DIAMOND Dialog G r o w i n g To g e t h e r.
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The Value of Community Support When companies make commitments to support their community a key part of their business strategy, the benefits can translate into a boost to the bottom line. “Company wide we encourage our city mangers to support local organizations and programs that are making a difference,” states President Jon Diamond. For example, Jon points to Hawaii where City Manager Jasmine-Victoria A. Crusat is using her community involvement to get new locations, build brand awareness and create
long term relationships. “My first thought was ok, I’m going to drive relationships but I knew I needed community support,” states Jasmine. She adds, “We began by attending and networking at events like Habitat for Humanity and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.” Additionally, Jasmine saw the need for more positive exposure so she says she became involved in the Adopt-A-Highway Program. “It provided a great opportunity to promote civic responsibility, community pride, and camaraderie within organizations.” In Vancouver, BC, Mike Poirier, Vice President of Operations Diamond Parking LTD, singles out support for the Jewish Community Center’s annual Sports Dinner and the YMCA Strong Kids program. In San Diego, City Manager Alex Isvanca, reports he is working closely with Pacific Beach Street Guardians. “It’s a non-profit group that retrains homeless to get them back in the workforce. I am in negotiations now with the CEO to maybe have them do daily maintenance on our parking lots.” In Spokane, Andrea Pierce, Regional Vice President of Operations, says Continued on inside
Regional VP of Operations Mike Poirier with BC Lions star receiver Manny Arsenault at the JCC Sports Dinner
Pacific Beach Street Guardians help clean up the community
We hope you enjoy reading our latest newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE - Community Support - Going the Extra Mile - Celebrating 40 Years - Ahead of the Curve - National Parking Association Convention
Going the Extra Mile — Exceeding Customer Expectations Kevin Perea Arevalo, United Parking - Seattle, may well be the “valet model” for exceeding customer expectations and going beyond what is expected. No question, a valet can often be the first and last point of Kevin Perea Arevalo, contact a customer has with a business. It can be two very United Parking Valet memorable moments that will sway opinions in a matter of seconds. In Kevin’s case, a recent encounter with hotel patrons resulted in a 5-star letter of appreciation for providing exceptional customer service. What’s Kevin’s secret? “I always have a positive attitude and greet everyone with a smile. It’s pretty awesome how you can turn someone’s whole day around with a smile.”
CU ST O M ER TE ST IM O N IA L
To Whom it May C
oncern —
We arrived at Hotel Andra with a car an d needed accessible parking for my hu sband, who is in a wheelchair. K evin was an amazin g help, and was very conscien tious on how we co uld load/unload the wheelchai r with parking over night and keep the car ha ndy. He helped us solve this problem with dilig ence. Kevin may no t have a lot of experience in th is demanding world , but I do. I have hired and fir ed employees, and I would hire this young man in an instant. He is a shining example of how an organization shou ld be represented. Sincerely, Joyce
Fall/Winter Storage Tips
10x10 10x20 10x30
A chill in the air reminds us that winter is quickly approaching. If you are renting storage consider these tips from Diamond’s pros, Anchorage’s Scott McKinnis and Salt Lake City’s Dawnena Clark. First and foremost, states Scott, it’s important to keep your items safe from the elements. Living in the biggest state in the Nation, Alaskan’s are used to having some “big” toys for the summer time. Come winter, these sorts of items such as four-wheelers, motorcycles, and RV’s can take-up valuable space in your home. Our 24hour secure facility offers a plethora of heated units that protect seasonal belongings. In Salt Lake, Dawnena says that fall and winter customers begin storing watercraft, antiques and extra vehicles, and a variety of summer items in 10x20 to 10x30 garages to protect their property from Mother Nature. “Many of our customers are from out of state and find this convenient when flying in for activities in the SLC ski areas. They have easy access to snowmobiles, skies, snow boards, winter gear and more.”
