non-customers using change machine

[Anonymous]

I have 1 change machine in my small, unattended mat. I just received my 2nd one, and haven't had time to put it in. I constantly have people pull up to the front door and come in and get change, even though there is a sign above it that says "Change is for customers only. Please respect this". I got into an argument with a woman on X-mas eve about her taking change. She put in a $5 bill and got change and then went to put in another and it got stuck. That's when I walked up to her. I told her very nicely about the change situation (people come in sometimes and the mach. is out of change), and she got pretty nasty with me. I kept my cool, but was VERY pissed off. I went to the cops and they told me I have the right to kick people out that come in for change. If they come back, I have the right to have them arrested. On the other hand, I don't want to be known as the a_ _hole that owns the laundromat. What do I do? What do you guys do?
Thanks for the info.

[IPSOTECH]

Change your store over to a card system.

[DuboisLaundry]

I'm curious WHY non-customers need so much change.
Parking meters wouldn't explain the person with two 5s

Is there some other unattended coin-op business nearby?

[anonymous]

Some people get change for their apartment coin op washer and dryer.
I put a sign on every changer "not XXXXX laundry customers please pay 10% service charge",so if I catch them,they will have to pay otherwise I call the police.Some "changer customers" know me,when they see me,they always pay the 10%.You can not stop them 100% but I think the 10% fee stop some of them.
One of my friend tried different way,he is in Chicagoland area too.
He has sign on the changer"no refund for not laundry customer" and bought a remote on/off switch from Radio shop,connect to the changer,when he see people get change without laundry,he wait until they put the bill in before the coin or during the coin pay out,he turn off the changer and he walk away!Most "not customer" get mad and not go back to get change again.

[DuboisLaundry]

Some people get change for their apartment coin op washer and dryer.
I put a sign on every changer "not XXXXX laundry customers please pay 10% service charge",so if I catch them,they will have to pay otherwise I call the police.Some "changer customers" know me,when they see me,they always pay the 10%.You can not stop them 100% but I think the 10% fee stop some of them.
One of my friend tried different way,he is in Chicagoland area too.
He has sign on the changer"no refund for not laundry customer" and bought a remote on/off switch from Radio shop,connect to the changer,when he see people get change without laundry,he wait until they put the bill in before the coin or during the coin pay out,he turn off the changer and he walk away!Most "not customer" get mad and not go back to get change again.


in the case of Apartment dwellers getting change to take back to their building's coin laundry, have a talk with the apartment owner or management company. If they don't want to make the investment to have laundry on site, such as their own change machine, maybe they should just get out of the laundry business and leave it to the pros.

[blueridgemat]

We have had the same problem. We have tried confronting them and it just makes them mad. We had another coin laundry and a car wash about 1/2 mile away and one of them always has the changer tore up or out of change. So I guess I am saying you just live with it, but I do like the guy's sign with the 10 percent fee!

[anonymous]

Once you post it,you have right to charge them fee,I call them "changer customers",I feel it is a service charge since I can not stop them,I charge them.I have been charging fee 10% for 8 years.
Not only car wash,apartment coin op washer use change,some people get change for toll way,some get change for their job like gas station,dollar store emplyee,even coin laundry emplyee(yes,it happen to me more then once,a laundry owner didn't want to show up in the weekend,sent their emplyee to my store!),I can not talk to or stop everybody,charge them fee will stop some of them,you can even charge 20,30%.

[pete f]

I just can't wait for my next store to open with cards and watch the expression on coin mongers' faces when they come in for change!
I estimate at least $1500 a week total is taken out of the 3 stores.
I have fought the changer battle on many fronts Here are my attempts:
At one store I have a Rowe BC1200 changer, it has a slot to be able to change a coin, so I put a little FEE sign there with arrow and posted a note on the changer. It states the changer is for customer use only but I will sell change. I have a fee schedule listed, like 5 cent for $2-$5, 10 cent for $6 to $10, 15 cent for $11- $15, 25 cent for over that, limit $40
I also state "don't make me chase you out to the parking lot over a dime" I have many regular change customers. The money dumps into a coin box. It works pretty good.
At another mat I tried painting about $100 worth of quarters red. I actually files off the faces so they were "slugs" and posted a sign "up to 25% of your change will be tokens" That slowed the mongers down a little, but still within 6 months they were all gone, my slugs. That store I had more change go thru the machine than it took in, I had to take quarters to it between collections. I put up a sign I will remotely confiscate any non-customers getting change. It has worked partly, at least I do not have to take as many quarters to it. I have another store I posted the same sort of signage, saying I will confiscate any change in person or remotely if that person is not a customer. It slowed down the mongers.
Who are thees mongers? They need change for tolls, apartment washers, the mat down the street, bus fare, some are owners of trailer parks who need to give out change to their own laundry rooms, other are business owners who need change and the line at the bank always sucks, these people will hit you for $40, $50 a clip. At one store someone gets $40 a least 3 times a week. I have not been able to identify him yet, though I have spent many hours trying. And I DID buy one of those remote things at Radio Shack, I have not had time to use it yet. If I get a call about a changer down, IE, I lost $10 in your changer, etc, I always ask about if they have enough to get their laundry started, or something to find out if they are really a customer. If they appear to be a customer, I take care of them, if they are a monger, (and you would be surprised to hear how many tell you on the phone they were getting change to do laundry, but at their apartment, not your mat) then I offer a machine start up for the amount they loose.
The best time I got some one was when I was working, had the office door open, which is directly next to the changer, a guy walks in and starts pumping bills in the changer. He was dressed well, I asked about laundry, he did not reply. I waited till I heard the bill go in, then pulled the cord to the changer from the socket. He is calling me, wants to know whats wrong. I shrug my shoulders, say not sure, I will call the owner. He wants a refund, I give him a refund slip to fill out. He tries to look inside the office door, I sort of block him, as the cord is just hanging there. He stomps out, tossing the refund slip on the ground. Gotcha!
I all the battles the customers really seem to appreciate the fight, and many offer tips on mangers, some have approached them about thier illeagal use of my changers, others have called and told me the lady from the store next door just came over and got a ton of change. It is all a real battle I am glad to be done with on the next store.

