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ustomers – theO’HareWay Expanding the idea of customer


service with audio and visual aids is smart, The possibilities are endless: Bus stations, shopping malls, con- vention centers and array of other facilities could improve on their cus- tomer interactions by integrating a two-way communication device into a facility map. Another application of the tech-


nology at O’Hare was implementing hands-free assistance phones with audio message boards into automated ticketing stations where cars enter the garage. If there is a jam or some cus- tomer is having troubles dealing with a ticketing station, a warm welcome message is automatically played and airport staff is notified of a problem. O’Hare International Airport


adheres to the policy that small ges- tures do count when it comes to cus- tomer satisfaction, while going an extra mile to protect its travelers. It also chose to install 20 emergency phone towers, all of which are topped with blue light strobes and strategical- ly placed throughout the remote park- ing lot, providing a reliable two-way communication solution between security authorities and visitors. The familiar always-lit blue light


atop the towers is designed to reassure passers-by that help is only a push of a button away and that amillion candle- power strobe is activated the moment the emergency call is initiated, attract- ing attention to the scene. The visibility of the emergency


phone towers was a crucial issue at O’Hare’s remote parking lot due to a fleet of shuttle buses picking up visi- tors on a regular basis from various bus shelters. To address the issue, all towers were customized 2 feet taller than the standard unit. Elevating the blue light strobe above all traffic on the parking lot guaranteed its visibility at all times Each tower also came equipped with a custom spotlight,


enhancing illumination of the area around the tower. This upgrademade the towers highly visible and accessible during the nighttime, while giving security personnel a clear situational awareness of the parking lot through a network of densely installed CCTV cameras. Customizable emergency phones and notification systems yield many benefits when used across multiple functional plat-


forms and departments within an organization. Finding new and useful ways to align technology with organizational goals, while keeping the spotlight on the customer, is what makes O’Hare a success story.


Samuel L. Shanes, Chairman of Talk-A-Phone Co., can be reached at sshanes@talkaphone.com.


PT APRIL 2010 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 29


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