Importance of Shopping Center Parking Lot Maintenance
For most customers, the parking lot is the first thing they experience upon arriving at a shopping center. Because of this, their first impression is largely based on the state of the parking lot. If your lot is filled with potholes or unclear striping, you will lose customers before they even park.
1. Increased Curb Appeal
First impressions matter. In most situations, this impression is formed before the customer even gets out of their car. Your shopping center may be filled with great stores, but it won’t matter much if visitors’ first impressions are tarnished by a poorly maintained parking lot. A disheveled parking lot may give the impression you are careless and lack respect for your property. This will lead customers to believe the businesses on that property are run the same way.
2. Reduce Complaints from Shoppers and Tenants
In addition to being safety hazards, potholes, cracks, and other asphalt damage lead to anger and frustration. Anger and frustration often lead to complaining. As a property manager, you likely deal with a variety of complaints regularly. While you can’t eliminate complaining altogether, you can certainly give them less to complain about. With proper maintenance, you can keep your parking lot pothole-free and keep your customers happy.
3. Maintain ADA Compliance
Regular parking lot maintenance allows you to stay up to date with laws and regulations and maintain ADA compliance. If your shopping center parking lot is in violation of any ADA requirement, you are opening yourself up to the potential of a very expensive lawsuit.
4. Saving Money
Not paying for regular parking lot maintenance will end up costing you. Without routine maintenance, small problems will continue to grow until they are large, expensive problems. Investing in shopping center parking lot maintenance will also extend the life of your lot, preventing the cost of premature replacement.
5. Increase Capacity
If your shopping center parking lot lacks clearly marked parking spaces, people will park however they want. If parking is a free-for-all, you are likely not maximizing the lot’s capacity. With clear, designated spaces, you can ensure that you are getting the most out of the space available.
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