PARKING & MOBILITY SPOTLIGHT

Tips to Prepare for a Touchless Parking Future

By Rajiv Jain

WE HAVE BEEN MOVING TOWARD A TOUCHLESS FUTURE for a while. Parking, transportation, and mobility professionals have been on the cutting edge of developing new technologies that will create a more efficient and seamless experience for their customers, while helping parking owners and managers streamline their operations.

The increasing adoption and acceptance of new technologies has been led by recent, more tech-savvy generations. The COVID-19 pandemic further helped accelerate this process for people of all ages, encouraging them to become more comfortable performing their daily tasks through their mobile devices and limiting their physical contact with other people and their exposure to surfaces.

In the coming years, touchless parking solutions will continue to grow in popularity and integration. From mobile payment solutions to contactless and even gateless parking facilities, the parking landscape will look a lot different than it has in the past.

It’s important to prepare not only your operation for these changes as we move into the future, but also your staff and your customers. Here are just a few quick tips to help transition into a touchless future.

Upgrading Technology

Of course, this goes without saying because a touchless parking future wouldn’t be possible if not for the significant technology advancements and product developments of recent years. These solutions are designed to offer consumers a completely touchless parking experience. From the time they arrive to park their vehicle, to finding a space, to payment and departure, patrons can accomplish all of the tasks necessary through their mobile devices. We will continue to see an increase in parking facilities offering these technologies, as well as customers adapting to them.

Mobile parking apps have been around for many years, and many parkers take advantage of the convenience to locate, drive to, and pay for parking through their phones. Now it’s the parking facility’s turn to be upgraded with contactless parking technologies.

There are many options out there already. Some solutions prompt parkers to simply scan a QR code or use their branded app, allowing them to enter the facility, and providing the operator with an individual customer record. This record is then used throughout the customer journey, tracking how long they have been there, and providing the customer with the ability to pay for parking upon departure (or manage their permit parking account). Both of these solutions allow operators to continue to utilize their existing parking equipment to manage access control. Other facilities have moved toward a gateless parking experience, eliminating parking equipment at entrances and exits altogether.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. It is important to take an in-depth look at the facilities across your campus, community, or portfolio to identify the solution that works best for your operation.

Staff Education

With any new advancement in technology, there will be a learning curve for both the organization implementing it and the community it is serving. As we continue to move into this new age of touchless technology, it will be important to effectively communicate these changes to parking staff and provide them with the education and training to support it.

From valet parking attendants to

parking maintenance staff, job responsibilities will begin to look a little different than they have traditionally. It is important to provide these valuable team members with the information and resources to continue to effectively perform their duties, as well as time to get used to these new advancements. This will not only provide them with the confidence to continue to do their jobs effectively, but most importantly to serve and support the customers that visit the facility, many of whom may also require a bit of a learning curve as well.

Marketing and Outreach

Another important consideration when implementing new technologies of any kind is to ensure the community you are serving is educated and comfortable as well. This is why it is so important to select a technology that is best for your operation.

As customers come to expect more touchless parking options, they are more willing to engage with operators virtually online and through their mobile devices. This also means that they are more open to sharing their online contact information (i.e. their email addresses and phone numbers) with the operator. This is valuable information for the operators’ marketing organizations and was previously difficult to get with the traditional paper- based parking technologies. But with this trust comes the responsibility of keeping this information very secure, and not use it unethically or without permission, and only for the benefit of the customers.

Effective marketing and outreach initiatives not only help to encourage the adaption of new parking technologies, but they can also help to attract new customers. As customer demographics and behaviors continue to evolve, and customers become more informed and tech savvy, they are searching for more convenient and comfortable parking options.

It will be important to use marketing platforms to inform customers of upcoming changes and new technologies in their parking facilities. Just like with parking staff, customers may also need some time to get used to these changes, and this is a great opportunity to connect with them and provide them with the information they need to seamlessly transition to a new touchless parking experience. Further, these new advancements may also help you to attract new customers who are looking for a parking facility that enables them to easily move between their entry, payment, and exit processes. Such personalized marketing efforts will also help to increase customer loyalty in this highly competitive environment.

As we know, change is always inevitable. And right now, in our industry, we are seeing a major shift toward touchless solutions for every moment of the parking experience. As more and more technologies continue to enter the market, it is essential to assess which options are right for you, your organization, and your community. Further, providing not only your frontline employees, but also your customers, with the tools, information, and time they need to adapt to these changes will help to keep your operation moving smoothly, provide opportunities to connect with your customers, and help usher in a seamless transition to a touchless parking future. ◆

RAJIV JAIN is CEO of ParkEngage. He can be reached at rajiv.jain@parkengage.com.

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