The sun has gone down and your laundromat is like a ghost town. It’s time to empty your coin boxes for the evening and prepare your daily deposit with no one around to interrupt or burglarize you. Or so you thought. Suddenly, you’re startled by movement behind you and the next moment you’re being robbed. Within seconds, the thief is gone, running into the night with your hard-earned cash. A review of security cameras later reveals that the person was waiting in the bathroom, and police suspect they had watched your store for weeks to learn your nightly routine.

Car Wash and Laundromat Security

It’s an upsetting and frightening story, and unfortunately becoming more common in today’s society. Earlier this summer, a highly secure apartment laundromat in Milwaukee was hit several times, and thieves got away with $1,700 in quarters, prompting the owner to change his collection strategies.[1] And just a month prior to that, a car wash in Kansas City, Missouri, was forced out of business after 8 years, because the owner could no longer pay for damages or replace equipment stolen or destroyed by repeated thievery and vandalism.[2]

Of course, you want to keep all your business’s hard-earned cash, and more importantly, you want to be insure you and your employees are safe while earning that cash. That’s why safe collecting and replenishing practices matter in businesses that use coin changers. Here are some tips for protecting your profits, your business, and the well being of your employees and customers.

Timing

Timing is everything, and that’s true for collecting and replenishing your coin machines. While it might seem counterintuitive, you should avoid collecting and loading during late evening hours when customer traffic is light. Those are actually the moments when most criminals are ready to strike—when you are alone and vulnerable with no witnesses. In addition, it’s a good idea to collect at the close of business, emptying your machines last and then going straight to your car with no stops or tasks in between. Also, stay alert for unusual or suspicious persons loitering around the business or near your car.

Avoid Distractions

Timing is important, and so is paying attention to what you’re doing. It’s important to give 100% of your focus to your collecting task to reduce the risk of criminal intrusion. The most sophisticated criminals are masters at watching your behaviors, and within seconds they can grab the money and run. Interruptions are the norm for busy entrepreneurs, so if you must shift your attention, take a moment to secure your coin-operated machines and lock up coins and bills. Those few inconvenient minutes might pay off big in safety.

The Standard Change Commitment

Standard Change is a leader in the manufacturer of currency change machines. Our Service Department has been supporting machines that have been in the field for 20 years or more, and our knowledgeable and experienced technicians are backing up our products. As part of our commitment to you, the coin-machine dependent business, we encourage you to stay smart and safe in the collection of your daily cash from our machines.

Learn more here about the products and services available with Standard Change, and remember to use best practices in keeping all the money you’ve worked so hard for!

Read more at standardchange.com

[1]
[1] https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/thieves-steal-1-700-in-quarters-from-milwaukee-laundromat

[2]
[2] https://fox4kc.com/2018/06/26/local-car-wash-forced-to-close-after-repeated-attacks-by-thieves-and-vandals/