Posted: Dec, 12, 2023 9:36AM ET • 2 min read

Customer service representatives (CSRs) have the responsibility of building a positive image for your parking operation and are often the primary point of contact when customers require assistance. Customer service representatives need to be knowledgeable about the parking facility's policies and procedures, allowing them to think critically and demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.

As remote customer assistance becomes increasingly popular, it poses the question: are on-site parking attendants still required to run a successful parking operation?

Both on-site customer service representatives and remote customer service representatives have their advantages and disadvantages. The following are key differences for each:

Multi-Lingual Customer Support
According to the 2021 Canadian Census, one in five Canadian households are multilingual. This means a large portion of Canadians speak another language other than English. Due to this data, it’s important to take into account having a team of customer service representatives who can speak English and at least one other language.
Access to a pool of remote CSRs lets you provide customer service in multiple languages. It helps eliminate language barriers, facilitating clear communication and understanding between customers and representatives. Remote CSRs can easily pass along the customer service inquiry to a suitable representative who can assist in the customer's language.
Having an on-site CSR limits support to the language(s) known by the on-site representative. To combat this, facility managers can take a unique approach— using remote CSR in conjunction with on-site.
Flexible Staff Coverage
The parking facility's hours of operation can determine the amount of coverage required. If the lot isn’t open 24 hours, it is often easier to implement on-site CSR’s and determine their schedules. Once the site becomes accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it can increase the complexity of shift coverage and changes.
Remote customer service lets you choose when to assist, whether it’s on-demand only, during peak hours, or 24 hours a day. Remote monitoring during your parking facility’s less busy periods will significantly reduce the costs associated with staffing.
Facility managers can also choose to do a combination of on-site during day hours and remote during evening hours.
Increased Cost Savings
The location, lot size, and hours of operation can all play into the cost of hiring a CSR for a parking facility, both on-site and remote. A smaller lot with limited hours could find better cost savings in hiring on-site CSR’s. Whereas someone who has a much larger lot with 24-hour access will find better cost savings by having their site remotely monitored.
Increased Revenue:
With the use of remote monitoring, parking facility managers can see revenue capture improve dramatically with a monitoring solution that reduces equipment downtime and lets you actively engage with your customers.
When deciding whether to use on-site or remote customer service representatives it’s important to evaluate your operational and customer needs to determine the best fit for you.

References

Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2023, June 21). This article sketches a portrait of multilingualism at home in 2021. it examines the situations where more than one language is spoken at home in private Canadian households, based on certain household characteristics. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/as-sa/98-200-X/2021014/98-200-X2021014-eng.cfm

ParkLink, P. (2020, March 16). Are you running a successful parking operation?. Parking Industry. https://www.parkingindustry.ca/parking-management/are-you-running-a-successful-parking-operation

Training parking service providers to improve customer ... - IPMI. (n.d.). https://www.parking.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/TPP-2015-03-When-The-Customer-Hears....pdf