An Interview with Alastair McDonald, Head of Commercial and Operations for Q-Park Ireland

Q-Park Ireland is focused on delivering a seamless parking experience while adapting to the demands of a digital-first world. From strengthening partnerships to managing complex operations across multiple cities, the team is committed to innovation and customer satisfaction.

We caught up with Alastair McDonald, Head of Commercial and Operations for Q-Park Ireland, to explore how the PaSS system continues to shape a seamless customer journey, the realities of managing operations nationwide, and the growing importance of sustainability in modern mobility hubs. Alastair also shares his perspective on building strong partnerships, leading dispersed teams, and delivering exceptional service in a digital-first world.

Keep reading to find out which Q-Park facility is Alastair’s favourite!

Tap here to watch the full interview.

How has Q-Park’s new PaSS system transformed the customer journey?

I think the main thing that PaSS has offered, is that seamless parking experience for our customers we’ve been able to develop partnerships with partners who previously we may have not been able to develop partnerships with. Been able to look at what the partnerships needs are and go back to the partner with a PaSS solution that really suits their requirements.

What does Q-Park look for in a partnership with landlords or property owners and how do you tailor different agreements to different asset types?

Q-Park offers a flexible approach to property owners or landlords, we generally look at the property in detail, and we apply what Q-Park does to the proposal. We then present back to the landlord or property owner with what we believe is the best fit for the property.

What are some of the challenges you face in running operations across Ireland?

I think the main challenge at the moment in operations in Ireland is the continued challenge of providing safe and secure parking for our customers. We've all seen a rise in antisocial activity across many city centres, and so we're very focused on ensuring that that we continue to provide a safe and secure environment for our customers. The labour market has also become very challenging in the post-Covid era. We have found it challenging to recruit the relevant level of candidate, I think that’s a challenge for most businesses, but we have certainly seen a challenge in that area. More of our customers are booking through digital channels required at operational level to ensure that there are more checks in place to maintain that seamless customer experience. So it’s required us to ensure that our staff are trained and upskilled in carrying out the regular, relevant checks to ensure we’ve got continuity with the digital sales that we’ve seen an increase in.

How do you build a strong operational culture amongst teams who often work in different locations?

Best practices is key across operations, we continually develop and work on best practice, and we ensure that it is shared across the country among all our teams. So regular visits to all cities and facilities is key, ensuring that all operational processes are in place and being adhered to. But we're also firm believers in giving our colleagues the opportunity to collaborate and share best practice. We have many forums where colleagues have that opportunity, we also share best practice and experience with our colleagues in the UK as well.

What’s your approach to leadership and team development across Ireland?

I believe in visibility and accessibility and the opportunity to communicate with all of the teams across the country. It's very important that they know who I am, who the management team is, and we have the opportunity to communicate with them on a daily basis, a weekly basis, or a monthly basis whatever it may be; and we impart them to carry out their activities to the best of their ability.

What operational changes have had the biggest impact on performance in recent years?

The technical side of our operation has grown exponentially in the last number of years.  We’ve had to develop that side of the business, to coincide with the increase in digital sales that we’ve seen in the post-pandemic world. I guess to go hand in hand with that, we’ve had to develop new teams particularly in the technical side of the business. We’ve had to upskill those teams to ensure that there’s no downtime.

How do you ensure satisfaction in a digital first environment?

We've invested heavily in our PaSS system to ensure that seamless customer experience. But it's not just about that, it’s also about responsiveness, to ensure that we’re reacting to any customer issues and to any downtime and ultimately ensure that experience is the best as we can possibly make it.

How is Q-Park Ireland adapting to the evolving mobility landscape in urban centres?

Our goal is to transform our parking facilities into modern multifunctional hubs. Looking at all aspects from bike facilities to EV charging infrastructure, to last mile logistics. You know ultimately, Q-Park's goal is to ensure that facilities play a part in the development of smart cities.

What role has sustainability played in your operational strategy?

Sustainability is embedded in everything we do, whether it be from waste management, to low energy lighting, our ambition is to become a key player in urban mobility, and that means working with local authorities, with landlords with tech providers to ensure we are part of the overall solution for smart cities.

What is your favourite Q-Park and why?

I’ve got quite a few favourites, I have to say that that my favourite would be Eyre Square in Galway, if you’ve ever been there, you’ll understand why. I believe it’s got the best view from any Q-Park facility in Europe, but not just that, it’s a terrific car park it's multifunctional and it serves the community, it’s always busting it's a hive of activity, it’s a car park that I’m very proud of.

About Q-Park

Q-Park is a leading off-street parking infrastructure owner and operator with well-managed commercial parking facilities across seven western European countries. We operate off-street parking spaces we own, have under concession or with long-term lease contracts from public and private landlords. We focus on off-street purpose-built parking facilities at strategic locations. We operate more than 5,300 parking facilities comprising over 1 million parking spaces in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark. Based on publicly available industry data for our competitors, we estimate that we are a top three player, based on the estimated off-street revenues, in all the countries in which we operate. Q-Park also has numerous Mobility Hubs which provide access to a variety of mobility solutions. We house and support a range of activities from last mile logistics, electric vehicle charging, micromobility and car sharing services which help support urban accessibility, sustainability and liveability.