Customer expected to get free parking by shopping at *dept. store*

[snugglegirl05]

I consider this customer to be sucky because he used the typical tactics to try to get his way.

Background:
The previous manager at one of the parking garages I work at gave free parking on Saturday's if you shopped at *dept. store* & gave the garage cashier your receipt. That particular manager no longer works for the parking company I work for. My current manager is over that garage. From what I understand, financially the garage was losing money due to customers getting free parking. The only way my current manager could give customers free parking is if the *dept. store* reimbursed the parking company for the free parking, but the *dept. store* does not do this. There was no agreement between the *dept. store* and the parking company to do this. So he changed the parking fee on Saturday's to a discounted rate of $3.00 for every customer.

I worked this past Saturday at that parking garage. Male customer drives up to the booth. Here is what happened.

male customer: "The manager at *dept. store* told me that if I give you my receipt, I get free parking on Saturday's."

He hands me the receipt, & I look at it.

me: "I am sorry, but I cannot give you free parking. The parking fee is $3.00. There is not anything I can do with this receipt."
male customer: "Are you sure? Because the manager at *dept. store* told me that customers who park at this garage get free parking on Saturday's if they give the cashier their receipt."
me: "There is no free parking. The parking fee is $3.00."
male customer: "Are you sure? The manager who worked here the last time I came gave me free parking."
me: "The current boss who took over this garage, *name*, has not given free parking to anyone for anything."
male customer: "Is this the parking garage for *dept. name*?"
me: "People can park here to go to *dept. store*, however, this is a parking fee involved."
male customer: " Well... I was told by the manager at *dept. store* that I get free parking if I give you my receipt."
me: "Unfortunately if I give customers free parking, my employer looses money, & they have to make up the loss somehow, & usually that loss is passed on to the consumer."
male customer: "Well... other companies validate parking on the weekends. I am a customer, & I am shopping here. Your employer should take the loss and validate customers parking."
me: "I can give you a receipt and the phone number to reach my boss."
male customer: "Fine. Ok... I will pay for my parking. I need a receipt."

The male customer finally pays for his parking. I write down the phone number for the other garage my manager is over on the receipt. He works there Monday through Friday.

The male customer was not too happy that he had to pay $3.00 to park in the garage.

[workerbee222]

Parking is the bane of Nearby City's existence. Officially, the city's motto is "Resurgam." Unofficially, it's "Violators will be towed."

Stores in Nearby can purchase park-and-shop stamps, which are good at certain garages. Each stamp is good for an hour's worth of parking, although I think the parking garages will only honor four per visit.

There is also a park-and-work program for part-time employees whose employers won't provide parking.

The city would be better served by making itself more friendly to visitors, but it's not the responsibility of garage owners to operate at a loss.

[emax4]

A quick shutdown (hopefully) would be, "Oh, ok. Then just go get the manager to give you the three dollars since I'm not the manager and we need the manager's signature for validation."

[sstabeler]

than the SC would tell the manager you promised them validated parking...

[XCashier]

Has the garage manager spoken to the department store manager about this? It doesn't sound like it. There needs to be some clear communication as to what is expected regarding parking fees or this will happen more and more often.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Quoth XCashier

Has the garage manager spoken to the department store manager about this? It doesn't sound like it. There needs to be some clear communication as to what is expected regarding parking fees or this will happen more and more often.

I don't think this is an issue of the department store manager giving him any information about it. I think the guy knew about the old manager's "Saturday Special" and tried to weasel by with it by saying the dept. store manager told him this. (Note how he said "The last manager gave me free parking.")

Total suckster, and a freaking scrooge McDuck. $3.00 for parking? That's freaking cheap. When I go into the nearby city it's way more than that to park my car (hence why I try to use public transportation if I can.)

[snugglegirl05]

The parking garage has the *dept. store* name on it, but the *dept. store* only has the naming rights to the garage. Another company owns the garage and the property that the garage is located on. My direct supervisor reports to the company that owns the garage. I am wondering if that company was not happy that the former garage manager was giving free parking to *dept. store* customers, & my supervisor's direct supervisor was informed of this.

[PepperElf]

Well... I was told by the manager at *dept. store*...

Yeah well the manager doesn't run the parking lot; he runs a store.


Sounds like the *dept store* manager is the one who needs to pay the parking fee. After all, he's the one telling lies about your services.