How to Ensure Your Parking Lot Continues to Serve the Needs of Your Customers, Residents or Employees Through Effective Parking Lot Maintenance
When running a business or managing properties, it is easy to overlook parking lot maintenance. However, the quality and condition of your parking lot can have significant impact on how customers, residents or employees perceive your company. This can have a direct impact on safety, satisfaction and/or whether or not someone will patronize your business. For commercial real estate developers, the condition of your parking lots can impact whether companies will rent space within your building. When considering residential facilities (Condos, Townhouses or Apartments) a well-maintained parking lot can improve the safety, reduce liability, and be a valuable asset as an alternative to on street parking.
Regular parking lot maintenance can keep your parking facilities in the best condition by protecting your lot from damage and increasing its longevity. This is particularly important ahead of the winter where snow and plowing are a regular occurrence. A damaged lot will likely incur far more impacts of snow removal than a well-maintained lot will. Proper upkeep can also reduce costs over time. A well-maintained lot can create happier customers and safer facilities and even expand your customer base.
Parking Lot maintenance is something that needs to be considered as standard maintenance the same way lawncare/landscaping and snow removal are. Here are 4 Key benefits of proper Parking Lot Maintenance.
Benefit #1 - Increases Safety
A smoother parking lot that is free of debris, cracks or degraded curbing will create a safer environment for your customers, residents and employees.
Benefit #2 - Improves Curb Appeal
A parking lot and landscaping are typically the first things people see within your property and create that first impression. It's understandable that business owners don't necessarily see their lot as curb appeal, but that is exactly what it is. A clean parking lot free of trash and in good condition is critical to the curb appeal. In the minds of your customers, employees or residents, your parking lot is a representation of the service they can expect from your facility.
Benefit #3 - Maximize Parking Space
Optimizing the parking within your lot is critical to ensuring you are able to maximize the value that your lot can bring. This requires a proper layout, line striping and general understanding of how the flow of traffic will operate. This can and should include painted crosswalks, handicap spaces as well as designated areas for drop off or pick up depending on your needs.
Benefit #4 - Reduces Liability
Aside from the aesthetics of a well-maintained lot, there are opportunities to reduce the liability within the lot for your business. This comes with proper maintenance to include fixing any potholes, cracks, deteriorated curbs, missing crosswalks etc. The ability to reduce 1 slip/trip and fall or a damaged car due to a pothole will pay significant dividends for the business owner.
Benefit #5 - Increases Longevity
Your parking lot is an investment in your business and by keeping it maintained you are investing in your business that will save money over time. To keep your lot seal coated, striped, free of trash or debris, and in good order will save money versus having to do a significant overhaul. This is even more important ahead of the winter as, winters can have a detrimental impact on parking lots in greater need of repair.
In Closing
Your parking lot can and will help you achieve your goals within your business if they are properly maintained. The ability to keep your lot looking good over time comes with a commitment to regular maintenance but will pay dividends in both the short and long term. The Bluestone Companies are ready to help you achieve your goals and be your partner of choice with end-to-end property maintenance.
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