Easy Ways to Eliminate Winter Parking Woes

During warm weather months, parking in a garage is just another part of your day—a non-event, so to speak, on your way to work or another activity. But when cold weather looms, the idea of parking somewhere and then walking to a building can seem like a chore (or, depending on how icy the sidewalks are, a real hazard).

Thankfully, parking managers understand the challenges that winter months bring to running their operations. Let’s review some of the most effective and easiest ways to eliminate winter parking woes for customers.

Snow and Ice Removal

Safety is of the utmost importance for customers parking in your garage. So when bad weather occurs—whether it’s rain, snow, sleet, or ice—parking managers should ensure that their garage is safe for occupancy by treating the walkways and access roads with in-house personnel or an outside vendor. More than anything, you want to ensure that no person will be subjected to any type of hazard.

Since it can be difficult to predict exactly when a snowstorm will occur, it’s important to ensure your staff is fully equipped with the supplies and tools they need to combat inclement weather conditions or contract with a plow or snow/ice removal company well ahead of time. In addition, whether you are performing these tasks in-house or with an outside vendor, plans and expectations need to be discussed and agreed to ahead of time. This way, when snow piles up outside of your garage, details on performance are already in place.

Stock Up on Amenities

Checking amenities should be an ongoing task for a parking operation. However, it’s important to be extra diligent about these items during winter months. This is because winter poses more hazards and inconveniences than any other time of year. Windshield washer units will get used more often during the winter, especially after a snowstorm, so make sure there is always plenty of fluid in the tank.

Other popular amenities in winter include the air compressor to keep tire pressure regular and battery boosters just in case the cold kills a car battery. In these moments, your amenities can turn a negative experience into a positive one for a frustrated customer. These amenities also help your customers get into their warm cars much faster than if they had to call an outside service for assistance.

And while we plan ahead for snow removal services, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So, consider stocking items like shovels, salt, and other supplies to melt ice and snow on site. Even if only one customer needs them, it’s all about providing service that’s above and beyond your customers’ expectations.

Final Thoughts: Lights, Please

Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to ensure that the lights in your garage are timed correctly. As the seasons change and days get shorter, we run out of sunlight much earlier in the day. Thus, you’ll want to ensure that your timed lights are turning on to correspond with the earlier sunset (and sunrise). Something as simple as lights makes customers feel safer and more confident in parking in your garage—no one wants to walk around in the dark, after all. It also helps you save money on your utilities by only burning them during the times they should be on.

Winter can be a difficult and bitterly cold few months for people—but it doesn’t have to be. By providing a warm and safe environment for your parking tenants all season long, your operation can stand above your competition and foster a positive customer experience in the sometimes literally dark and cold moments of the winter months.

Contact us today for more tips and tricks on preparing for winter weather in your parking operation.