Why do people hate Tokens SO MUCH?!

[Cwajciec]

I recently switched from quarter changers to $1 High Security Tokens due to abuse of our change machines. 6 bay SS. I put up clear signs (that no-one reads) and after a few weeks all of the regular abusers left with their $20-$40 of tokens for the last time. Some actually washed their car. But what is making me scratch my head is the reaction of customers that want to use the change (Tokens) to wash their car. I've heard more F-Bombs dropped and punching of the change machine because brass tokens come out and not quarters. Some of these are regulars. These same people use all their tokens and come back 10 minutes later for more to keep cleaning/vacuuming their car. The location has someone on-site Monday through Friday and we get the occasional customer that exchanges an handfull of quarters for Tokens. My bays/vacs do not take quarters because I don't want to upgrade and have to sort them.

So what's the big deal? Any insight into the minds of my customers? Also, by the way; sales have increased 2x-3x in the first 3 months because I also increased pricing and added foam guns for tire cleaner and presoak. I've also "lost" over 1000 Tokens in 3 months due to walk-offs. Win-Win! Best decision ever for business but I don't want upset customers?

 

[OurTown]

My bays/vacs do not take quarters because I don't want to upgrade and have to sort them.

I think this might be where the issue is. We switched to dispensing only $1 tokens and only a handful have complained. We take quarters, tokens, tap to pay, swipe, and bills on all bays, as well as the glass front spiral vending machine. Vacs take the same except that some do not have bill acceptors. To help with the transition we have programmed the changer to dispense 1 token for a $1 bill, 5 tokens for a $5 bill, 11 tokens for a $10 bill, and 23 tokens for a $20 bill. We put a sign up showing that. We get a ton of quarters still.

 

[Islandwash]

I have been dispensing $1. Tokens only for over 10 years, I do give a bonus token for each $5.00 increment. Every Bay takes Card, Tokens, Quarters, bills. All vacs take tokens, quarters and bills and some vacs Credit card. I don't remember any problems when I shifted over. Customers have a choice on how to pay. Coin is a lot of work compared to Bills or card. Bring your own quarters no charge. Buy over $5 of tokens get a discount. Honestly, I prefer they use bills or card.

 

[RAAOO7]

I have been dispensing $1. Tokens only for over 10 years, I do give a bonus token for each $5.00 increment. Every Bay takes Card, Tokens, Quarters, bills. All vacs take tokens, quarters and bills and some vacs Credit card. I don't remember any problems when I shifted over. Customers have a choice on how to pay. Coin is a lot of work compared to Bills or card. Bring your own quarters no charge. Buy over $5 of tokens get a discount. Honestly, I prefer they use bills or card.

What type of tokens do you have? I was looking into high security tokens but heard over time coin acceptors wont read them if they get dirty or old. I use microcoin ql. Can you give me any advice?

 

[Waxman]

i think the key is to accept quarters and tokens both.

i do this. plus cc. no bills in my bays.

yes people complain a bit but not much. vending tokens only but accepting quarters and cc also is my winning strategy.

 

[Cwajciec]

What type of tokens do you have? I was looking into high security tokens but heard over time coin acceptors wont read them if they get dirty or old. I use microcoin ql. Can you give me any advice?

I have Slugbuster 2 single coin, so I couldn’t take both quarters and tokens unless I upgraded all 6 bays. And my vacs are mechanical so I’d need to add a transformer and timer to them too. Not to mention a quarter sorting machine to separate tokens from quarters. I did put credit card readers in all 6 bays and they get used around 45%.
recently, I think most customers have gotten used to the tokens and the number of upset customers has gone down. I will also say I was the last quarter vendor in town, all other washes are tokens already. I’m using the Hoffman 230 token.

 

[Axxlrod]

Keep going. Your customers will adapt.

I have never accepted quarters. My facilities cost several million to build; I want my customers to think in dollars and not quarters. This isn't 1987.

I dispense $1 tokens, and accept bills and cc in the bays. Vacs and vending are token only although I will be adding cc to them.