Make a list of your required amenities, such as; heated, climate controlled, drive up access, 24-hour access, high security
Take time first to plan what size unit you need before you rent
KEY TIPS
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+
Disconnect one battery cable on your stored vehicles to avoid a dead battery later
Use shelves or palettes to keep boxes off the ground
Use a combination disc lock for easy access
Use airtight containers for added protection
Keep your storage unit organized. Avoid Clutter
from the
President’s Desk At Diamond, we believe that community involvement is a strategic aspect of our business model as well as a fundamental ingredient for our continued growth. Jon Diamond By encouraging community involvement, we distinguish ourselves from our competitors, and receive many tangible benefits, including loyal landlords, clients and parking customers. We work hard to identify needs within the communities where we do business. We ask prominent local organizations what they need help with, as noted in our lead story, The Power of Community Involvement, and make targeted efforts to contribute. Community involvement can also translate into increased brand awareness that in turn can lead to a new layer of trust to our overall brand in the marketplace. Additionally, our community involvement challenges our managers and their teams to uncover new opportunities for partnership and growth. By reinvesting our resources in the communities where we do business, we send a clear message to our landlords, property managers and developers that we are a positive force in the community and the relationships we form between our clients, parking customers and community can be of great value in the long term.
Celebrating 40 Years with Diamond According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker stays at each of his or her jobs 4.4 years. In addition, the average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times during his or her career. In the case of Diamond’s Dan Geiger, Regional VP Spokane, who is celebrating 40 years with Diamond this fall, you can throw those averages right out the window.
Dan Geiger, Regional VP Spokane
“Dan Geiger has always been anything but average,” laughs Bob Duprie, Diamond’s City Manager for Bremerton and Bainbridge Island. Take for example, states Bob, Dan’s uncanny ability to remember dates. “Isn’t your wife’s birthday next week?” Or, did you know I opened this lot 31 years ago today? I honestly don’t know how he does it.” Bob adds that when Dan offered him the position as Events Manager in Spokane in 1996, “He allowed me to delay starting to attend an annual family gathering. I knew right then that this is a guy I wanted to work for.” Dan admits that it’s very unusual in today’s marketplace to stay with the same company for 40 years. “It’s always been a good fit,“ notes Dan. “After I graduated from college in 1983, Diamond suggested I should consider moving into management. I’ve never left and I am still having fun.” Away from Diamond, Dan keeps his fleet of vintage Oldsmobile’s (14) restored and running. “I still have my dad’s Olds that I drove to my first day of work at Diamond. I guess it just keeps running like me,” he laughs.
The Value of Community Support
Continued from front page
that Diamond works closely with the YMCA and the annual Cops’n Kids Car Show that allows children to interact with local police and numerous agencies. “We feel that by providing positive environments and experiences for the youth of today we are building a stronger community for tomorrow.” Looking ahead, Jon says that community involvement will continue to evolve as a key part of Diamonds overall business model. “Community involvement is a valuable tool to build long term relationships and brand awareness.”
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National Parking Association (NPA) 2017 NPA’s 66th Annual Convention and Expo was held October 2-5th, at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel. Parking professionals world-wide came together to discuss current trends, best practices and learn firsthand what industry leaders are doing to stay ahead. Diamond’s Joe Koontz, City Manager, Seattle Self-Park Division, Kona City Manager Jasmine-Victoria Crusat, and Greg Harrison, Seattle Garage Operations, attended the conference and share their experiences.
Conferences like the NPA Expo allows operators like us to keep in touch with technological advances within our industry. They provide an opportunity for us to network with other operators, vendors and representatives from municipalities and college campuses across the country,” explained Joe. He adds, “This exposure to our industry
Pictured from left: Greg Harrison, Jasmine-Victoria Crusat and Joe Koontz.