[KJD]

And on the opposite side, I wish I had a few more change mongers.
My store is in a strip mall and I have a pizza shop, liquer store, beverage store and a restaurant using my changer with my blessing and I still have to haul a couple hundred pounds of excess quarters to the bank every once in awhile. (Those bags are heavy)

[pete f]

And on the opposite side, I wish I had a few more change mongers.
My store is in a strip mall and I have a pizza shop, liquer store, beverage store and a restaurant using my changer with my blessing and I still have to haul a couple hundred pounds of excess quarters to the bank every once in awhile. (Those bags are heavy)

my changer repair tried to give me that line also. Don"t you get tired of spending money on repairs to the changer cuased by non customers? Maybe it is worth it to you. They jam machines with crappy bills, run out qtrs from customers, and still you got to spend a couple hundred a year on upkeep of the changer.

[Ronald]

I had one come in today and got $20.00 in changer and headed across the street to the slum-car wash it happens all the time the car wash owner never take care of his business. He has a changer that never does work.So far I do not have to go buy any quarters to put in it.

[anonymous]

I don't say anything anymore and just hope they will come back to my place when they need a big washer and with some luck they will like it more than the apt. laundry. I have the same problem as KJD so I guess in that respect I am lucky.

Gary

[KJD]

my changer repair tried to give me that line also. Don"t you get tired of spending money on repairs to the changer cuased by non customers? Maybe it is worth it to you. They jam machines with crappy bills, run out qtrs from customers, and still you got to spend a couple hundred a year on upkeep of the changer.

Pete, I don't understand your first line "my changer repair tried to give me that line also"

And yes it is worth it to me to convert excess quarters to bills. They are much easier to take to the bank.

And I should not even say this but I have not had a coin jam, bill jam, ran empty or had a repair to my changer in the last two years except for the new chips for the new bills.

[Anonymous]

I get a few customers a month that come in to get change - they don't read any signs or talk to the attendant, they just put their money in and low and behold they get a laundry card. They then go to complain and the attendant just tells them she is not authorized to give refunds and tells them they are free to use the card to do their laundry or they can try to find a customer that might buy it from them.

[pete f]

Pete, I don't understand your first line "my changer repair tried to give me that line also"

And yes it is worth it to me to convert excess quarters to bills. They are much easier to take to the bank.

And I should not even say this but I have not had a coin jam, bill jam, ran empty or had a repair to my changer in the last two years except for the new chips for the new bills.

I view it as theft of services, it is not a public change machine. Over 1/2 the change that goes thru my machines goes out the door, this leads to extra wear, cleaning, service that needs to be done, not to mention possible real customers not being able to get money to spend in my stores. I wish I could send all the coin mongers to you.

[mike]

What about just programming the changer to give out a quarter or two less per bill inserted.

Sort of like Ken's 10% service charge, but for ALL customers, including your own. If need be, you could rationalize it as an added cost, and could discount a washer or dryer to make up for it (or just not increase)

I have tokens in my changers, no problems !

[anonymous]

I get the poker players coming in to load up on change. I can spot them 100 yards away. First they are in a hurry, they are dressed to nicely to do laundry, they leave their car running with the lights on and even sometimes they leave the car door open, when they walk in they are looking around a lot and walk fast, the bills are in their hands.

When I'm there I do turn them away. Change for customers only!

[anonymous]

I like all response to this post make me laugh so hard.

geo

[WTLaundry]

I only list the bills the changer takes as $1 & $5 and it seems to slow down the non-customers. My customers all know it will handle a $10 or $20 also. I have a car-wash behind me that has changer problems all the time and I do get a number of folks that use my changer. The store that used to be next door came over all the time for change but if a customer needed change from them they refused to help.

Since I overhauled and calibrated the changer myself I've had very little problems with it in the past 2 years and I still have to haul quarters to the bank every week so I quit worrying about non-customers getting change. Seems to be the least of my problems.