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Upgrading From Audio
With a revitalized downtown, the company decided it was time to upgrade their facilities to better compete. An integral piece of the KFC-YUM! center upgrade was the improvement of customer service and satisfaction when it came to entering and exiting their automated facilities.
“It was important to us to provide a better experience for our customers,” said John Ford, manager for Riverside Parking. “Our facilities are in prime locations throughout Louisville, and we want our customers to come back again and again because they know they can count on Riverside for a hassle-free, positive experience.” Parker Technology was the answer.
“Before using Parker, when a customer needed assistance we were only able to provide audio support,” said Ford. “Now, our customers actually see the representative, which adds a level of comfort for the customer and helps resolve issues in a significantly shorter amount of time.”
A Best-in-Class Customer Experience
Parker Technology provides live remote attendants who can troubleshoot Riverside customer issues via a video monitor that bolts directly onto pay-on-foot, entry and exit lane equipment in Riverside Parking facilities. Attendants are available every hour of the day, every day of the week.
“Parker has been great for customer service,” added Ford. “Our customers appreciate the consistency and the interaction with a real person whenever they need help. The set-up adapts to each customer’s specific situation. Most importantly, our customers feel like they are being taken care of.”
The partnership between Riverside Parking and Parker Technology has only grown stronger since the first install.
“We’ve been able to automate garages we didn’t think could have been done before,” shares Ford. “When automating, there’s always this fear of losing a level of customer service, but Parker has eliminated this concern.”
As the largest city in the state of Kentucky, Louisville has many parking options for residents and visitors; however, Riverside Parking believes they have a leg up on their competition. Their newly automated garages are performing well and customers are more than satisfied. And Riverside isn’t done yet.
“We’ve been able to automate garages we didn’t think could have been done before.”
John Ford
“We have been really impressed with the Parker system and their representatives. We plan to use Parker in many more locations as we continue to automate more of our properties.”
Problem #1: The audio-only intercom lacks empathy
Having dropped cashiered locations for automated parking equipment in many locations, Riverside began to see a customer service gap with audio-only intercoms. Customers had a hard-time understanding what the remote attendant was saying, and the overall experience lacked empathy.
Audio intercoms are “impersonal, robotic, and outdated,” says John Ford of Louisville’s Riverside Parking. “The intercom just wasn’t cutting it.”
Riverside Parking knew that they could improve their customer’s visit with Parker’s video intercoms. “They have something totally different,” says Ford, “and it works.” Parker’s patented two-way video attendant system gave visitors the improved communication Riverside’s clients wanted their guests to have.
Once installed, Riverside guests can have their questions answered face-to-face with a remote attendant. “The Parker platform provides a much improved personal interaction,” says Ford, “Our guests see a real, live person right in front of them, right there to help.”
And more importantly, it does so at a fraction of the cost of a staffed booth.
Problem #2: I want to focus on growing our business, not taking calls.
When Riverside Parking began searching for a new solution for their Louisville parking facilities, General Manager John Ford didn’t have any trouble summing up one of his priorities:
“Our customers are the reason we stay competitive, and we were not offering them an optimum experience with our existing workflow.”
“Managing our facilities is a full-time job, and we needed a partner who specialized in improving our customer service.” While researching options for call centers, John was impressed that Parker Technology included an option to have their 24/7 call center take the calls too.
Ford knew running their own 24/7 command center is expensive and a distraction from other high-impact activities that can grow the business. By hiring Parker Technology to take calls at his garages, Ford can focus on business development while Parker’s Customer Services Reps, who are trained in Riverside’s brand and business rules, and handle guest calls quickly and efficiently.
Problem #3: How do I stand out from the competition?
“When you look at the parking facility landscape,” says John Ford of Riverside Parking, “you’re faced with a serious dilemma: how do I stand out from the competition?”
Ford knew that the key to differentiating the Riverside Parking brand was by making automated garages a high-tech, high-touch experience. Keeping with their forward-thinking nature, Riverside looked to 21st century technology for their solution. “We wanted to leverage technology to provide a premium customer experience while maximizing revenue,” says Ford, “and Parker was the tech that stood out.
Parker’s patented cloud-based two-way video was easily bolted onto Riverside’s existing TIBA Parking systems in various garages around Louisville. “Our clients have seen the difference that face-to-face video interaction offers…that’s just something no one else has,” said Ford. “Parker Technology is a big part of how Riverside is competing to win.”
