In this episode of 'Harder Than It Looks,' we delve into the intricacies of the parking industry and the entrepreneurial world. We first sit down with Joaquin Rojas, Director of Parking for Bal Harbour Shops and owner of Parking Guy consultancy.
With two decades of experience, Joaquin shares his journey from parking cashier to managing significant parking operations, highlighting technological innovations and the importance of customer service in reshaping the industry.
Next, we explore the entrepreneurial landscape with Steve Morrell, Managing Director of ContactBabel, a leading research and analysis firm for the contact center industry. For more information about ContactBabel, visit:
https://www.contactbabel.com/
Steve has written hundreds of research reports and his opinion on contact centres has been featured on the BBC, ITV, Sky, the Guardian, Forbes.com and the Financial Times. He has also advised the UK government on the effect of offshoring on the UK economy.
In his segment, we discuss the value of focusing on established successes and features insights on the contact center and customer experience industry.
Here are some key takeaways from this episode:
- How to implement technology to improve valet services and customer experience
- Tips on hiring and managing employees in the parking industry
- Customer experience best practices for call centers
- How to use AI and machine learning in customer service
Be sure to check out these great clips from Segment 1 with Joaquin Rojas:
02:12 Joaquin's Early Career and Growth
05:15 Challenges and Innovations at Bal Harbour Shops
11:06 Event Parking and the Miami Marlins
19:02 Hiring and Managing Parking Staff
25:42 Technology in Parking Operations
31:29 Lightning Round: Personal Insights
34:42 Building Relationships in the Parking Industry
35:22 Magic Wand: Fixing Tailgating in Parking
36:21 Balancing Work and Family Life
37:57 Pride in Helping Others Succeed
Segment 2 with Steve Morrell:
41:14 Steve Morrell's Journey into Contact Center Research
44:09 The Importance of Customer Experience
50:03 Challenges in Contact Centers and Offshoring
52:59 The Role of AI in Contact Centers
59:29 Funny and Challenging Parking Stories
01:03:21 Lessons from Starting Multiple Businesses
What is Harder Than It Looks: Parking Uncovered?
We as parking professionals know that parking is hard. However, we make it look easy to those from the outside looking in. The myriad technologies, processes and people that a parking operator has to wrangle on any given day is mind-numbing, and every parking facility is unique. While certain verticals share similar pain points, we know better than many how nuanced every operation can be.
We created this podcast to facilitate connections and illuminate solutions to common problems within the parking and mobility industry. We aim to do so by highlighting the voices of experts in the space, discussing trends and forward-looking technological innovations, and providing professional food for thought. All in an effort to help one another get better at what we know is harder than it looks…parking a car.