a POF. The rates were simple, $2 every 20 minutes, maximum $20, and it’s early in the afternoon. Since I have paid the all-day maximum, I take my time going back to the car and make a pit stop before hitting the road. It is not 25minutes later, and I owemoney again as if I had just entered the facility, when in fact I have never left. Seems that most POF’s give you a grace period
only to get out of Dodge before starting to charge you all over again! Grace Periods? OMG, let’s not even go down that
road! Turn Around Grace, Continuous Grace, and POF/Central Cashiering Grace. Next, you will be ask- ing, “Is it time off or the money off for the equivalent amount of time; after all, they are the same – yes??” It’s only June and already I feel the Dog Days of
August creeping into this conversation. Now, put this all together and we have a cashier
with a time clock trying to figure out “Who’s on First?” Or the garage manager trying to program his rates into Fee Table #1, Segment 1, Block 2 with start and end times and a groupmax! Get my drift? Parking rates are very complicated.
Just thinking about the “day” issue above can be a major
event.Add in grace periods, day rates, evening rates, entering and exit times (some rates change depending on either or both). Now, consider your revenue control system. In
years past, some vendors held the position that you should let themchange the rates, that issues such as the ones above are far too complicated for mortal parking
closing, $10 until 6 a.m. the next day. Or rates of $2 every 20 minutes, $20 all- day max, rates repeat after midnight. Thus if I came in at 8:45 p.m., I paid the all-day rate at 11:46 p.m. and then start- ed all over again at 12:01 a.m. for anoth- er $2. Oh, wait, what about rates by day of week! Let’s think about the hotels; they really make my head hurt! I get in at 7
managers. They were rolled over by technology, and now, virtually all systems are “field programmable.” But is this a good idea? Howmany rates have you programmedwhere you had to “alter” your rates slightly to
fit the requirements of the revenue control system’s rates program?When you have to start checking the Bible andWikipedia to determine the definition of your rates program, what do you expect froma poor programmerwhowrote the rates programthree years ago? In the end, people not familiar
with parking rates think it’s pretty easy. Fifty cents a half hour, max $4.50. The
In years past, some vendors held the position that you should let them change the rates.
p.m. and check out the next morning at 8 a.m. I have spent a hotel day at the garage. My next hotel stay has me attending
the two-day parking conference that starts at 8 a.m. at the hotel. I arrive at 7:30 a.m. and park, walk to the conference roomand sign in. Later, after 3 or 4 p.m., I check in at the front desk and get my ticket validated. I check out the next morning about 9 a.m. but stay until the conference ends at 5 p.m., have a farewell kibble with friends, and then leave. This was a good day,more than 34 hours! I have paid for my parking ticket at
problem is that they don’t know what questions to ask. Writing down your rates is a good
exercise.Don’t just copy the sign on the outside of the building, but write down all the different permutations – based on “day,” entry and exit times, valida- tions and grace periods – and then send it to your vendor and ask them to pro- gram it into your system.You might be surprised atwhat you get back.
Woof! PT JUNE 2009 • PARKING TODAY •
www.parkingtoday.com 45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56