Switchover

[Bubbles Galore]

After a ridiculous amount of hand wringing, contemplating, discussing etc. We switched our changers over to dispense only dollar coins. We left our bay/vac prices at 1.50/.75 to see what customer reaction would be to the new coins.

In the past few days, no one has really even questioned it. We have had a few old-timers that think that we are trying to steal that extra .50 from them, but after a quick explanation, they seem to understand. I'm actually suprised at how many people like the fact that they don't have to carry around a bunch of quarters. I have heard the phrase "about time" quite a bit.

Lesson: It is 100% true what all the veterans around here say. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to doing things like this. Whether it is adjusting time, raising prices, etc... I wish I would have done this a long time ago.

I was explaining to someone last night that the days of a quarter car wash are gone. I referenced McD's and how their extra value meals used to be $3 or less and now you can go and spend $6-$7 on that same exact meal. Once you throw a little bit of logic their way, the light bulb will eventually come on.

 

[Kirb]

John,
You have to keep us updated how this is working for you. I am thinking about doing this myself. My bays acceptors would be fine but would have to upgrade the vac acceptors.
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[johnny]

do you have bill aceptors,cc in the bays

 

[Jeff_L]

Do you still take quarters as well?

 

[Earl Weiss]

If you still accept quarters, how do you seperate the quarters from Dollars?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

We have our one super bay with the cc, cas, and coin acceptors. The rest of the bays and vacs and the new vendor all take quarters, tokens, dollar coins.

As far as separating goes, we have to do it by hand. We have been counting quarters by hand since we bought the place, no biggie for us.

To be quite honest, if you have the capability to do this, I think it only makes sense. I hasn't even been a week and I wish I would have done this as soon as I bought the place.

 

[Kirb]

John,
Do you have any customers putting bills in your Shurvend and hitting coin return to get quarters?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Nope, my shurvend will gladly accept dollar bills and then if they want change, they get a shiny new $1 coin.

 

[Plow Guy]

When I switched over to dollars about a year ago, I glued a bright yellow sign on my changer saying we now only dispense dollars. I kept getting phone calls saying the changer shorted them and only gave one quarter. Other people thought they were tokens. I fought this for two months of so.I guess we are creatures of habit.

 

[Mo's Cow Wash LLC.]

Did you ever consider a $1 token? Right now i accept tokens (.25) and quarters and been considering jumping to $1 and quarter, you have made me think.

 

[washme1]

I bought a coin separater a year ago to separate tokens from quarters. They make any size you want so I am sure you could order one that would separate quarters from dollars. It is a stainless steel tray with holes in the size you want so that the smaller coin will drop thru. I made a box for it to sit on to make the process easier. I don't remember the name of the company but I'm pretty sure I found it on the web site for Van Brook tokens.

 

[Plow Guy]

Mo, I took my daughters car to a wash in Denver a few years ago. I only had a 10.00. The changer only dispensed 1 dollar tokens. I only needed 3 or 4 dollars for my wash. I left,went down the street to a wash that dispensed legal tender. Good Luck,Pete

 

[Kirb]

The stainless steel trays for sorting coins are from ABC COINS in Texas. I just bought one and it works great. They also have a plastic version that is cheaper but it sorts US coins and no tokens.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Bubbles are you having any problems getting $1 coins from the bank to fill your changers?
I've wanted to do this too but I've heard from some that it's hard to get a steady/consistant stream of $1 coins from their banks.

 

[MEP001]

Bubbles are you having any problems getting $1 coins from the bank to fill your changers?
I've wanted to do this too but I've heard from some that it's hard to get a steady/consistant stream of $1 coins from their banks.

We face the same problem here. Some banks charge $30 for a 1000-count box of wrapped dollar coins.

 

[Tpoppa]

I have had customers tell me that they come to my wash because I use quarters rather than my competitors' that use tokens. I am not sure how they would react to the $coins.

Bubbles, what do you see as the advantage of the $coins? Are customers spending more? $3 instead of $2.50 for example?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

-As mentioned above, I have a 20 y.o. wash that has been dispensing legal tender for that whole time period. I don't want to upset the apple cart by changing too many variables at once. We don't have a lot of vandalism problems or anything that would merit a switch to tokens.

-I basically pulled out the a*hole card and said, I am paying a ton of money to this bank and if you want me to continue to pay that note, you will order as many dollar coins as I need for as long as I need them. They currently have 2k on hand at all times and can place orders for upwards of 1k/week. I didn't like having to do that, but that is what it took.

-Inadvertently our customers do spend more since my prices were not adjusted to reflect an increment divisible by a dollar. That was my biggest worry, and I haven't seen anything to substantiate that worry.....yet. Most people don't even notice to be honest with you. They get their change and wash away. So far it has worked out great.

 

[Kirb]

Bubbles,
Now that you been only dispensing $1 coins for a few months. How is it working? Many complaints? Did you stay with the same start-up time?
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Things have worked out great! Our start up time is still $1.50. We have had a few complaints, but nothing that would make me believe we made the wrong decision. I think that it is the best decision that we have made thus far. I would encourage everyone to go to a $1 denomination, it is such a simpler process for the customer. Since I had dispensed quarters for so long, it took our regulars a little while to get used to it, but now they love it.

 

[Earl Weiss]

For those that have switched to dollar coins or are thinking of switching would you consider it to be an alternate plan to add bill acceptors to the bays? Why or why not?