PUBLISHED 6/10/24

Do You Have Your Changer Coin Taken By Non-Customers?

In my years as a consultant to newcomers, and very experienced owners, I sometimes get a request that seems to be a little of the wall. A few years back I was asked the following question: Subject: Anyone have a clever sign to deter coin and bill taking?

This poor owner was losing coin and making weekly trips to their bank to buy more coin. The coin was being taken away by merchant neighbors, bus riders and other non-customers who wanted coin. If you happen to have a store where you're having to buy coin every week, then you want a sign or something to discourage non-customers from using your changer as their convenient coin source.

I always hoped my stores would take in enough paper bill in the changer to nearly equal that which I took in coin. Turning the coin into paper via the changer limited the need to carry heavy coin bags to the bank. Sometimes the balance goes way out of balance and you need to rein in your merchant neighbors using your changes to buy their coin. I've tried signs warning 10% will be tokens. These signs don't discourage most of those wanting to use you as a bank.

Drilling a small hole in the coins or painting both sides with an ugly fingernail polish does help reduce the problem. Especially from the merchants. I know you're not to deface U.S. coin, but polish comes off with fingernail polish but it makes merchants ignore your changers for coin. All these options were tried and then my client wanted a comment on a sign that worked to reduce this abuse.

I had tried an unusual sign that had worked for me in one store where I suffered too much with loss coin. The original question asked by my client was for a "clever" sign. One sign that worked, and in my own mind thought was funny, went something like this:

"I have paid to have a gypsy curse placed on this changer to punish those who are taking coin intended for my customers. If you take coin out of this Laundromat without intending for some to be used today as a customer, you will carry a curse. Expect an auto accident or serious injury in the next thirty days. You've been warned." Certainly unusual, somewhat creative but it worked for this client.

Message From Client:

Just want to get back and say thanks. I have that Gypsy curse sign on my changer . . . (I really do not like negative signs but sometimes they are necessary). The non customer use has slowed way down. It is down to almost nothing. Now if they will just stop taking my 5's! But even that has slowed way down Thanks Larry.

What better ideas do you have that have helped solve this problem of coin shrinkage out of a changer?