Dear Dave,
Four months ago we completed converting our entire route of coin operated electronic games to infrared scanning meters. After working out the initial bugs, we spent two months testing the accuracy of the meters versus actual hand count. The results were an astounding 99.9% accuracy! The .1% error we attribute to customers putting quarters in a game with the power off or our service mechanics crediting test plays without recording them.
Last month we had to lay off an employee. This was very sad for all of us at C&L Games. She was a good worker and an honest collector. For a small route, that was nearly 17% of our staff. But it was also a savings of 17% in payroll, payroll taxes, insurance, car expense, gasoline, etc. etc. Now, one collector is doing the job of two. At first we were concerned about being able to handle all of our accounts properly. But we found that one collector can collect the whole route and even on his busiest day, after reconciling the cash, he still has 30 minutes left to go to the bank.
For those operators out there faced with declining revenues, an investment in technology such as Coin Connexion software, scanning handheld computers (Dolphins), and scanning meters could return profits to "like it used to be".