Before taking any parking control job, you must learn how to handle conflicts that could occur during a typical shift. Many things can lead to stressful situations in the city; however, by following a few steps, you’ll issue tickets confidently, efficiently, and respectfully.
Observe the Situation
Whenever someone doesn’t something that makes you angry, step back and carefully examine the situation. By thinking strategically, you’ll be able to figure out what you should do next. A parking officer must always try to avoid conflicts because disagreements waste a lot of energy and valuable time.
Control Your Emotions
The moment a conflict is about to occur, try to control your emotions. To succeed, you must never get too hyper when someone acts unprofessionally. Instead, you should consider the other individual’s situation. If the vehicle owner isn’t as educated as you, you’ll have to implement every procedure in order to resolve the problem. This is why patient and good listening are required throughout this process. By listening, you can make strategic comments that could possibly eliminate the possible conflict. In most cases, you may not agree with everything; if this happens, choose your comments wisely so that an intense conflict won’t occur.
Avoid Misunderstandings
Each time you have to issue a ticket, carefully explain the situation so that the driver will fully understand what’s happening. In big cities, many conflicts develop because the lines of communication aren’t always clear. If your communication skills are finely tuned, pursue a course to improve your inefficiencies.
Be Professional
As you issue tickets, you must remain professional whenever people express their opinions. To succeed as a parking management officer, you should always be respectful. Respect is a valuable characteristic; if you respect other people, they’ll less likely behave in an unprofessional manner.
A parking officer helps cities operate efficiently by keeping heavy traffic off of the streets. During a typical shift in the city, conflicts could occur; however, most situations can be avoided by implementing strategic procedures. If you want to help your local community as a professional parking officer, jobs at UKPC are available.