PT THE AUDITOR I Never Thought of That


across the street from the hall where the seminar at which he spoke was held. He walked over to take a look at the parking operation.At entry, there was a booth where a woman issued a parking ticket by entering a code in a computer. She then gave the ticket to the driver who entered the garage.When the driver left, he handed the ticket to another woman, who collected the day’s flat rate ticket amount. Thinking about this, I began to wonder just what the idea


T


was.Why wouldn’t one simply install a ticket dispenser at the entry gate and pay-on-foot equipment throughout the project? If thatwere too expensive, then at least the dispenserwould remove one staff member at each entrance lane. But, then, why not actu- ally collect the fee on entrance; it was a flat rate, after all. The boss then spoke to the head of parking services for


the Alaya Corp., the largest developer in Manila and owner of this center. The senior manager agreed that a lot of technology could be put into place, but said they also were concerned with image. If you have been following ParkingWorld’s Blog, you would know that there is a move on in the Philippines to make charging for parking illegal. Even the Catholic Church has become involved. Alaya is extremely concerned about customer


service. “Having a person hand-issue the ticket on entry was important as it personalizes the process,” the boss was told. “Having said that, we are looking at installing equipment which would make the process easier andmovemore quickly.” Employers in the Philippines, where there are


many unemployed and fewjobs, are sensitive to lay- offs and redundancies. Manpower is inexpensive, and a wholesale layoff of parking staff would only add fuel to an already dodgy issue. As for paying in advance, the boss was told:


“We don’t want people to think about spending money until they get inside the mall. If they have to come up with the parking fee on entry, it could alter their spending habits.” I’m not sure that owners and operators here in


the U.S. have considered that issue, but since most shopping centers have variable rates here and peo- ple pay based on length of stay, prepay would not make sense and the point is moot. The Philippines’ parking industry finds itself


in much the same place the U.S. was in 30 years ago. Labor is plentiful and cheap, and the return on investment simply doesn’t justify the cost of the equipment. It also is a country that prides itself on fantastic customer service, and both owners and customers see this personalized service as a benefit they may not want to give up. The boss also learned that where they charge for on-street parking, it’s done using an attendant.


42


HE BOSS FINALLY GOT HOME, and after getting reacquainted, we talked about his adventures inManila. One story caughtmy attention.


The largest shopping center in Asia is


Yes, when you park, a nice little lady comes by and collects money up front. If you overstay, you must pay more before you move your car. Pitching parking meters or P-and-D equipment is a tough battle frommany angles. Oh, and the attendant is in the employ of the local shopping center developer, who has a contract to collect and manage parking surrounding his complex. Another example is that in many countries, in the Middle


East or India, for example, knowing a person’s mailing address may be difficult. If you were to recommend a citation manage- ment program that required a follow-up-by-mail program, the results would not work. However, booting vehicles at the very first violation could make a lot more sense. When the boss talked to the head of parking in Mumbai,


India, he was told, gently, that controlling on-street parking would take some doing. First, they would have to convince peo- ple that leaving their cars in the middle of an intersection and going into a shop was not the right thing to do. My suggestion to consultants considering working in dif-


ferent countries, cultures and environments? Spend some time learning the local issues and customs, then tailor your sugges- tions to fit them.


Woof! PT


“I know it’s the customon your planet to not pay for parking up front, but that’s not the customhere?”


DECEMBER 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


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