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When it comes to municipal parking, customer service is especially integral. In a city like Lexington, KY, operators know that parking is not their constituents’ destination, it is the means to an end for working or visiting. The customer service behind municipal parking plays a vital part in representing the city as a whole.
LEXPARK is an agency and constituted authority of the Lexington & Fayette County Parking Authority (LFCPA). Gary Means, CAPP, who serves as the Executive Director of LexPark, views the unique challenges of municipal parking as an opportunity to deliver a quality experience.
Project Background
Although people may associate the idea of urban parking with difficulty, Means hopes to offer superb customer service that changes this narrative. “You can provide an unexpectedly positive experience to people,” claims Means.
That’s why LEXPARK chose the Parker Technology solution. “Parker Technology’s two-way video takes our customer service up many, many notches,” says Means. “People think, ‘That was really helpful. I didn’t expect to see somebody on the screen.'” While patrons may approach parking with average expectations, Means believes that Parker Technology’s two-way video solution pleasantly surprises patrons.
“To get to a gate and not understand how it works can be intimidating or frustrating to people. When a customer can see somebody on the screen that’s really helpful and friendly, they are able to get through something that might have otherwise been pretty stressful. Parker Technology gets it done, the gate goes up, and the customer leaves. That’s really rewarding”
Gary Means, CAPP, Executive Director of LEXPARK
Key Benefits
According to Means, LEXPARK has always recognized the importance of a support solution for parkers.
“Our concept of trying to deliver good customer service had always met with people just being confused about how to use the system,” he says. After testing several iterations of intercom systems, LEXPARK decided to partner with Parker Technology. “We were always sort of looking to make [our operation] a little more seamless to the customer and provide quicker answers.” Means believes that Parker Technology has helped them do just that.
In addition to improved customer service, Means credits the solution with allowing for simplified staffing. With Parker on call, LEXPARK is “able to reallocate part of our labor to other things we need to be doing here locally on the ground.”
“Without Parker Technology, we would have to have one person stationed at our call center all night, and then someone else that goes out and responds to issues in-person. With Parker, we can actually cut the staffing and have one person that doesn’t have to worry about taking those calls. Instead, they can fulfill other responsibilities like routine cleaning.”
Looking Forward
“We always used to have to think about covering the front office at lunchtime, or if we were down a person due to sickness or staff transitions. That kind of thing is not something we have to worry about with Parker. That helps with our employees’ morale as well, to not have to be stressed about that.”
“It’s clear that Parker Technology is very careful about who they hire, and they go after people who exemplify great customer service. That shines through. For a customer, gates can be intimidating or frustrating. When someone can see a Parker CSR on the screen, that’s really helpful.”
Learn More
If you’d like to learn more about how we’ve helped other municipalities, please visit our case studies page. Or, to speak with one of our reps about how we can help your particular parking operation, shoot us a note.