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[This is part 1 of a 2-part blog series adapted from our panel session at the 2023 PIPTA Conference and Expo in Seattle Washington]
Parking can be such a multi-faceted enterprise. If you work in parking operations, odds are high that you’ll work with dozens of different vendors to address a wide range of needs—everything from software implementation to government compliance, facilities maintenance, and more.
While it may be tempting to keep all these operations in-house to conserve resources, the real way to elevate your work may be by opening the door to new partnerships. Collaborating with an array of vendors can be the true key to unlocking new levels of success.
Here’s why: no one can do it all. Or rather, no one can do it all and do it all well. No one parking operation or vendor can take on every single aspect of managing the entire list of needs that comes with working in the parking industry and truly excel in all these areas. When you collaborate with others, you can combine your strengths to achieve a best-in-class parking experience.
Collaboration Is Everything
Sure, we all know that collaboration is important. But meaningful collaboration isn’t strictly limited to obvious partnerships. When you work with companies that might not be a natural partner within the parking industry, you may find all kinds of new ways to solve problems and add more value for owners, operators, and even customers, including things like:
- Achieving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Maintaining pressure washing, painting and striping
- Expanding marketing and advertising
- Supporting customers remotely at all hours of the day
When you have the space to freely discuss the places where you need support or where there’s room for growth with potential partnerships, it makes it easier to expand and discover connections that benefit everyone involved. What’s more, when you partner with people or organizations that are experts in their field, your work levels up, and you all collectively become better.
Especially when it comes to parking operations, partnerships may include working alongside universities and other educational institutions, as well as with hospitals and healthcare networks. These cases call for a great deal of collaboration with other organizations, nonprofits, and even sometimes with the city. There are opportunities to find new ways to partner with a range of vendors that serve these niches, to provide expanded and improved service to customers, and to maximize your impact if only you stay open-minded to the possibilities.
What is so impactful about this level of collaboration is that you’re instilling a tangible feeling of trust in your customers; because you work with the best, you excel, and therefore your customers trust your ability to get things done. The result? They want to keep working with you for everything.
For example, one of our partners had established such a feeling of trust that their client asked if they could secure a case of champagne for their product launch. They knew they could trust our partner with all the intricacies of their parking operation; and knew they could also rely on them to handle another—seemingly unrelated—task. Thanks to existing partnerships, they fostered a real relationship with their client—and leveraged another partnership (with a nearby catering company) to bring out the bubbly.
Implementing New Technologies with the Help of Partnerships
Many parking facilities are looking for strategies to incorporate new technologies and provide better service to their customers—but they face significant obstacles along the way. They run into challenges regarding the actual implementation of these new solutions. But also in how they manage these emerging technologies from day-to-day. Sure, they could tackle these new endeavors themselves. However, there can be a learning curve to overcome in the first days and months, and other responsibilities or business objectives may slip through the cracks.
Instead of muddling through implementation, why not work with the best in the business? Collaborating with those who excel in their field (like parking-focused customer service centers, for example) can remove many of these difficulties. It makes it simpler to say “yes” to new technologies when you can team up with vendors who specialize in these solutions. Who, not only, can help you implement them but also maximize the potential of what’s possible with them.
Many parking facilities are now partnering with dedicated customer service centers to provide access and support for customers around the clock with just the push of a button. Representatives can offer help, view reservations and times, see transactions, and even lift the gate remotely when needed, which makes it easier to provide excellent service while also attending to the needs of the whole facility.
But this is only possible by having the technology integrations to make it happen—which is much easier when you opt-to collaborate with tech and customer service professionals who handle these kinds of integrations, day-in and day-out. Today’s technology trends in parking operations include a host of innovations that require cooperation and collaboration, including:
- Working alongside technology providers
- Integrating with any pre-booking platforms
- Syncing with city guide systems
- Integrating with valet parking in hospitality and transportation venues like hotels and airports
- Potentially partnering with fleet, rental, and mobility brands
A really great tech partnership doesn’t just give you the tools you need to refine your parking operations; the right partnership provides expertise and experience. Because you don’t have to worry about technology, you can focus on your vision. A successful collaboration increases your efficiency, adds unparalleled value to your service, and elevates your entire business model.
Tune in next week for part 2 in this series! And if you’re ready to experience the power of collaboration for yourself, connect with our team today.