Customer relationship management (CRM) is software and practice for tracking customers, their accounts and every interaction with them, so a business can serve and keep them.
In parking, CRM sits beside the access and revenue system and holds the relationship: who the monthly parkers are, which employers they work for, what they pay, what they have asked for and when they are likely to leave. See PARCS and software as a service.
Where it helps a parking operation
- Monthly and permit accounts. Sign-up, billing, vehicle changes and waitlists. See monthly parking.
- Business accounts. Employer contracts, validations and corporate billing.
- Support. One history of calls, emails, citations and refunds per customer.
- Marketing and retention. Renewal reminders, offers to lapsed parkers and event pre-sales.
- Data. Links customer behavior to occupancy and revenue for pricing decisions.
What to watch
- Integration with the access and payment systems, so records match reality.
- Data privacy rules for plate and payment data.
- Ownership of the customer data when an operator changes.
The Parkonomics view
Parking has long treated customers as tickets. A CRM turns them into accounts, and accounts can be retained, priced and served. Owners should make sure the customer data stays with the facility, not with the vendor.
Related terms: PARCS, Monthly Parking, Software as a Service, White Label, Parking Rate/Fee, Oversell