Parking at Customer sites

[Ollie1981]

Does anyone else get sheer grief over parking at customer sites?

90% of customers I go to there isn't a problem, you simply tell the guy on security on the intercom at the gate that you're here on a call out to service a photocopier/printer and you're let in and told to park in one of the visitors spaces.

Some customers are in city centre office blocks where there is no parking provision for anyone onsite, but there are several public car parks in very close proximity and I can claim back parking charges via expenses anyhow so again no problem.

I'm talking about the customers who have large, usually only half-full onsite parking lots but point blank refuse to let you park onsite. This makes my blood boil!!!!!!! I don't know what these dribbling unpardonable cretins expect me to do, get airlifted in or what?

The conversation usually goes thus:-

*Press Intercom Buzzer*

Security:- Hello security

Me:- Hi it's **** from ****, I've got a call out to service a copier in **** department and my contact name is ****

Security:- One moment please.......

Security:- You need to report to main reception and someone will meet you there

Me:- What about my car

Security:- You can't park onsite, only employee permit holders can park onsite.

Me:- O.K, So where's the nearest public car park?

Security:- There ain't one, There's a park and ride about three miles away, most of our employees park there and get the bus in.

Me:- Riiiiiiiiight, So what if I need parts on my car to fix your machine?

Security:- I dunno mate, bring 'em with you?

Me:- I don't even know what parts I need yet, I've not even seen the machine.

Security:- Look mate, I'm not interested. You can't park onsite and that's the rules, any problem with that is your problem not mine.

I then drive off looking for somewhere to park with smoke coming out of my ears and fighting off the urge to go completely ballistic when I do finally get onsite.

[Scott_Lewis]

Call the customer back and tell them you attempted service and were denied access. Let them know they can make another appointment and to be sure to have a parking pass left at the guard gate.

[Ollie1981]

Call the customer back and tell them you attempted service and were denied access. Let them know they can make another appointment and to be sure to have a parking pass left at the guard gate.

Yep, done that!

It cuts no ice, they don't care how you get there, they want their machine fixed within the agreed response times and for you to comply with their stupid onsite parking policies. Otherwise they're on the phone to the area manager spitting bile and you're for the high jump.

These are the customers with big enough contracts to make you jump through hoops. Even our managers park miles offsite when conducting courtesy calls to avoid upsetting these people.

Without getting into specifics - any major corporation is fine. If there's parking and you're a legitimate contractor you're welcome to park on their sites. Anything to do with government..........tsk

And that's the biggest kick in the arse, not only am I jumping through hoops for these morons. I'm actually involuntarily paying their wages through taxes.

[Mr Spock]

This is a customer that has to wait a day or two for the parts to "arrive". When you can park onsite then the parts are usually in the trunk!!!
And this works because you have made the response time. If you don't have the right part then a return visit is justified. After a couple of "part needs to be ordered" then they tend to get the message.

[CMB]

WOW! that sucks. we have loading zone permits thru the state and city, so we do not have that much of a problem. metered parking spaces all over the place. my company pays us back for money spent on meters. only one place that i had a issue with parking. it was at a college. they have a cirle drive parking lot right at the front door of thier admin building. they called screamming and yelling that thier copier was down. i sped thru town to get there only to drive around in circles in front of their building looking for a spot with no luck. so i called. i say look out our window, see me in my truck? where do i park? they say its not my problem. i say if i can't park, i can't fix you copier --now its your problem. find me a parking spot or i'm leaving. i do not have time for this. what next? they say, well come first thing in the morning and a place should be available. and there was.

i will not do a call if i have to park more than a couple of blocks from the customer.

[SGT_Snacks-64]

We got one customer, a particular Government building, with plenty of Parking spaces, there's one guy who's sometimes on gate who demands you need a "Pass" to park there. Anyone else on the gate we're more that welcome. It's very fustrating. I've parked about 2 miles from a Customer before and walked there. That was a bit excessive but sometimes you just have to.

