Three key issues are spearheading the move to cashless parking. First and foremost, mobile smart phones have revolutionized daily life. They are the ultimate multi-functional devices that can do almost everything for us. Second, fewer and fewer consumers carry coins or cash because turning your purse or briefcase inside out trying to find the right change can be a pain especially if it’s raining, windy or both. And, third, is that cashless parking reduces lost revenue due to theft, fraud and eliminates the need for attendants to spend valuable time checking lots, collecting, counting and depositing cash. “It’s a huge savings,” notes Joe Koontz, City Manager, Seattle Self-Park Operations.

Seattle Self-Park Operations went totally cashless in November of 2015. Joe says the benefits were immediate. “Our customers can pay for parking using their mobile phones without ever leaving the comfort and security of their vehicles.” Joe says another advantage of going cashless is that customers can easily extend their parking session by mobile phone if a meeting or errand runs long. He adds that they also receive an alert on their phone when they’re parking session is about to expire.

DIAMOND G r o w i n g To g e t h e r.

DialogS P R I N G 2 0 1 6

- Cashless Payments

- Self-Storage World Expo

- Ahead of the Curve

- Investing in Community

- Going the Extra Mile

INS IDE THIS ISSUE

We hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter

Cashless in Seattle

Continued on inside

GOING

CASHLESS

Pay with your

smartphone

Diamond Parking customers pay for their parking using the

“Call2Park” app, one of our industry’s leading mobile apps.

Investing in CommunityDiamond Parking Vancouver BC’s team of Mike Poirier, Mindip Janda, and Suraya Tabesh, were “center court,” so to speak at the Jewish Community Centers (JCC) Annual Sports dinner and auction at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. Attended by nearly 1,000 of Vancouver’s top executives and sports enthusiasts, the event celebrates professional and local athletes and raises funds that allow the JCC to continue to provide social, cultural, recreational and educational programming to children, seniors, and families.

“It is a true privilege to be a corporate sponsor of one of Vancouver’s most prestigious fundraisers,” says Mike. He adds, “Diamond has managed JCC’s parking operations for 10 years and our corporate sponsorship gives us a unique opportunity to support our client’s interests as well as a means of giving back to the community.” Charles Barkley, the former NBA great and current analyst on the television program Inside the NBA, was the keynote speaker, and says Mike, “the Round Mound of Rebound (as he refers to himself) was gracious to join our team for a group photo.”

Director of Business Development Suraya Tabesh, Area Manager Mindip Janda, former NBA Basketball great Charles Barkley, Vice President of Operations, British Columbia, Mike Poirier

Canadian Corner

Photos by: Jocelyne Hallé

Brian Evans, Area Manager, Seattle Attended Division

Brian Evans — “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,” states Brian Evans, Diamond Parking’s Area Manager in the Seattle Attended Division. Brian says his approach to providing excellent customer service starts from the point of view of the customer. “I always imagine myself on the other end of the conversation. I make sure I am courteous and take time to listen and answer questions in a patient manner.” Brian says that with any question, big or small, he has a unique opportunity to interact with a customer and leave a positive impression. When Brian found out that he was being interviewed for Dialog, he expressed surprise. “I don’t need the spotlight to shine on me. I do the best I can every day.“ Customer letters like this one confirm that Brian’s approach to exceeding customers expectations is working.

Great customer service experience.

Parked today at the garage in

925 Fourth Ave., Seattle. I didn’t

understand where visitor parking

was located. When I called the office

to better understand the particular

situation in that garage, Brian provided

me with great customer service. Just

wanted to let someone know!

Candi McHugo,

Starbucks Coffee Company

Going the Extra Mile – Exceeding Customer Expectations

Self-Storage Expo Draws Record CrowdsThe 2016 Inside Self-Storage World Expo (ISS Expo) was held recently at the Paris Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Aaron Turner, Diamond Parking’s Director of Parking Operations, was on hand to interface with exhibitors, network with leading industry experts and attend dynamic workshops. “There’s tremendous growth happening in the self-storage industry right now,” says Aaron. For example, “the need for self storage at Diamond’s Anchorage, Salt Lake City and Spokane storage operations is stronger than ever.” Moving into the peak season of June through October, Aaron says that Diamond’s storage facilities in all three cities are at or above 90 percent. Additionally, Aaron points to the record-setting crowds at the ISS Expo as proof positive that the industry is striving toward new heights. “Storage is the fastest growing economic sector of commercial real estate as well as personal property. New development is underway all over the world. It’s an excellent time to be in self-storage.” Now in its 25th year, the ISS Expo aims to inspire, energize and reward participants with the knowledge and confidence to make smart, profitable decisions whether building a new operation or reinvigorating an existing one. Before joining Diamond Parking in the fall of 2015, Aaron spent 14 years Walgreen’s.

Look anywhere these

days, and you will see

growing evidence of a

shift toward a cashless

economy. Behind this

trend is the smart

phone. We can shop,

pay our bills, schedule

transactions, manage

all of our finances and pay for parking

wherever we are simply with the ease of

our smart phones. Today, digital mobile

wallets allow consumers to store their

web passwords, software license keys,

credit and debit card numbers in their

smart phones, in essence creating their

own mobile digital database. Advances

in telecommunication technology have

meant that the population has a level of

connectedness and convenience never

seen before. That’s why at Diamond we

are striving toward cashless parking. We

want to make it as easy and convenient

as possible for our customers to pay for

their parking via smart phones.

We know that cashless transactions

allow our customers to pay for their

parking from the comfort of their cars.

