Parking Operations
Parking operations and revenue control policies and procedures form the nucleus of professional parking supervision at the facility level. They work hand in hand. Doing one well, such as maximizing revenue through strong operations, is useless if your revenue controls allow your money to be stolen at the location. Let us just go through a few operational issues for which you might need my service:
Just a simple adjustment, like a proper signage package, or strategically positioned traffic directors during peak periods, can make the customer experience in a large high volume location much improved. The quicker customer turnaround can also mean increased revenue, more revenue in many cases than the cost of those traffic directors.
You need a Parking Consultant.
To truly maximize revenue, maybe your location is just not laid out correctly? Gas prices are way up. Trucks and 4 x 4?s are down in sales. Specifically designed and signed ?compact vehicle? spaces are increasing space in many self park garages. How about in yours?
You need a Parking Professional.
How many valets do you really need on Saturday night? Should you open on Sunday night? What should your rates be to maximize revenue? Is your facility properly managed? How about during off-peak periods?
You need a Parking Consultant.
The hiring of valets and cashiers is an extremely important and yet poorly done aspect of the parking industry. Did you know that in most parking companies, operations personnel do the hiring for cashiers and valets? Are they drug-testing new hires? Are you doing criminal checks on new hires? Are they doing Motor Vehicle checks on new hires? Who is doing the hiring for your location? What questions are new hires being asked?
Rather than ask if you need a guideline of questions to ask new hires, I am simply going to provide you a simple and yet effective list of questions to ask new hire valets/attendants:
- Are you MOST interested in a Cashier or Valet job? If they say valet: Do you have a valid driver?s license? How many points do you have on your driving record?
- If you don't get your first choice, are you willing to accept the second choice?
- What experience or training do you have as a valet/cashier?
- What experience do you have in other jobs?
- Are you looking for fulltime or part time work?
- What day/hours are you available to work?
- What is the first date you would be available to work?
- Why are you the right person for the job?
- I do a criminal record check following the interview process and I see here on your application you?ve marked that you have no problems in that area (if that is the case), is that true? (Ask the question as worded whether you do the criminal check or not)
- Why did you leave your last job?
- If the applicant was a valet/cashier before, ask him/her about interactions with angry customers? Ask about their reaction or how they handled it, how did they deal with the problem? How was the situation resolved? Was it resolved?
- Did the interviewee make a positive contribution to their previous company?
- Did they like working for their previous employer?
All too often, a facility or parking company in trouble begins with a hiring questionnaire that goes something like this, ?Hi?., I have an opening on Monday?.from ?.am to ?.pm is that good for you, great, be in an hour early for training and a uniform on your first day, see you then.?
You need a Parking Professional.
Would new uniforms be a worthwhile investment? Are you providing proper vehicle security? Need a cost projection analysis on location vehicular lifts? Where would they go? Do you need a vendor list for parking equipment? Who has the best price?
You need a Parking Consultant.
Is your parking lot or parking garage properly maintained? Do you have proper lighting? Is your garbage pickup vendor picking up as scheduled? Do you have enough maintenance staff for the location? Are they scheduled enough hours and at the right times and properly supervised?
You need a Parking Professional.
The above are just a few of the specific areas of your operations you may need a parking professionals help. But I always recommend an overview analysis, whether provided for your parking location or your parking company. This is an area of the business that few of my competitors have the parking background to do well. I do an all-encompassing complete facility operations and revenue control review as quickly, and as professionally, as any parking pro in the business.
A complete parking review will include: signage, space layout, staffing, paperwork, revenue control systems, accounting systems, vehicle and revenue security, employee and manager hiring guidelines, and much more. It will come with fully explained recommendations. Most problems can then be resolved immediately. Other issues, such as space layout or accounting system inadequacies, may require additional projects.
When you have a parking problem?.
When you need help?..
When you are tired of the explanations, the excuses, the stories?
Email admin@parkingprofessional.com or call 917-379-3208 | 
