Building Management Australia (BMAUS) has been providing 24/7 valet services for The Tower Apartments in Sydney’s CBD since 2013 – but it was during the lengthy COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney that the team showed how quickly they could ‘pivot’, implementing some innovative carpark management strategies to ensure residents had easy access to their cars.
The Tower Apartments, located atop the Swissotel in Market Street, is home to numerous high-profile residents, many of whom have key frontline roles in healthcare and other sectors. This is why it was crucial to maintain continuity of valet service for all car-owning residents but especially for the building’s frontline workers.
“We needed to prioritise the car-parking needs of residents who are frontline workers – doctors, nurses and police officers – to ensure their cars were always positioned so they could exit quickly,” says BMAUS’ Car Park Manager Warwick Burrows.
Burrows realised he needed some new strategies to ensure residents weren’t going to be inconvenienced. “Our priority is also to make it quick and easy for residents to come and go,” he says. “We had to figure out a way to maintain a high level of service.”
Valet parking challenges
When it’s “business as usual”, Burrows and his team provide a 24/7 valet service, with the biggest daily challenge being choosing the right spots for cars to meet residents’ needs. “Residents’ needs change, so we have to be flexible and responsive,” says Burrows. “We also had standby team members in place as required.”
Burrows adds the residents’ cars are looked after from the moment they pull into the car park. “We ask them when they will next need their car and based on this, we choose the most appropriate spot. Then we store their keys securely in case we have to move them.”
Burrows and his team also liaise closely with The Tower’s concierge to help facilitate a smooth “getaway” for residents. “The concierge will often buzz down to tell us when a resident is planning to take their car out,” Burrows says. “Residents also feel more secure knowing me and my team are on-site 24/7. They like knowing they’re not driving into a deserted car park late at night.”
Maintaining service during lockdown
However, the lockdowns created additional challenges, the biggest one ensuring all the residents’ frontline workers could get their car out quickly and easily at any hour of the day or night. “In many other CBD apartment buildings, where there are more cars than spaces, cars can be parked in, making it impossible to get out and in some cases creating a gridlock. For frontline workers, it’s crucial they can get to work on time,” he says.
By the time Greater Sydney went into lockdown, Burrows had devised a plan that enabled residents to temporarily and easily manage parking on their own. It consisted of the following:
- Cars that weren’t going to leave the car park were parked towards the back
- Frontline workers’ cars were positioned near the exit and weren’t parked in
- The remaining cars were positioned so only one or two cars were blocking them but the owners shared their mobile numbers so they could arrange to move their cars as needed
- All keys were returned to the owners
Another innovative solution Burrows came up with resulted from recognising a more effective way to keep track of residents’ car-park requirements was needed: he suggested a new computer system. “I helped develop software that enabled us to match a car’s registration number with the owner’s name, mobile number and apartment number,” he says. “Now, with just the resident’s name or apartment number, we immediately know which car is theirs and can get it ready before they arrive. The software also makes it easier to communicate with residents, and to keep track of their parking needs.”
Meanwhile, BMAUS Director Andrew Veron added all residents continued to enjoy personalised service and car-parking convenience throughout the lockdown, despite being short-staffed. “Warwick and the team went above and beyond, ensuring frontline worker residents could always get their cars out quickly, and working longer hours to cover for team members in locked-down LGAs. We’re very proud of the team.”
COVID strategies deliver improved parking convenience
Following the lockdowns, it’s back to business but residents and the valet parking team are now benefiting from the new car-park management software. The team is also continuing to maintain a COVID-safe environment for residents by wearing masks in the common areas and having a QR Code at the check-in.
“We enjoy assisting residents, not just with parking and positioning their cars, but also by providing trolleys with baskets to transport their groceries and other items from their car to their apartments,” Burrows says. “As we have their keys, we often put things in their car for them. Our role is to make the residents’ lives easier.”
This year is Burrow’s 21st as The Towers Apartments’ Car Park Manager and his seventh with BMAUS. “I came down from Coffs Harbour to fill a security role at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and never went back,” he says. “One thing my recent experience with lockdown taught me is that if there’s another one, I’m ready for it. The valet service we provide will continue to be as seamless as ever for our residents.”
In addition to valet parking and a secure 24/7 fully managed car park, the Tower Apartments features a concierge, pool, spa, sauna and steam room, beauty salon, gym, room service, restaurant, bar and private lounge, library, and function rooms.