Additionally, the time taken to pay for

parking electronically is usually under a

minute – far less than needed to leave

the security of your vehicle to walk to a

pay box to purchase a ticket. With the

number of smart phone users in the U.S.

estimated to reach 207.2 million in 2016,

and in an age in which coins and cash are

used less and less, the future of cashless

parking looks assured.

from the

President’s desk

Jon Diamond

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Aaron Turner, Director of Parking Operations

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Cashless in Seattle Continued from cover

“When you begin to add up the benefits,” states Jon Diamond, President of Diamond parking, “such as the ability for our parkers to add parking time wherever they are or increasing services to the customers of our landlords and property owners as well as creating extra time for our attendants to keep our parking facilities clean, well lit and safe, it’s easy for us to see why cashless parking is the future.”

Chuck Harvison Success in finding and purchasing the right property for parking or real estate investment, states Chuck Harvison, Diamond’s City Manager of Eugene, Oregon, begins by mapping out an action plan. “First and foremost establishing parameters and filling in key answers to critical questions is my top priority,’ states Chuck. For example, Chuck wants to know what is the expected return? Are the key players at the table? How motivated are the sellers? “Multi-tenant properties with strong tenant histories and current leases that are not going to expire are prime examples of properties that fit Diamond’s current portfolio and investment philosophy,” notes Chuck. Chuck adds that geographic areas play

ahead of the Curve

When parking, save time and avoid the rain!4 Create a FREE account4 Enter Location Code and License Plate4 Select Parking Time and Rate4 Confirm your purchase with your PINTo get started, call 877-647-4707 or visit www.calltopark.com

oooo

an important role in locating and pursuing a purchase. “Diamond favors downtown locations because they thrive when economic times are good and rebound the fastest when the economy is recovering.” Chuck is quick to point out that Diamond is always looking for ways to invest in the local community. A fact that is reinforced by Diamond’s President, Jon Diamond. “When we buy,” notes Jon, “we want to hold. We are not developers. We rely on our city managers like Chuck to build relationships and rapport with property owners, business and community leaders and brokers that will lead to long term successful purchases and partnerships. That’s what keeps Diamond ahead of the curve.”

Chuck Harvison, City Manager, Eugene OR

“First and foremost establishing parameters and

filling in key answers to critical questions is my top

priority in mapping out an action plan.”

20+ YearsElpidio Tabalbag Seattle Attended 26 yearsHerman F. Raap Coeur D’Alene 22 yearsBelay Assefa Seattle Attended 21 years

15+ YearsRedi Zeray Seattle Attended 18 yearsSergey V. Verkhovodov Spokane Downtown 18 yearsSolomon Tekeste Seattle Attended 16 yearsAlfredo Andrada Honolulu 15 yearsAster Zersenai Seattle Attended 15 yearsGebreyesus Lisanu Seattle Self-Park 15 years

10+ YearsTewoderos Desta Seattle Self-Park 14 yearsSamson G. Andebrhan United Parking 14 yearsKenneth D. Kime Bellevue 12 yearsMike Poirier Vancouver, BC 12 yearsFrank R. Martin Spokane Airport 11 yearsStephen H. Finley United Parking 11 yearsMaria L. Morelos-Garcia Long Beach 10 yearsWilliam M. McCorkle Santa Ana 10 yearsKebede W. Dhaba Seattle Self-Park 10 years

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Your observations, ideas and opinions are very important to us. Whether you are a landlord, customer or employee, you can use Actionline to provide comments, suggestions or observations; to ask questions, voice concerns, report situations, or to forward information that you feel may need attention.

Actionline is served by an independent communication services firm. Through this service, you may provide your personal contact information and receive a response directly from Diamond Parking. Or, you may provide your personal contact information, request to remain anonymous to the company, and receive a reply through the Actionline service.

You may contact Actionline by e-mail at ask@actionline.com, by telephone at 1-800-426-0426 (day or night, toll-free) or by using a postage-paid mailer available at any Diamond Parking field office.

We want to congratulate those employees who are

celebrating 10 or more years with Diamond Parking.

Thank you for your dedication!

aCtionline

Employment OpportunitiesDiamond Parking is a full-service parking operator which prides itself on the quality of its employees. We do everything possible to accommodate our clients and make sure each and every client is satisfied.

Such exceptional service can only be delivered by hiring the brightest and hardest working people in the industry.

If you are interested in joining Diamond Parking, please e-mail your resume to: hr@diamondparking.com.

Diamond Parking is an equal opportunity employer.

diamond anniversaries

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diamond feedbaCk

We welcome your comments: Diamond Dialog is published by Diamond Parking. For comments and suggestions please write to us at: dialog@diamondparking.com.

Scan code with a smart phone

To learn more about the Diamond Difference visit www.diamondparking.com

EXPERIENCED.

We draw on the substance and depth of decades of experience to assist property owners and building managers to develop comprehensive plans for maximizing their parking potential.

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

From parking facilities in every conceivable size of commercial buildings to major hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, sports arenas, multilevel garages and ‘Park N Fly’ facilities – we’ve done it. And we can excel for you too.

Bring us your parking challenge. We’ll find the best solution.

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1 MISSION HELPING YOU REALIZE YOUR PROPERTY’S FULL POTENTIAL.

www.DiamondParking.com • 605 First Avenue, Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98104 • 1-800-340-PARK

When parking, save time and avoid the rain!4 Create a FREE account4 Enter Location Code and License Plate4 Select Parking Time and Rate4 Confirm your purchase with your PINTo get started, call 877-647-4707 or visit www.calltopark.com

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Photos by: Jocelyne Hallé

In Our Next Issue – Diamond Parking Canada

announces a new strategic

partnership with one of

the largest real estate

companies worldwide.

STAYTUNED