People getting change

[lighthousecarwash]

The entire time I was reading this post, I was thinking the same thing. If I had an apartment complex or laundromat, why in the hell wouldn't you have change machines to accomodate your customers.


Lighthouse.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I was thinking that if someone was buying quarters so I don't have to lug them to the bank he was doing me a favor. I think some people are just looking for something to whine about.

 

[Randy]

Lighthouse,
I can tell you stories for hours about Laundromat operators and car wash operators whose bill changers are nothing more than worn pieces of junk. They don’t seem to understand that if there bill changer isn’t working then there customers are going to go down the street to a operation that the bill changer does work. They seem to think that a bill changer doesn’t make them any money so they do the absolute minimum to keep it in good repair or they buy the cheapest changer they can find and expect it to perform like a finely tuned Swiss watch, it not going to happen, you get what you pay for.

I have a customer who is buying used worn out HVX validators on the internet and is PO’d that they don’t work very well or last very long, he’s been doing this for years. I finely talked him into buying a recon’d Mars. Then he decided that it was to expensive $199 with a 6 month warranty and wanted another used HVX validator for $35. He can’t figure out why his business is on the decline.

On the other hand I have a customer who every 18 months or 2 years pulls out all 4 of his validators and buys new ones, sells the used ones for top dollar as they have little wear. He very seldom has very bill changer issues.

I tried to get a couple of the apartment complexes to put in bill changers for there tenants need. No way to expensive I was told. No I think they are just too cheap.

 

[MEP001]

The entire time I was reading this post, I was thinking the same thing. If I had an apartment complex or laundromat, why in the hell wouldn't you have change machines to accomodate your customers.

Why laundromats don't maintain their changers I don't understand. I used to have to use a coin laundry and I'd always bring my own quarters in case their changers were down (and they usually were). I can understand why an apartment complex wouldn't want a changer since it's an extra expense and a risk for break-ins. I don't get why the tenants are too stupid to get quarters or keep some on hand, or to expect the nearest car wash to supply them. I don't worry about minor use, but I have put a stop to a few people abusing it, including one guy with a stack of 100 or so $5 bills and a bank bag.

 

[travler]

we have the same problem with quarters I put a timer on the changers to go off at
2:am and back on at 6 am helps a little

 

[cleaning up mud]

My wife rolls quarters and the bank doesnt charge for the deposits, but its the wear on the machine that irks me, but my wife says they are doing her a favor, because she has to roll quarters before taking them to the bank. Try the deal from Jim Goswell that makes your change machine only take on or two fives or tens within a few minutes of each other, that might help.

 

[Indiana Wash]

My wife rolls quarters and the bank doesnt charge for the deposits, but its the wear on the machine that irks me, but my wife says they are doing her a favor, because she has to roll quarters before taking them to the bank. Try the deal from Jim Goswell that makes your change machine only take on or two fives or tens within a few minutes of each other, that might help.

I agree with the wife. I accumulate quarters at my wash and have to carry them to the bank. I guess people bring quarters to my wash. If I didn't have people carrying them to the nearby laundrymat, I would have even more quarters! The wear and tear on the machines is minimal. My bill changers are designed hundreds of thousands of uses. Change for a $10 is one use and really doesn't cause much more wear than change for a $1.

Please carry my quarters away and replace them with $10's so I don't have to!

 

[2Biz]

I welcome the people from the laundrymat across the street and whoever else wants change. The laundrymat changer has been broke down since we bought the wash...Even though we supply a lot of quarters for them, we still have to roll a lot of quarters every month to take to the bank.

Another plus, when people come over to get quarters, most of them also buy a pop or two! Or maybe even wash their car when they have their clothes in the dryer...Nothing to complain about here.

 

[Waxman]

I welcome the people from the laundrymat across the street and whoever else wants change. The laundrymat changer has been broke down since we bought the wash...Even though we supply a lot of quarters for them, we still have to roll a lot of quarters every month to take to the bank.

Another plus, when people come over to get quarters, most of them also buy a pop or two! Or maybe even wash their car when they have their clothes in the dryer...Nothing to complain about here.

Sounds alot like the 'waxman' approach. I like it!

 

[Randy]

I’m glad to have people come in and get change. I gain quarters every week, that’s just that many less we have to deal with. The wear and tear on the bill changer is absolutely minuscule. If it really bothers you can charge for the use of your charger by only dispensing $4.75 for a $5 and $9.75 for a $10 and so on. I have a guy who comes in everyday and gets $3.00 is change, does it bother me not one bit. He sometimes buys a tree or Armor all packet.

 

[99Roadking]

I read this thread last week and thought how bizarre, that was until Thursday night. My wife came outside and found me with a bewildered look on her face while holding 9 $20's all of which were in the bill stacker all together. Whoever did it needed $180.00 in quarters for some reason. It did shut down one of our two changers due to low quarters. Friday night there were two $20's in the same changer which is not normal for our wash. The wash is in a rural area but there is a nice discount gas station 1/4 mile up the road. If the large amount happens again I think I am going to nicely ask the station manager if it is indeed their business doing this. I dont mind a small amount from time to time, but I cannot have someone shutting down a changer for their business. They could literally shut my business down temporarily. If they are a business owner they should know better.

