For any retail park, business centre, or public venue, the car park is the front door. It’s the first and last impression a visitor has, and their experience profoundly shapes their perception of your entire establishment. The choice of a car park operator, therefore, is not just a logistical decision; it's a critical brand decision.

"Man parked at Gloucester Peel Centre hit with £100 fine 'for crossing the road to get cash out' despite shopping at Iceland's Food Warehouse and Burger King"

By Gloucestershire Live

Stories of protracted disputes, like the one concerning a Gloucester retail outlet, ran for months in local media. The site owner is often left defending the principle of enforcing parking requirements against a simple and damaging public narrative of unfairness. Crucially, the damage to the owner’s brand is often done long before any mention of the car park operator. Now, the national consumer group Which? has added its voice to the calls for tighter regulation, as seen in their recent article, "Parking fines: Which? calls for tougher rules to protect motorists".

Overall, the private parking industry is going through a tough time reputationally. A Government-led Code of Practice has just finished its consultation period, after the industry successfully forced the withdrawal of the previous government’s proposed statutory parking code.

The Public Perception of a 'Poor' Operator

The prevailing public perception is that too many operators view a car park primarily as an opportunity for PCN revenue, with strategies built on a foundation of friction and ambiguity. For a site owner, this perception ultimately damages your reputation and deters customers, leading to headlines such as a recent one from Gloucestershire Live, which read: "Fears Gloucester shopping centres' pay and display parking 'puts profit before people'"

Article 005 2nd

Common perceptions reported by users include:

Confusing Signage: Complex, text-heavy signs are frequently cited. The perception is that the goal is not to inform the driver, but to create a contractual trap that makes it easy for honest mistakes to occur.

Aggressive Enforcement: Many feel the focus is on punishment, not deterrence, with intimidating language and little leniency shown for minor errors. This creates stressful situations that customers will inevitably associate with your location.

A Lack of Oversight: There is a sense that operators are focused on short-term gain, with business models that rely on a steady stream of PCNs rather than creating a positive environment that encourages return visits.

The risk is that your car park operator functions as a contractor, not a partner invested in your long-term success. Everybody involved in the industry understands that many people receiving a Penalty Charge Notice believe they have done nothing wrong, or that it was just an honest mistake.

However, as long as the industry continues to ‘mark its own homework’ and believes this is perceived by the public as appropriate, it will struggle to overcome its current reputational deficit. Perhaps the Dutch ‘Table of Eleven’ should be required reading for parking enforcement industry leaders.

The Desired Characteristics of a 'Good' Operator: A Partner in Asset Enhancement

A 'good' operator understands that their role is to make your asset more valuable. They achieve this through fairness, transparency, and a focus on the end-user experience.

Clarity and Simplicity: Signage is clear, simple, and designed to be easily understood. The goal is to ensure every driver knows the terms and can comply easily, preventing unintentional errors.

Fair, Consistent & Technology-Driven Enforcement: A modern operator uses technology like ANPR to create a system where fairness is engineered into the solution. Enforcement is about managing the space effectively and deterring genuine misuse, not penalising customers for minor transgressions caused by issues like poor mobile phone signal. The process is data-driven, consistent, and transparent.

Transparency as a Foundation: A true partner provides you with a direct, real-time view of your car park's performance via a digital portal. You can see usage, revenue, and enforcement data 24/7, building a relationship based on trust and shared information.

A Focus on the Visitor Journey: They understand that a frictionless parking experience—no barriers, no queues, easy digital payment—leads to happier customers who stay longer, spend more, and are more likely to return. Their success is aligned with your and your tenants' success.

The choice is stark: do you want a contractor who may be perceived as viewing your visitors as a source of penalty revenue, or a partner who helps you cultivate a welcoming and efficient environment?

At PARKUBE, we built our company on the principles of fairness and transparency. We believe that effective enforcement is about creating a well-managed space for legitimate customers, not catching people out. Our technology and our partnership model are designed to enhance your asset and your reputation, turning your car park from a potential liability into a proven strength.

Your Operator, Your Reputation