Visitor parking reserved; 2 exceptions not granted; 3rd & 4th exceptions were

[snugglegirl05]

This happened on Friday.

Long post.

First some background information pertaining to this post:
There is a math science camp going on at the university I work at as a contract parking attendant, but parking spots have not been reserved for this camp. The math science camp is Monday through Friday. Parking spots for this camp have not been reserved at all this month. When there were non-reserved spots available, anyone going to this camp (either instructors or parents dropping off their kid) could park, but unfortunately not on Friday. So that caused frustration for 2 instructors.

"Nancy" from the parking office called me Friday morning around 7:30 to let me know that Visitor parking was reserved & to put the big white sign stating Visitor parking is closed for a speciall event in front of the entrance gate to Visitor parking.

first instructor:
me: "Hi, how may I help you?"
instructor: "I am here for the math science camp. I am one of the instructors."
me: "I'm sorry, unfortunately the lot is blocked off for other events, & I have no available parking spots."
instructor: "So where am I supposed to park at?"

I give her several options.

instructor: "But you are supposed to give me a token to exit."

I could tell she did not want to park somewhere else & pay.

me: "Unfortunately I am not allowed to go against dept. regulations for anyone."

She looks irritated. She rolls up her window & makes a phone call on her cell phone. I guessed it was the dept. having the math science camp. After a couple of minutes later she backs up & leaves. That told me someone from the dept. probably called the parking office & spoke to "Nancy" who then told the person calling that parking spots were not reserved for the math science camp & that the instructor had to find other parking.

So I decided to let the next instructor know this.

second instructor:
me: "Hi, how may I help you?"
instructor: "I am here for the math science camp. I am one of the instructors."
me: "I'm sorry, unfortunately the lot is blocked off for other events, & my manager already said no to another math scienence camp instructor who wanted to park."
instructor: "So where do I park at?"

I give her several options.

instructor: "But I get a free token to exit."
me: "I'm sorry, but I am not allowed to overrule her authority."

She looks at me like I gave her poor customer service. There was nothing I could do.

instructor: "But I am an instructor for the math science camp."
me: "I am not allowed to overrule her authority. Your contact person has to call the parking office to see what they can do for you."

She looks at me like I gave her poor customer service. She calls the dept. having the math science camp. A couple of minutes later she backs up & leaves.

After that people began arriving for other events not on the Outlook calendar, & so I had to tell them no.

Then around 8:30 a.m. "Nancy" from the parking office calls me & says "most people here for the big event will not be arriving until 5 p.m., & so you can let other people park."

So I move the big white sign away from the entrance gate.



"Nancy" calls me around 11 a.m. to let me know to not let anyone else park beginning at 1 p.m.

Then around 1:30 p.m. the second instructor who came earlier returns & says...

"They told me I could park here now."

So I call the Parking office. "Nancy" answers the phone, & I tell her why I am calling. She tells me 1) the dept. having the math science camp did not call the Parking office & 2) she cannot park. So I tell the instructor the bad news. She looks irritated & says "the instructor told me I could park here." She rolls up her window, & she calls the dept. having the math science camp. "Nancy" calls me a couple of minutes later & says "Let her in. She will leave before the 2nd shift event begins."

Then around 2 p.m. one of the Art dept. instructors walks up to the Visitor parking booth window & asked me if his guest could park. He saw the big white sign blocking the garage entrance. I call the Parking office, & he speaks to "Nancy". He tells her his guest will not be there too long. She says yes.

But next Friday the entire garage will be closed for one event my entire shift. So if the math science camp is still going on, & if these 2 instructors arrive, they cannot park. I will call the Parking office, & "Nancy" will have to deal with them.

[Sandman]

Don't be surprised if the department and the instructors force the parking department to pay for their parking of the instructors from afterwords talked to each other.

[snugglegirl05]

Don't be surprised if the department and the instructors force the parking department to pay for their parking of the instructors from afterwords talked to each other.

I guess you mean that the instructors told the dept. having the math science camp that the parking dept. has to pay for their parking since they could not get a free token to exit & had to park somewhere else & pay for their own parking?

If they arrive next Friday, it will be fun.

[Sandman]

Well considering the first two were not allowed.. and the other two were.. there would be a problem.

[StanFlouride]

Well considering the first two were not allowed.. and the other two were.. there would be a problem.

As so often we see in these stories, the spinelessness and inconsistency in managerial policy inevitably comes back to bite those who work out front in the ass.

[snugglegirl05]

As so often we see in these stories, the spinelessness and inconsistency in managerial policy inevitably comes back to bite those who work out front in the ass.

The parking office is not consistent when it comes to enforcing the rules. "Andrea", the Director of Parking & Transportation, was on vacation beginning last Thursday, & she returns later this week. I get the impression she does not like to deal with complaints by what "Nancy" tells the people in dispatch when I go there to pick up the keys to the Visitor parking booth. So I would not be surprised that she wants her employees to accommodate anyone not on the event list as much as possible, even when the garage is reserved.

Granted the instructor would be leaving before the 2nd shift event began, but if she arrives this Friday, she will not be able to park. Then I will have to deal with her frustration, questions as to why she got an exception last time & why she cannot park today, and so on. I was not the one who gave her the exception. "Nancy" was the one, & so she will have to deal with it.

I would not be surprised if a complaint is filed by the instructor. Then "Andrea" & "Nancy" will have to deal with the complaint. I wonder what their reply will be.

[EvilEmpryss]

I would not be surprised if a complaint is filed by the instructor. Then "Andrea" & "Nancy" will have to deal with the complaint. I wonder what their reply will be.

"We're sorry about the inconvenience. Please accept this token for a free day of parking in our campus garage. This token is nontransferable, expires in 30 days, and is not redeemable for cash."

{This apology to be delivered no earlier than midday of the last day of camp.}

Well, that's how *I* would handle it.

[snugglegirl05]

EvilEmpryss:

Well...you made me laugh again.

Your response made me think of what my co-worker has told me regarding customers who want free parking or who want to park when Visitor parking is reserved.

She told me that some customers say "call someone" when this happens. She tells me that the customer has an attitude while saying this. Then she would say "who would you like me to call?" The customer *still having an attitude* says "I do not care, just someone."

My response to her was "get a phone book, any phone book, & call any phone number."

The customer said "I do not care, just someone" when asked "who would you like me to call?", & so I am calling someone.

Of course I would never try this at work since I would get written up for this. I do need to keep my job.