Parking companies differentiate themselves from each other in a variety of ways, but one of the most effective is developing and maintaining strong client relationships.  When a company does this well enough to improve contract retention rates by 5%, a study published by Business Week demonstrated that this translated to a boost in profits of 125%.  Those managers who are successful at establishing themselves as trusted advisors play a key role in fostering positive relationships and retaining clients. 

Customer service can be equally challenging and rewarding in the parking industry.  I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys paying for parking let alone receiving a citation for violating parking rules, so when we are able to deliverable memorable service, it's quite an accomplishment.  A person's attitude plays a big role in customer service skills, and being able to maintain a positive attitude is key.  

I was invited to a meeting recently to discuss speed to hire tactics specifically targeted for recruiting parking talent.  Typically, the first half of the conversation centers around what hiring managers are doing presently in this space so we can then identify opportunities for improvement. Surprisingly, it's still fairly uncommon to find a great degree of uniformity across any given organization when it comes to the individual leaders' approach toward interviewing and evaluating career seekers looking for their next parking opportunity.

Believe it or not, job descriptions play a big role in both talent acquisition and HR compliance.  As part of my presentation at the Ohio Parking Association Conference this week, I reviewed sections of a job description and the purpose they serve for the company and employees.  Whether you’re drafting a parking attendant job description or General Manager, below are tips for writing three specific sections and their value. 

Marlyn Group is presenting a session at the Ohio Parking Association Conference next week on successful parking human resources strategies. We hope to see you there on Wednesday, May 10, but in case you can’t make it, here are a few highlights of regulatory requirements and best practices that we will discuss.

What if you were to learn that the top 25% of your team was contemplating leaving your company in the next twelve months?  What would you do first, second, third to mitigate that type of loss?  According to Harvard Business Review, that’s the exact percentage of employees they found in a recent study interested in moving onto the next opportunity.