Research has shown that parking apps have changed parking behaviour including how customers park and where they park.
The Q-Park Mobile app allows customers to park in hundreds of parking facilities across Europe using their Number Plate and the Q-Park PaSS system that includes automatic payment. As the app has been widely available for over 18 months, Q-Park decided to commission research to see how this unique app has changed customer behaviour. Three different groups were contacted as part of this research, these were:
- Existing users of the Q-Park Mobile app
- Users of other parking apps that didn’t previously use the Q-Park Mobile app
- Users who previously did not use any parking app
Nearly 2000 individuals were contacted and then their responses over time were collated with some very telling results.
The Q-Park Mobile app has fostered more brand loyalty from its users. Nearly one third of those surveyed now park more often with Q-Park since they started using the app. This can be due to the seamless nature of parking provided through the Q-Park Mobile app but also due to the quality facilities on offer compared to the competition. One particularly strong competitor for Q-Park is on-street parking in city centres. Historically these are serviced by Pay and Display machines but can now also be paid for using Third Party parking apps. Over 20% of those surveyed now park less on-street since they began using the Q-Park Mobile app. There used to be a myth that parking on-street was cheaper than parking in a multi-storey or underground parking facility, in fact it is quite the opposite.
Value for money is not just price orientated, those surveyed were asked to provide feedback on what they felt were the advantages of parking with Q-Park. For those who used to park on-street many were much happier parking in a covered environment. The survey was completed over the summer months and many were delighted to return to a vehicle that had not been parked in the hot sun which therefore meant the interior was more bearable. The excellent location of Q-Park parking facilities was also listed as a factor in the respondents increased usage of them. Q-Park predominantly aims to be located in the very heart of city centres in the most convenient locations for customers, this feedback only proves how the Q-Park Acquisition Model is a success. Compared to both on-street and competitor car parks, the market leading security features that Q-Park provide do make a huge difference when it comes to whether a customers parking experience is positive or not. These features differ from location to location, but these tend to include extensive CCTV coverage, regular patrols and customer only access into the building. The lack of parking restrictions helps parking with Q-Park to really stand out compared to parking on-street. Most on-street locations have a variety of parking limitations and not adhering to them and moving your vehicle in a timely manner can lead to a fine being issued. Parking in a Q-Park parking facility means customers can leave their car for as long as they like with no stress.
Finally, those surveyed were asked after a period of time to list the advantages of the Q-Park Mobile app. The main one was how easy the app had made their parking experience. The app is designed to provide a seamless journey, with the PaSS Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras picking up the customers Number Plate on entry and starting a parking session in their app whilst automatically opening the barriers for them with no need for a paper ticket to be taken. On departure the customers do not need to visit a pay machine, they simply return to their vehicle and drive away. Again, the exit barrier will open automatically once the Number Plate is read, once the parking sessions is closed the payment for the time parked is taken automatically. Another advantage listed compared to third party parking apps was that there were no transaction/convenience fees on top of the parking tariff meaning that not only is the Q-Park Mobile App the easiest way to park digitally, it is also the cheapest!
To download the Q-Park Mobile app click here
About Q-Park
Q-Park is one of the three leading providers of parking facilities in West Europe, whether wholly owned, leased, managed or in a hybrid business model. Q-Park is notable for its quality approach and has a portfolio comprising over 677,000 parking spaces in over 3,400 parking facilities in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Ireland, and Denmark. Q-Park 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, fleet charging hubs, micromobility and car sharing services which help support urban accessibility, sustainability and liveability.
