No hospitality company is immune to common valet issues. Every hotel and hospitality brand, from the major national players to the small boutiques, experiences the trials and tribulations that come with offering guest parking. Car wrecks, lagging wait times, unprofessional service and more – these are the risks that hotels take on when they provide parking, even with the most rigorous preparation and process. In an industry built on customer experience, it’s crucial to deliver on every element of guest interaction, even from the drive-up – or risk losing customers, credibility and revenue.
Fortunately, there’s a proven way for hotels to combat these fears and ensure that they’re delivering the best customer experience while reaping the biggest return: technology. By harnessing advanced parking technology, hospitality brands can elevate their parking and valet processes without breaking the bank – and even maximize their profit.
Parking has long been a source of added revenue, but one that brands often fail to fully leverage. Technology streamlines processes and creates value at every step. That’s where Parking Management Company (PMC) comes in. As a tech-driven parking services provider, PMC has the expertise and software necessary to help hotels get the most from their lots and garages. And with PMC Valet, the company’s new, state-of-the-art, digital hotel valet platform, brands are able to elevate their guests’ parking experience in one place, with features like digital tipping, car assessment, real-time passenger updates and more. PMC Valet enhances the parking experience while reducing risks for hotel management and guests.
There’s often a great deal of concern among guests when they use valet, including questions about lot location, car safety, payment options, cash tipping and more. Alternatively, attendants feel the pressure from navigating lots, high traffic volumes, securing tips, and above all, representing themselves, the company and the hotel in the best light. Technology can ease these concerns, improve the process and put the power back in their hands.
Even minor changes can pay major dividends. Paper tickets are the status quo in the valet world but are cumbersome and easily lost. Software like PMC Valet handles all sessions digitally, which reduces the time and money lost to misplaced tickets and gives guests and attendants the power to come and go as needed. PMC Valet integrates car intake, assessment, retrieval, and payment into one platform. Guests can monitor their car’s progress in real-time, transforming traditional delays into a seamless and accountable experience.
The drive isn’t always perfect. Sometimes accidents happen, which can spell extra expenses. But advanced parking technology can help hotels easily reduce costs and even elevate their public perception. By housing everything in a digital platform, brands can shorten the claims process and even manage the hotel’s interactions between human resources and parking attendants. Doing so makes the situation as painless as possible and demonstrates the brand’s commitment to customer experience in all regards. Technology creates a uniform world that brands can expand for customers across locations – one where convenience is the foundation.
Another area where technology-based parking solutions drive value is through the act of revenue collection itself. PMC Valet’s overnight mobile pay functionality allows guests the option to pay hotel parking fees right from their phones in a single transaction, through one secure, PCI-compliant system. This guarantees instant, accurate payment that saves on credit card processing, creates a distinct and digital “paper” trail, and eliminates issues, which saves money, gives time back to the front desk and offers added privacy protection for the guest. Brands can also leverage digital tipping – a real-time, in-app asset where guests can tip without the scramble for cash and attendants reap the reward. People tip nearly 15% more when tipping digitally, according to Forbes. That’s a profit boost for parkers and staff retention boost for managers. PMC Valet takes this revenue generation a step further with dynamic pricing, a real-time feature that scans occupancy data, measures against comparative markets, and automatically adjusts pricing to ensure that every hotel brand and location is seeing the highest return.
Technology harnesses an exponential opportunity for profit and growth, but the opportunity is often wasted without comparable attention to hospitality. Guests drive this industry, which is why every decision should be made with them in mind. The real-time updates and visual accountability of PMC Valet lend necessary comfort for consumers, when “out of sight, out of mind” doesn’t apply. However, it’s normal for guests to need extra assurance. PMC is a company built by valets, for valets. As such, its hospitality-focused practices ensure that all technological solutions are implemented with the customer experience in mind.
Everyone in this industry can attest to the power of technology, parking and hospitality as service lines. Only during my time at Parking Management Company have I witnessed the true impact of blending these service lines. PMC has merged the strengths of technology with the hospitality-driven mindset of valet to deliver unparalleled solutions. Hotel brands: It is possible to maximize profit without sacrificing customer experience, and to elevate your offerings through existing service lines like parking. The key is technology-driven hospitality – enhancing what already works by making it fast, more efficient, seamless and more forward-thinking. With solutions like PMC and PMC Valet, the future of parking becomes reality.