[Ollie1981]

We got one customer, a particular Government building, with plenty of Parking spaces, there's one guy who's sometimes on gate who demands you need a "Pass" to park there. Anyone else on the gate we're more that welcome. It's very fustrating. I've parked about 2 miles from a Customer before and walked there. That was a bit excessive but sometimes you just have to.

It's always Government.......always!!

Depends which firm manages their buildings and security, I always find a certain government security contractor beginning with "T" to be the most disagreeable.

In one particular major town there's two Government buildings within a mile of each other, one is smack bang in the town centre (where parking is at the biggest premium) and they are absolutely fine, you just sign at at the security box, show them your company I.D and they tell you which numbered space you can park in. If there are no spaces they let you block another car in if you leave them your mobile phone number so they can ask you to move if necessary.

The other site has a much bigger car park that I have never ever seen even half full, all the streets surrounding are resident permit only parking for at least a mile in all directions. The nearest town centre public car park is at least a thirty minute walk and the rentacops at "T" never, ever let you park onsite.

I rang a contact there once as I left my previous call telling him I should only be about half an hour, it took me twenty minutes to drive to the building, then another forty to park. By the time I made it in front of the machine the contact was already phoning up to complain that I hadn't turned up when I said I would.

When I remonstrated about not being able to park, they gave me a lecture about my "carbon footprint" and how I should be walking or using public transport to do my bit for the environment.

It's only in government where you find sense and reason gives way to what ever trendy cause the government has brainwashed it's minions into championing.

[SGT_Snacks-64]

When I remonstrated about not being able to park, they gave me a lecture about my "carbon footprint" and how I should be walking or using public transport to do my bit for the environment.

Ask them to come out with you and show them the boot of your car. Then tell them you drive a Diesel, one that isn't THAT high-powered, then maybe they'll sympathise with you a bit.

I'm sure they drive into work anyway.

[HORSE]

Don't take any Sh*t

I had a similar type customer, fortunately my manager has a backbone and he insisted that no carparking space no service. I now park in the loading bay or I double park in their underground carpark and display a special pass from security who have my phone number. If someone wants out I come down move my car and then park in the now vacant carspace.

[aodtech]

We have a machine at a police station in small town. They blocked parking on the main street, so I had to park on the side street which had meters. I don't normally carry change, so I said what the hell. After the call was done, I found a parking ticket on my windshield. The Chief later on voided the ticket, but I thought it was pretty funny.

[fixthecopier]

The parking on this base is bad. We have a lot more cars and trucks than spaces. I pick my battles. I have parked on bushes and on sidewalks. Some of my buildings started cracking down, usually where a General is located, and will only allow marked space parking. A good bluff can sometimes work. When I have encountered no parking several times in a day at the same building and ditched the call, I have told the customer that part of my contract says "reasonable acess to the building". I do not know if it does but it should and I know they do not have a copy of the contract in thier desk.
Almost all of the buildings will have most of the parking reserved for key personel and "shop or dept. heads", who may not be in at the time. I have used a 3 star general spot and not got caught, however I did get busted by a Sgt. Major who parked behind me, blocking me in and headed for a 2 hour meeting. We met on his way in and exchanged words, mine being,"if you do not move your truck, your copy service is gonna suck for the next 2 years". He moved his truck. When I go do the military police, I pull up along the sidewalk in front and never have a problem. One year they gave me a speeding ticket and I do not think they were able to make many copies that summer, someting about parts being on back order from Japan.
My favorite parking tale would be at a bldg where most of the paint had worn off the space lines and the reserve markings. I pulled up into a front row space and as I was getting out of the truck someone came running out and said that the space I was in was reserved for the company commander. I replied " I don't see his name on it", pointing to the unreadable paint. I ignored the soilder and went in and did my call. Next week I went back to the building on a training holiday [only a few people there], and in the big open empty parking lot, where I parked last week was fresh paint, outlining ONE SPACE, with the words "company commander" at the top. I laughed and wished I had a camera. See, the copy guy leaves his mark everywhere he goes.