 

[MEP001]

If they are a business owner they should know better.

They probably do and don't care. I caught a guy with about 100 $5 bills and a large bank bag at the changer one day - he had the nerve to cuss me when I told him he couldn't get quarters from our changer for his business.

 

[99Roadking]

Its Taken Me Awhile

OK here it is....its taken me awhile but I finally got to the bottom of the change machine bandit. It appears several men in a local community get together and play poker on a weekly basis. I got nothing against that as I love a good hand or two of Texas Hold'em. But it appears the gentleman that runs the game weekly purchased one of the electronic poker machines which is illegal in our area but is set up to pay out to winners. The machine evidently holds $200.00 when empty. Since the first big heist there have been a few of 40.00 0r 60.00. Thats when someone wins on the machine and it pays out. The gentleman does not want to go to a bank for fear someone will catch on to what he is up to. So I went and had a chat with him and we are on the same page now, for now. Our agreement was a easy one. Stop taking quarters from my machine and no one will bother your poker machine fun. Thats all it took.

 

[bigleo48]

The way I see it is no different than any other wash abuse problem. I believe that in many cases, its a people training issue. This is what I've done. First I'm in Canada so we have the $2 and $1 coins, but that is even more appealing to the convenience stores and taxis.

1-Did the signage with "change may contain tokens" added the odd token to the $1 coin hopper.

2-Disconnected the change button on my IBA entry system.

3-I have a timer and turn off one of my dual change machines after hours. The side I turn off has a coin mech that changes $2 coins to $1. This stops most of the taxi traffic.

4-I have the capability to remotely monitor and turn off my machines with this device http://www.controlbyweb.com/webrelay/. After hours, I tend to monitor the wash via my video system while I'm watching TV. If I see someone pull up and try to put more than a $20 bill in, I know they are getting change for something else, so I power off the machine and stop them. If they get change and drive away, I note the particulars. If I see them again (usually within a few days), I turn off the machine before they even try. Once you get them...they stop coming. I rarely need to do this now.

 

[TurboJet]

My wash runs on tokens, so my situation or solution is maybe different.

My changers have two hoppers each, one for tokens and the other for dollar coins. I sell my tokens for $2 each (would do $1 each if I were to do it over again-another story).

You put $5 in my changer, you get 2 tokens and $1 change.
You put $10 in my changer, you get 3 tokens and $4 change.
You put $20 in my changer, you get 4 tokens and $12 change.

Stops guys who just want change, because they will get some tokens, and also, if you encounter counterfeit bills, this seems to deter them as well.

Without getting into the accepting quarters or not issue, you could do something similar with quarters if in your market quarters are the norm or expected car wash currency.

In my market, no one uses quarter increments and very few washes take quarters anymore so maybe a little different.

 

[99Roadking]

More Change Issues

We had this problem once and it went away but we noticed larger bills together and saw some people on cam at different times taking change from our changers and leaving without using our facilities. The other night I glanced up at the monitor in the mech room and noticed a famillar car. I then heard the change machine going off much like someone had hit the jackpot in Vegas. My wife is the one that keeps up with the changers and keeps them filled so she has been ****ed of late. I opened the back door and went out and met the gentleman returning to his car, I asked him if he was going to wash or vac. He replied "I hadnt planned on it". I explained to him the situation and why its important to us that this doesnt happen. I asked him what he does with this number of quarters. He said "me and my son are planning a hunting trip out west next year and we are trying to save money" My wife said my face had a glazed look on it and my head turned like a puppy hearing noises for the first time. I asked how converting the 2 $20's to 40.00 in quarters helped that and he said "if its in quarter form we won't spend the money. Hmmmmm. A few night later I was outside washing down bays and noticed another famillar car out front. I waited and stay toward the back of the bay when suddenly someone else had hit the jackpot. A female this time and I let her get in her car and she started backing up instead of pulling forward into a bay. I stopped her and explained the situation and how it effected our business. Just before she pulled off I asked her "So what are you doing with all the change"? You know what's coming.....she said " she was trying to save her money." Go figure.

 

[mjwalsh]

Another Coin Dispense Potential Option

Other than hopefully doing some good for my fellow Forum members ... I have no conflict of interest in stating the following: Based on about 2 years of owning our own ATM & now seeing that it has honestly actually paid for itself more than twice from the modest $2 per transaction bank card surcharges. It gives free bank balance inquiry printouts so there is a "zero cost to us" pro bono element to it also.

As many of us as possible should lobby the ATM industry to have an option to choose higher denomination coin payout along with a quantity of $5 bills choice. I know when I bought our ATM I had an option to have a 2nd canister for the end customers having a choice on the # of fives & the # of twenties given out.

This would turn the "lemon" of the walkaway coins to profitable "lemonade" daily transfers to our bank account ... in my opinion.

Operators, already in "deep" into card swipes on every piece of equipment at their facility will probably vehemently disagree wiith my above statement. I am sure a few "conflict of interest" manufacturers & distributors will also disagree.

mike walsh king koin concerned & responsible youtube person