Following up on our previous blog regarding the changes our industry may face in the coming year as cities and communities begin to reopen, another significant factor that parking operators and owners should consider is the overall “customer journey”. While traditionally these organizations have been primarily focused on simply providing a convenient and pleasant parking experience, they are now more and more faced with providing a wider range of complementary experiences and services outside of the standard parking services.

For instance, as operators seek to accommodate a potential new population of parkers – those who before primarily utilized public transportation but for the foreseeable future may feel more comfortable driving in their personal vehicles – it will be essential to offer solutions that enable individuals to customize their travel experience. These may include adding innovative transit and mobility solutions such as bicycle or scooter rentals for the “last mile” of their trip. It may also even include incorporating parking facility locations in closer proximity to public transit options for those comfortable taking public transit for shorter trips.

Another significant component of the customer journey is the interaction between the user’s chosen parking facility and their destination. Many trips involve a visit to a restaurant, concert, movie, or sporting event. A great opportunity for all parties – customers, parking operators, and destination owners – is to partner to enhance the overall customer experience. These partnerships can include offering discounted parking on the destination’s website. This can help to not only create a more seamless experience but helps to further promote the operator’s facilities by offering parking discounts, valet parking services, and more. Further, the parking facility may also help to promote the restaurant, event center, theater, etc. through their marketing venues, as well as their mobile applications. This can be a great opportunity for all parties, while enhancing the overall customer journey from start to finish.

Technology will continue to play a critical role in enhancing this customer journey. As more operators integrate these solutions, and more patrons seek a “customizable” experience, both may seek solutions that will enable to user to plan, pay for, and execute their unique travel journey all through one touchless solution. Either way, the future of parking, transportation, and mobility technology is now.

With all of the recent advancements in the parking industry (and there are many), one notable example is the advancement in beacon technology. Beacon-based parking technologies are the latest alternative to the more traditional barcode options seen in many parking facilities. Beacons utilize bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology, allowing customers to utilize their parking application to park in their chosen facilities more quickly and easily.

Contrary to their barcode-based counterparts which require action on the part of the user to scan a barcode from their phone, beacons use transmitters coded with a unique identity to offer parkers a more seamless and efficient, passive entry/exit experience. Users with the associated location-sensitive smart phone application will receive a notification when in range of the parking facility beacons and be notified accordingly along their parking journey. These applications, prompted by the beacons, will provide the users with information related to location, pricing, and regulations within the parking facility.

Beacon-based solutions allow parking operators to more easily communicate with their patrons with announcements, special deals or discounts, emergency alerts, and more through enabled notifications. They can also provide the operator with more information regarding the customer journey including their route and location throughout the parking facility, allowing them to more effectively serve the user.

But how can this information be used to help the operator enhance its operation and more effectively serve its patrons, while ensuring the safety and security of their private information? Data can provide a great deal of insight into a customer’s behavior, preferences, and needs.  Business Intelligence (BI) systems can give operators insight into the user’s schedule, parking habits, interests, and more. Further, BI can help the operator develop targeted marketing programs to attract new customers and establish and maintain consumer loyalty. These programs can be used to provide discounts, benefits, and amenities based on each individual user’s habits and preferences.

In addition, parking analytical data can give operators a better idea about how their individual facilities are operating, their efficiencies and performance, and implement necessary changes for those that may be underperforming. This data can also provide insights into trends by facility, dates, pricing models, locations, or regions to better understand both their client base and their resources and apply strategies that are working effectively across their portfolios. Let ParkEngage put BI technology to work for you to supercharge your marketing and operations. Contact us to learn how our services can enhance your operation through our beacon-based technology.