allows us to provide better service and solutions for our clients, who expect us to be the experts in our field. I feel proud and fortunate to work for a company dedicated to my development, and committed to providing the highest level of service and expertise to our clients. Jasmine states that attending the NPA Annual Convention and Expo provided her with a unique chance to see first-hand the industry’s top suppliers and network with other parking professionals. “I was able to take advantage and network with a variety of business-focused events to help grow my professional network.“
Ahead of the Curve NPA Award Winner Kona City Manager, Jasmine-Victoria A. Crusat, was recently selected to the National Parking Association’s (NPA) 2017, “40 Under 40” class of young professionals and up-and-coming leaders in the parking industry. Along with 39 of her professional peers, Jasmine was inducted into the awards program at the NPA Convention & Exposition on October 3, 2017 in Palm Springs, CA. “I was notified by NPA that I was nominated by a current landlord. Months later they notified me that I was one of the 40 winners.” NPA President Christine Banning, stated that the 40 individuals represent major facets of the parking industry, and we are pleased to give them a platform to stand up and be counted.” Prior to attending the NPA Conference, Mayor Harry Kim of the County of Hawaii awarded Jasmine with a Certificate of Congratulations for being selected for the 2017 Class of 40 Under 40. Jasmine noted “I just want to
Jasmine with fellow members of the Kailua Village Design Commission say Mahalo to Diamond for giving me the opportunity to attend the NPA and for their support in allowing me to find and gain new skills, knowledge and insights.”
– 1 90 0 L O CAT I ONS – 1 54 ,89 3,7 98 Combine d Hours of Ex per ienc e –
Diamond Anniversaries We want to congratulate those employees who are celebrating 10 or more years with Diamond Parking. Thank you for your dedication! 40+ Years Daniel Geiger
Spokane Downtown
40 years
30+ Years Cheryl O’Reilly
Seattle Attended
35 years
Diane M . King
Honolulu
34 years
Roger R . Pagaduan
Honolulu
27 years
Robert L. Turley
Accounting
21 years
Kevin Campbell
Parking Services
21 years
Sonia N. Nakamoto
Honolulu
18 years
Yonas Tegegn Demessie
Seattle Attended
18 years
Lance Morrison
United Parking
16 years
Linda S. Fait
Medford
16 years
Bernardo T. Tagaca
Honolulu
15 years
Tesfaye F. Debebe
United Parking
14 years
Steven R. Smith
Eugene
14 years
Donna M. Richardson
Tacoma
13 years
Darrell G. Taylor
Seattle Attended
12 years
Ahmed A. Farah
Seattle Attended
12 years
Rodney D. Larsen
Salt Lake City Airport
12 years
Henock Y. Gebremedhin
United Parking
11 years
Abiy Aramde
United Parking
11 years
Jason Terada
Parking Services, Canada
11 years
Ismail Hariff
Vancouver BC
11 years
Teryce A. Kilby
Bend
10 years
Matthew L. Gibson
Bend
10 years
Diamond Feedback We welcome your comments: Diamond Dialog is published by Diamond Parking. For comments and suggestions please write to us at: dialog@diamondparking.com.
To learn more about the Diamond Difference visit www.diamondparking.com
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20+ Years
15+ Years
10+ Years
u o Y k n Tha
Employment Opportunities Diamond Parking is a full-service parking operator which prides itself on the quality of its employees. We do everything possible to accommodate our clients and make sure each and every client is satisfied. Such exceptional service can only be delivered by hiring the brightest and hardest working people in the industry. If you are interested in joining Diamond Parking, please e-mail your resume to: hr@diamondparking.com. Diamond Parking is an equal opportunity employer.
A ctionline WHAT DO YOU THINK? Your observations, ideas and
opinions are very important to us. Whether you are a landlord, customer or employee, you can use Actionline to provide comments, suggestions or observations; to ask questions, voice concerns, report situations, or to forward information that you feel may need attention. Actionline is served by an independent communication services firm. Through this service, you may provide your personal contact information and receive a response directly from Diamond Parking. Or, you may provide your personal contact information, request to remain anonymous to the company, and receive a reply through the Actionline service. You may contact Actionline by e-mail at ask@actionline.com, by telephone at 1-800-426-0426 (day or night, toll-free) or by using a postage-paid mailer available at any Diamond Parking field office.
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In Our Next Issue Diamond Parking partnership with King County Metro We will revisit Diamond’s innovative Park & Ride partnership with King County Metro that allows private property owners the ability to offer fee-based parking to transit riders.
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