A friend of mine has a retail shop. He has a small ground level parking area and two much larger levels of underground parking.
His problem is that the customers will avoid the two underground levels at all costs and do all kinds of stupid and illegal things in order to park their cars on the small ground level parking.
He tried valet parking but it failed miserably because people wouldn’t let the parking employee drive their cars.
Is there anything he can do so the customers will do to the underground parking on their own accord?
Hm, I’ve never heard of this before (people going out of their way to avoid underground parking). Is the entrance obvious? Or any other idea as to why they are avoiding it?
Perhaps they assume the underground lots aren’t free for customer use? IME underground parking in denser areas of a city aren’t free to park in, or they’re only meant for employees/apartment residents. I wouldn’t think to park in such a structure unless there were lots of big obvious “Free Customer Parking!” signs.
If it’s well lit, the next thing I would do is to paint it bright colours and/ or murals - why does everything have to look so depressing gray and drab?
Unless the above-ground parking lot is shaded - actually, even then, - I would advertise that underground parking keeps your car cool! (Compared to how hot and stuffy the air inside a parked car gets in hot weather with sun out.)
Two more possibilities (depending on how far he wants to go):
Offer for a limited time (two weeks) some bonus for parking underground, like a young shop girl handing out a package of gummi-bears (replace with approriate Greek sweet stuff) to every driver who parks underground.
Close off the above-ground parking lot until the below-ground has been filled, or only during the night (ostentaiously because “cars parked in the sun get too hot”).
One thing I have seen (in North America) - if the parking level is painted (bright white) rather than bare concrete, it makes a HUGE difference in the lighting and appeal of the location. I recall several apartment buildings that did this here a decade or two ago in to improve lighting, in response to lurkers attacking women. Spray painting in an empty garage went very fast.
The Greeks seem to be into whitewash, at least in those photogenic island buildings.
I don’t really avoid parking garages myself but I would say the overwhelming stereotype is that they are a good place to get raped/mugged/murdered. Does the shop have a large female clientele? Do they feel unsafe? Are there any security guards on duty in the underground parking (real people, not cameras)?
Has he tried asking the customers why they don’t use it?
That was my first thought, was point out that it’s better for your car, summer and winter, since the temperature’s much more constant.
I LOVE the underground parking at my office- my truck’s never hotter than about 85 or so in the summer, and never colder than the mid-40s in winter, regardless of how awful the weather outside may be, which gives the A/C and heater a jump on keeping the thing comfortable on the ride home.
Redo the upper lot so that there are lots fewer parking spots, perhaps a loading/unloading zone only, or a 3-15 minute limit parking on the upper level. Perhaps a section for people with disabilities sign on the upper level. This was done at a ski area not to long ago. The original lot right in front of the building would be packed with cars every which way, while the expanded lots around it would be almost empty. The owners made it into a loading/ski drop off area and bus area and lots of concrete barriers. People quickly got used to the new layout and all is good.
Alternatively, could the above ground lot be redesigned so that the cars once they enter the above ground lot and see that parking is difficult could easily chose to go down to the lower lot?
Generally people will chose what they know and are used to first, only after meeting resistance will they search for alternatives.
I my experience, underground parking lots tend to be small and cramped. If you are driving anything larger than a car, they are more difficult for a quick in-and-out shopping trip.
We have lots of underground parking here. Several years ago a storm (Allison) came though depositing scads of rain. Some of the underground parking lots flooded. One woman in particular didn’t know this, was leaving work, got on the elevator and descended down into the flooded floors. When the elevator door opened she was drowned immediately. I’ve not parked underground after hearing about this and have in fact seen flooded cars in our own underground lot twice since.
I wonder if similar fears are affecting usage of your friend’s lot.
This would be my suggestion. Can he install meters above ground or have a parking attendant. It is amazing how far people will walk so they don’t have to pay $2.00 for parking. Make sure to have a large sign advising the FREE Parking in the underground lots.
We have a coffee shop nearby that does this. The meters actually belong to the city, not the coffee shop, but the metered parking spaces right in front are always open while the free lot in the back is always full.
Thirded. I’d always prefer underground parking on hot summer days. There’s nothing better then getting 30 feet of concrete, steel and earth between your car and the sun on a hot day.