Private lots take away parking revenue from Tampa International Airport

U.S. Airport Authorities are aggressively seeking ways to increase revenues, efficiencies and positioning its brand in the market place.  With many confirming that their parking business is the 2nd largest revenue source, it is only a matter of time before some Airport Authorities implement a reservations system.  Although many off-airport parking companies think "...why would they do that", there are 20 good reasons.   

To read a recent article on an Airport Authority "preparing to fight back", please CLICK HERE.

Text Messaging in the USA

CLICK HERE NOW TO READ SOME STAGGERING STATISTICS AND TRENDING!

Ever heard of Zingle?  What's a Zingle??

Please click here to learn more about this company.

Late last year, I spoke to a small parking operator who removed his company information from the baggage claim area of the airport and saved over $10,000 annually.  This company implemented Zingle's program.

Earlier this year, we learned that over 70 airport operators were using Zingle at their company for sole purpose of providing a text messaging service for returning parkers (pick-up at the airport).  And when asked about the new digital customer service concept, many of these operators said their customers "love it".

A few months back, Zingle contacted SMC for a possible integration partnership.  After several meetings, SMC decided to move forward in working together with Zingle.  In the weeks/months to come, SMC will be testing this system integration service in a few markets.  With Zingle attending the User Conference in January, we hope to provide a demonstration to you.

If you would like to reach out to Zingle, please contact Henkel Smith at 858.207.6324 or hsmith@zingleparking.com.

PCI DSS: The Importance of Securing Payment Information

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a widely accepted set of compliance policies, rules and procedures designed to ensure the security of credit and debit card transactions and protect cardholders against identity fraud, America's fastest growing crime.

The goal of PCI DSS is to ensure the security of payment card data by education and issuing a set of standards. The card brands require that processors have compliant merchants, and the processors in turn require the merchants to comply. Fines and loss of credit card acceptance are the risks to the business.

Click Here Now to familarize yourself with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).  Why?  Because PCI DSS is important to a business wanting to avoid fines and the risks of noncompliance in the event of a breach of security both internal and external.

Q: To whom does PCI DSS apply?

A: PCI DSS applies to ALL organizations or merchants, regardless of size or number of  transactions, that accepts, transmits or stores any cardholder data. Said another way, if any customer of an organization ever pays the merchant directly using a credit card or debit card, then the PCI DSS requirements apply.

If you would like to learn more about PCI DSS, Register Now for the Client User Conference where we will share our experiences in order to help you prepare your business for the inevitable.

Update on Groupon

"Groupon is a disaster," says Sucharita Mulpuru, a Forrester Research analyst. "It's a shill that's going to be exposed pretty soon."


Click Here to Read More!

Used Shuttle Buses For Sale

Sky Harbor Airport Parking operates a large fleet of Shuttle Buses for their off-airport parking business.  The company's president, Jason Pasley, is interested in selling some of these vehicles to fellow operators in need of this type of equipment.

2005 Champion E-450

14+ Passenger

200K+ Miles

Large Luggage Rack

Large Rear A/C

All Maintenence Records

Very Well Maintained

Is Facebook Worth The Hassle?

We all take care of our cars with the typical maintenance issues; oil change, flat tire, brakes, etc.  And then there are sometimes where we need to address some bigger and more serious problems; leaks, belts, electrical, and much more.

In regards to a bigger problem, such as a radiator leak on a Friday evening, where does one find an auto service repair store on a Saturday...affordable...trustworthy...and has your parts?  A better question is, how do you search for an auto service repair store?  Since I was fortunate to have this happen to me a few days ago, I thought it would be appropriate to share my story.

Here is the Where and the How options:

Yellow Pages - not in our home or business these days; who wants to call all over the community?
Newspaper - no more delivery at our house; stopped reading old news 10 years ago
Direct Mail - not too much promotion here; currently receive car dealerships advertising their services
Internet - the only timely way to find anything; Google search 'tampa auto care services' and voilà

Along with the basic keyword search, a shopper receives multiple choices in the community.  This is how business is done today, right?  Absolutely! 

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I clicked on three automotive websites who appeared to be a trusted brand, open on Saturday and have the necessary parts for a 9-year old BMW.  This is where the fun begins for a shopper, and that is trying to locate pertinent information (value and service) fast (right now, not Monday) on a website full links from tires to services to parts (like looking for Waldo).  The three companies were Firestone, Pep Boys and Sears.

Please allow me to cut to the chase and make this 30 minute story real short.  When I visited the companies mentioned,  I found myself thinking...who wants my business?  Who is going to make it easy for me to drive my car into your facility and pay you money?  Good question right?

So why or how did Pep Boys earn my business?  The answer is simple!  After reading up on their services, I clicked on their Facebook link and it directed me to a "Monthly Deals" page. This page convinced me and closed me, and from there, the savings of 10% looked good on my invoice.
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Knowing this, if you were responsible for Sear's or Firestone's online strategy, would you change your strategy to drive more customers into your business?  Of course!

In summary, I asked the Assistant Manager at Pep Boys a question:  "Do you receive many of these Facebook coupons?"  His answer:  "More and more each day".  And then he said, "Next time, just pull the coupon up on your phone and we will honor it."  That is what I am talking about....Keep It Simple & Smart!

Last Chance for a $1500 Website

As many of you know, our core business services are Reservations, Point-Of-Sale, Integration, Consulting and Marketing Services.  Do we build websites once-in-awhile?  Yes!  Since 2010, SMC has designed and developed 10 websites for our parking clients, and we have enjoyed participating in a variety of marketing initiatives to drive traffic.  

Dynamic Websites are so important today for your business.  Like with your clothes, your hair, and your car, your website must be updated to reflect the modern day demands and pressures.  To learn more about a dynamic website, please click here. 

If you would like for SMC to build your business a new website, the time is now. Right Now! The development cost is $1500.00 and annual maintenance (excludes hosting) cost is only $100.00.  Beginning December 16, 2011, the website price will increase to $2000 and annual maintenance to $500.

• Professional Design (over 3000 templates to choose from)
• Search Engine Friendly Structure
• Optimized Website Layout and Design
• Front End Design includes:

• Home
• About
• Rates & Services
• Rewards
• Testimonials
• Reservations
• Directions, Google Map and Widget
• Contact Form
• Constant Contact Widget
• Other
  
• Discount/Coupon
• Includes up to 8 photos
• Includes up to 2 videos
• Basic Search Engine Submission
• Social Media

BONUS:  We will build landing pages at no charge.  What does this mean?  If you find a corporation, travel agency or association to work with and they want a link to your website with a preferred reservations system, or you would like to have a Facebook page on your website with a reservations system, or you would like to run a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign to point shoppers to a promotional page with a reservations system, we will add these pages complimentary.

NOTE:  Websites using Flash are not mobile friendly.  Therefore, if you have a flash application on your website or you are thinking about it, please be advised of the loading problems.  With mobile phones and tablets growing so rapid in the marketplace, you must be aware of potential problems for your customers.

If this is you - "we need to upgrade our website and get with the times" - let us know!  SMC will take care of you.