5 Tough Questions You Need to Ask About Your Parking Operator

By Joey Guenther   |   3 min. read

1. Is your parking operator expanding your B2C circle of influence (COI)?

There are two fundamental approaches to expanding your parking asset’s COI, and both require proactivity on your parking operator’s part.

The first is digital marketing. The Ecommerce Foundation’s United States B2C Ecommerce Country Report states that 88 percent of us conduct research online before we make purchases in person. Thus, with a succinct and well-strategized digital presence, your parking operator can influence parking consumer buying habits early in the decision-making process.

However, digital marketing isn’t necessarily a fix-all solution on its own. After all, over half of U.S. consumers still consider traditional advertising methods to be the most trustworthy. Therefore, the key to expanding your asset’s COI is a multichannel approach — one that blends traditional print marketing with an innovative and, most importantly, intentional digital strategy. This blended approach can be scaled and measured, and it maximizes both your reach and ROI.

2. Is your parking revenue exceeding your expectations?

It’s one thing for your parking operator to meet your revenue expectations, but any parking management company worth their weight will always strive to exceed them.

This intention can manifest in many ways, from simply setting stretch goals to asking to take control of your entire parking portfolio. Portfolio-based volume, after all, allows you to realize optimal top-line results while driving greater discounts on all ongoing products and services, such as equipment maintenance, ticket stock, and so on.

3. Is your parking operator removing all unnecessary headaches and work from your daily routine?

One of the main benefits of outsourcing your parking facility’s management is being able to focus your attention on other areas of your property. As we know, property managers are usually operating at critical mass and face daily challenges regarding how and where their attention should be focused. Thus, if your parking operator isn’t assuming the vast majority of parking-related tasks and responsibilities that clog your schedule, there’s something operationally amiss.

4. Is your parking operator invested in the success of your parking facility?

Professional parking management companies are invested in cultivating the sustainable success of their clients and are always looking for ways to improve their service delivery. Whether this takes the form of continuous improvement through co-designed customer service initiatives or a complete operational overhaul, their dedication to your success (and theirs as a result) should always be tangible.

5. Is your parking operator looking into the future and creating a proactive roadmap to success?

As is well documented, we’re enjoying a spike of progress in parking industry technological innovations and business intelligence. As a result, successful parking management companies must always employ operational strategies with room to grow and evolve.

In addition, autonomous vehicles, ride-sharing, end-to-end connectivity, and Mobility-as-a-Service are changing the landscape of urban mobility. Working with a parking management company that’s proactive at both the site and executive level means you won’t get left behind.

Impark

Impark is one of North America’s largest and most successful parking management companies. Since its inception in 1962, Impark has transformed from a single surface lot operator into an industry trailblazer with a portfolio of over 3,600 locations. As of 2018, we employ over 8,700 personnel in 334 cities and generate in excess of $1.5B in gross receipts.

Our strong entrepreneurial drive and dedication to superior service have led us to develop a selection of value-added services that include valet parking, provision of shuttles, patrol and enforcement, automated solutions, and revenue control.

Joey Guenther is a director of strategic accounts based in Washington, D.C. Email him at jguenther@impark.com.

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