at $1.50. Within about 6 months I converted my dual Hamiltons to dispense 4 quarters and the balance in golden dollars. It was a very easy conversion and works great. I'm still dispensing the same way 8 years later although my start-up price is $2.

I B
How did you convert the dual changer to do that. I have dual Hamiltons and would like to do that.
JIMT

 

[Earl Weiss]

We dispense only dollar coins. Our start up price is $2. There is initial confusion from people who think it is a token however the benefits far outweigh that issue.

If I were building a new wash I probably wouldn't dispense any coin. If everything has a bill acceptor use a Bill Breaker style machine to dispense ones and fives instead of coins.

We have not dispensed quarters in 8 years.

Having installed Bill 4 Bay Bill acceptors recently as well as combo vacs I could see doing away with coinage all together.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I B
How did you convert the dual changer to do that. I have dual Hamiltons and would like to do that.
JIMT

You will need to remove the main wiring harness from each side of the changer. You will replace them with a harness for model RL-2 or RL-3. Call Randy for the harness and a dollar wheel for one hopper. The RL harness has provisions for only one validator. Call Jim at Etowah Valley Eq. for a jumper harness to connect the two validators to the RL harness.

Doing this conversion turns your two changers into one that dispenses a combo. You will only use the electronics for one side of the changer so you will have a controller and other misc parts left over. I used the lower controller mounting location so the wiring would easily reach the hoppers. This is all plug-n-play, there is no drilling or wire cutting/splicing involved. I did remove all of the unused parts from my changers to make the job look cleaner. The harness actually has plugs for 3 hoppers. I went to Hamiltons site and printed the RL-3 manual. It contained a wiring diagram so I could determine which plug was for hopper 1, which is not used.

I may have a pic of one of these. If I can find it I will post later.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Here are pics of one with the hoppers removed. The multitude of wire ties are securing wires to steel rods to prevent them from being pulled out the coin cup or "out of service" light holes.

 

[cantbreak80]

I’ve been dispensing $1 coins only for about 10 years.
Start time is $2 for bays…$1 for vacs…$1 for drop shelf vendors.
Every meter box accepts $1 coins and quarters.

When I converted from quarters, there was no “transition period”. Customers continued to get coins and spend some of them with no issues whatsoever…no confusion…no complaints.

Amazingly (to me) after 10 years, customers still bring their own quarters to the wash…accounting for nearly 23% of the gross!

The only downside? Replenishing $1 coin stock regularly…especially if you accept $20 bills. Last year, my customers spent 70% of the dispensed coins. For every $100,000 in bills received, 30,000 coins left the premises.

Without the credit card system I suspect the “$1 coin carry off” would be closer to 40%.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Start up price is $1.50 and I dispense dollar coins. Some of the old timers were a little disgruntled, but we dealt with it. I won't ever go back, it was one of the best transitions we ever made!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Start up price is $1.50 and I dispense dollar coins. Some of the old timers were a little disgruntled, but we dealt with it. I won't ever go back, it was one of the best transitions we ever made!

When I had the uneven start-up price it wasn't a huge deal, but quite a few people asked if the meter would give change. A few would asked for some quarters, but most understood and seemed to be ok with it. Me being paranoid and not wanting to annoy customers if at all possible wanted to do better. I also wondered if some of those annoyed customers might go elsewhere the next time. In an effort to have as many "gruntled" customers as possible I converted the changer to do the mix. Everyone seemed to be happy after that, no regrets at all.

 

[washnvac]

I suggest neither. Instead, high security tokens with a protected territory. No stringing, no replenishing dollars or quarters, no hassle. Carry off pays for the cost of the tokens.