PHOENIX PARKING SOLUTIONS STEERS CLIENTS TOWARD DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE AGE-OLD VALET AND GARAGE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
PHOENIX PARKING SOLUTIONS STEERS CLIENTS TOWARD DIGITAL SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE AGE-OLD VALET AND GARAGE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
Atlanta-Based Parking Company Offers Advanced Technology to Lessen Wait Times, Prevent Theft and Provide Better Customer Service
ATLANTA – Phoenix Parking Solutions, an Atlanta-based parking management company that is completely digital, cashless and contactless, is encouraging clients to replace antiquated equipment with digital systems that cater to consumer preferences while also solving many of the problems that garage and lot operators have been facing for decades. Phoenix owner Jeff Patterson, a leader in this digital conversion, offers his clients a more profitable approach for added value and convenience through an all-in-one mobile parking software.
“We can digitize so many elements of parking now to remove liability and maintenance costs while adding value and convenience for clients and their customers,” says Patterson. “Once I show my clients the financial savings and benefit to customers, their skepticism of adapting to new technology disappears. It’s just about getting people out of the mindset of simply doing things the way they’ve always been done.”
All of Patterson’s locations utilize Oobeo, a cloud-based software that streamlines operations via web, mobile and SMS technologies to make it easier for guests or residents to access parking services using their mobile phones without having to download a separate app. This platform manages mobile valet, pay-by-space, monthly permit and event parking, plus billing and mobile payments.
“Since the pandemic, people are now comfortable with QR codes, and they don’t want to touch things or stand in lines,” explains Patterson. “This is now the trend, and valet and garage operators must capitalize on it.”
Some of the most common parking issues that Patterson and his team are solving with technology advancements include:
· Customers rarely carry cash and valet operations are targets for crime: Phoenix encourages a cashless and ticketless valet system because it protects both the valet operator and the valet drivers from theft. Carrying cash puts his employees at risk of being robbed, while a paper ticket system enables valet drivers to reuse the tickets and pocket the cash (known as “ticket skimming”) since operators are paid based on the number of cars parked. By removing cash and tickets from the equation, much of the liability of the employer and employee also are removed.
· Congestion and long lines at valet stands and parking garage payment kiosks: When groups of people are waiting to pick up their cars at valet, tickets often get out of order, which leads to upset customers. With digital technology, the cars arrive in the order they are requested, and management can track wait times and view comprehensive data. In parking garages, lines of people waiting to use payment kiosks and lines of idling cars waiting to exit through gates cause congestion and added emissions. But thanks to Oobeo’s software, users do not have to download a parking app, worry about social distancing while waiting in line to pay at a parking kiosk, wait for a slow-moving gate arm to raise or return to the lot to extend their parking time.
· Costly maintenance: With increased crime all over the country and the use of scooters, gates are no longer the deterrents they once were. Instead of expensive gate arm and payment kiosk equipment that require frequent maintenance, cloud-based software allows users to pay for parking safely and seamlessly through web, mobile and SMS technology while in their vehicles. By going gateless, parking garage operators also reduce their liability from accidents involving gates that fall on people or cars and no longer have to keep security personnel on staff at all times.
· Parking validation: Once parking garage operators decide to go gateless, they can make parking validations digital. Each building tenant may have different policies regarding parking validation, and by going digital, it is exponentially easier to set and manage specific discount options. Cameras with license plate readers track plate numbers for garage enforcement, and guests do not have to keep track of tickets and instead get a validation code from the retailer they are visiting. Simply by entering their phone number and license plate number, they can receive a confirmation text and notifications when their time is expiring. Patterson also will soon be offering new software to turn tablets into mobile validation machines.
· Monthly permits: “Monthly permits were always managed very archaically to me,” Patterson says. “Decals and hang tags that allow drivers access are basically managed through an Excel spreadsheet, and it’s very time consuming. What happens when someone drives a different car one day? How do you prorate for employees that start work in the middle of the month? This is a very important job to maintain as it brings in so much revenue for garage owners.”
Digital permits allow for more organization, and the platform automatically does all the math and invoicing. Before this technology, all these steps had to be done manually for every pass holder. Now, consumers simply receive a text message about their permit that contains a link to pay digitally.
· Rating and reporting: Patterson’s digital solutions also encourage property owners and property management companies to improve their services with real-time data and user reviews. He presents opportunities for customer feedback plus data analytics that can easily identify how much time customers are paying on average and peak times and lulls that might require rate changes for maximum profit.
“Now we can be proactive rather than reactive in resolving parking issues by offering a rating system and giving our customers a voice to report issues immediately,” he says. “This also helps us to create new features and products that focus on what customers truly want.”
About Phoenix Parking Solutions
Phoenix Parking Solutions is an Atlanta-based company specializing in a range of parking services for restaurants, hotels, country clubs, shopping centers, and community events, in addition to parking management, logistics, and consulting services. Currently parking tens of thousands of cars per week at dozens of premium locations throughout the city, Phoenix has established itself as one of the largest parking providers across downtown and Midtown Atlanta. Phoenix president Jeff Patterson, an active member of the National Parking Association (NPA) and one of less than 500 Certified Parking Professionals in the country, has been named to NPA’s 40 Under 40 – Class of 2021 that recognizes the positive impact of the best and brightest young professionals in the parking industry. For more information, call 678-412-0505 or visit phoenixparkingsolutions.com.