We were recently mentioned in a blog post by Colin Shaw, CEO of Beyond Philosophy, titled 3 Things Great Companies Do for Customers. While we were thankful to share the company of great brands like Amazon, Macy’s, Trader Joe’s and others, it also made our hearts very proud.

“Our desire to provide the best customer experience in every aspect at all of our facilities is one of our biggest priorities,” said Melanie Chavez, executive vice president of construction and branding at Fast Park. “We always say we’re in the customer service business first and the parking business second. We work tirelessly to make sure our services are better, faster and more convenient. We simply would never settle for less.”

So how do we do it? Melanie shared a few insights into what makes the Fast Park experience so different. While much goes into providing good customer service, we focus on these three things:

• Hiring and training the best people. From our corporate staff to our drivers and cashiers, we start by hiring smart, kind-hearted employees. We then train them on providing outstanding customer service by walking them through real-life Fast Park examples of when we succeeded and when the process may have broken down. We empower them to make decisions and give them the tools they need to make each customer’s experience special.
• Going above and beyond. We focus on providing those little extras our customers might not expect. During orientation we show all of our employees a leadership video by Bob Farrell on his “Give ‘em a Pickle” philosophy which is all about going the extra mile to make customers happy. Whether it’s a free bottle of water at exit, fixing a flat tire, clearing an icy window, calming down an anxious child with a special treat or helping find lost keys, we live for moments to put a smile on our customers’ faces.
• Owning up to our mistakes. We strive to perfect our services but sometimes we don’t get it right. After all, we’re human. But the most important thing is when we make a mistake, we own it and resolve it as quickly as possible. We’re focused on the customer—in both good and challenging times—and it might be what our customers appreciate the most.

To further celebrate our customers and employees we also dedicate an entire week to Customer Service. Every year, we take this time to show our appreciation with games, treats and contests. It’s just another way of recognizing our employees and thanking our customers for their patronage.

We’re always looking for new ways to make your stay with us better. Have an idea or story you want to share with us? Share it on Facebook and Twitter!