At Cascades Shopping Centre in Portsmouth city centre, pictured, WPS, a parking product company, has installed its ParkAdvance Pay-on-Foot product.
The shopping centre was looking to upgrade to take advantage of an IP-based system that could be updated to include new functions when available and required.
Andrew Philip, Centre Manager at Cascades, says parking technology and thinking has advanced in recent years: “Parking is no longer considered a simple provision, but rather the first vital touch point in the customer journey, and as such it is our responsibility to ensure it is a positive experience. We therefore decided to take the parking provision in-house and see where enhancements could be made.”
What to do for lost tickets was one area where Andrew was keen to improve the overall experience for shoppers. He says: “Previously lost tickets incurred a flat day-rate charge because it was not possible to verify when the customer had entered the car park. The ParkAdvance system, however, incorporates ANPR, meaning we are usually able to verify when the customer arrived and solve lost ticket situations efficiently, and to a greater customer satisfaction.”
The new Pay-on-Foot system offers multiple payment options including contactless, chip and pin and cash, and is set up to include card-in/card-out and online pre-paid functionality when timing is appropriate for the centre.
Andrew Philip says: “In a competitive tender, we were convinced by the ParkAdvance system because it is future proof – an investment that we can make now and know is a good choice for many years to come. Options to adapt the system to include loyalty programmes, social media promotion and payment options are limitless.”
The ParkAdvance reporting functionality provides access to data on the car park’s performance, usage patterns and turnover.
Andrew Philip adds that reporting was another key factor in the choice. “Again, because the software is highly adaptable, the skies are the limit in terms what data we are able to extract and what insights we can gather based on our own, specific requirements. WPS engineers are on hand to ensure we are able to make the most of this functionality.”
Simon Jarvis, Managing Director of WPS in the UK says that the product provides a user-friendly customer experience in terms of its reliability and intuitive interface. “It also provides customers with the flexibility to shop for as long as they need to without the fear of returning to a parking fine.”
The Cascades’ six-floored car park has 615 spaces, 32 of which are disabled access. Five pay stations service the car park, with three entry terminals and a total of five barriers.
