Updating to new equipment for your parking garage pay station has many benefits, such as lower overall maintenance and improved technology, resulting in running your operation more smoothly. But it's also important to look at the bottom line: costs. Although it might be a substantial initial investment, crunch the numbers on how long it will take for the money to be recovered. It may be less costly than you think.

Choosing the right equipment and system for your parking lot pay stations is essential for cash management and can even lessen operational costs in the long run. At the same time, the pay station should boost customer service with many different options for payments and even different language capabilities.

When choosing pay station equipment or systems, consider the following tips:

1. The parking pay station must be easy for employees as well as customers.

2. Parking garage pay station equipment must be secure, tamper resistant and hold up to harsh conditions.

3. The ultimate goal to updating parking pay booth equipment is to improve efficiency.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Obtain parking lot pay station equipment

When upgrading your current pay station equipment, it's important to look at the many different systems and options available. Make sure to look for the latest technology since you don't want a system that will be obsolete after a few years. Look for features that will truly be helpful in your operations. If the system offers bells and whistles only for the sake of bells and whistles, then pass.

I recommend: Amano USA Holdings Inc. offers equipment to handle lanes and revenue, as well as gates. Look into TCS International's Pay & Display/Multi-Space Meter.

Research the option of individual parking pay systems such as meters

Maybe your operation calls for something different, such as individual pay systems. Look into options of the meter-style parking systems as they can be purchased from a variety of vendors.

I recommend: POM Inc. provides three different meter models. Log on to GanisSystems.com to browse their personal parking systems.

Utilize software to manage your parking lot booths

Software capabilities allow you to have full control over your parking booth operations. The right software system can easily handle the generation of reports and audits, send receipts via e-mail and apply discounts or multiple rates. All of those features could be a nightmare to do by hand.

I recommend: From accounting to customer tracking, browse through the characteristics of the netPark software system. Check out the options and features available with the GMG Systems Inc. software APP3900 management server.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When updating your parking garage booths, be mindful of the interruption that installation may cause. Many customers may use your booth on a daily basis; you don't want to send them to the competition. Keep them in the loop as to how long installation will take. If possible, get installation completed during off-peak hours.