Whenever I get the occasional question from a customer as to why I use tokens, I explain that as a 24/7 facility, I do not want quarters sitting in any of the 10+ vaults overnight as that invites theft and vandalism. That explanation usually makes sense to them.

 

[OurTown]

Keep going. Your customers will adapt.

I have never accepted quarters. My facilities cost several million to build; I want my customers to think in dollars and not quarters. This isn't 1987.

I dispense $1 tokens, and accept bills and cc in the bays. Vacs and vending are token only although I will be adding cc to them.

Whenever I get the occasional question from a customer as to why I use tokens, I explain that as a 24/7 facility, I do not want quarters sitting in any of the 10+ vaults overnight as that invites theft and vandalism. That explanation usually makes sense to them.

They will adapt unless there is local competition that is just as nice and can accept the quarters that they are adamant they "need" to use. Someday we will stop accepting them because those people spend a lot less.

 

[cbchevy4x4]

It is human nature to resist change, people get bent over the stupidest change from their normal routine because it is now something that they have to learn. As to their behavior, i catch someone "punching" my change machine and they are told to leave... no questions asked...JUST LEAVE or the next phone call is to PD.

 

[Axxlrod]

They will adapt unless there is local competition that is just as nice and can accept the quarters that they are adamant they "need" to use. Someday we will stop accepting them because those people spend a lot less.

I guess that is true in many places, but not in CA. No one is building new SS washes here; they don't pencil out.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

I recently switched from quarter changers to $1 High Security Tokens due to abuse of our change machines. 6 bay SS. I put up clear signs (that no-one reads) and after a few weeks all of the regular abusers left with their $20-$40 of tokens for the last time. Some actually washed their car. But what is making me scratch my head is the reaction of customers that want to use the change (Tokens) to wash their car. I've heard more F-Bombs dropped and punching of the change machine because brass tokens come out and not quarters. Some of these are regulars. These same people use all their tokens and come back 10 minutes later for more to keep cleaning/vacuuming their car. The location has someone on-site Monday through Friday and we get the occasional customer that exchanges an handfull of quarters for Tokens. My bays/vacs do not take quarters because I don't want to upgrade and have to sort them.

So what's the big deal? Any insight into the minds of my customers? Also, by the way; sales have increased 2x-3x in the first 3 months because I also increased pricing and added foam guns for tire cleaner and presoak. I've also "lost" over 1000 Tokens in 3 months due to walk-offs. Win-Win! Best decision ever for business but I don't want upset customers?

We switched to high-security $1 tokens 10 years ago (2015), due to quarter theft. I was on-site a lot and once customers understood the WHY, they accepted them. It was NOT a scam or con-game! I was happy to exchange quarters for tokens or buy back any unused tokens. We went with two-tone tokens, so they look like pesos or euro coins. Customers liked them and a few collected them.

To prepare for the transition, I made of list of Pros and Cons about tokens. The only CON was for travelers who didn't have a credit card, which was rare. Once we switched over, an unexpected benefit was $1 tokens were MORE EFFICIENT. When it was quarters, customers put in 12 quarters ($3) to start. They would lose count after the first 5 quarters and think the machine wasn't working. A $20 bill would give them 80 QUARTERS! If they wanted to use all 80 quarters, I was essentially charging them to insert their quarters AFTER they had inserted the initial 12 quarters, and now the meter was running!

 

[soonermajic]

i think the key is to accept quarters and tokens both.

i do this. plus cc. no bills in my bays.

yes people complain a bit but not much. vending tokens only but accepting quarters and cc also is my winning strategy.

Same here. Rural town forces your hand sometimes. But Gold Coins, qrtrs, Tokens & CC gives you every form of payment. Seems smart to me...

 

[washnvac]

There are no cons to tokens, in my opinion. I have been using $1 high security tokens for twenty years. I even dispense as change in my auto cashiers. There are no quarters available on my sites. We operate car washes, not quarter dispensaries. If a customer does not like that, it is tough $hit. We take bills, cc, and quarters too. There is nothing to bitch about.