Parking problems at the office.

[Puff]

So here's the deal. In the strip center where my shop is located there is no assigned parking and I have three spots directly in front of my retail space however, two of those spots are always occupied by employees at a neighboring business which leaves me with one spot.

Even though there is a vacant office next door to me, they still continue to park directly in front of my space.

I've asked them nicely if it would be possible to park somewhere else because I would like to leave the front spaces available for my customers. They then snapped back an told me that they park in front of my office so that the spaces in front of their insurance office are available for their customers.

I guess they didn't see the irony in their statement and I was unable to reason with them.

I'm now thinking about talking to the landlord and ask him if I can put up a sign reserving the only open space for my customers. This is very important to me because my customers are carrying computers and I want them to be as close to the front door as possible.

Does that sound unreasonable?

[Xander]

Seems perfectly fair to me.

I'd also start parking in front of the insurance place and even consider telling customers on the phone to park there when they come...but that's me.

[NYJimbo]

Not unreasonable at all. The landlord has an obligation to mediate in this and you cannot let the morons next door do anything to hurt your business.

I had a similiar problem and ended up making enemies of some of the tenants who live behind my store. I didnt have a choice. If I played nice with them it hurt my business, if I got tough they ended up hating me but my business would do better.

Start out soft and then get tougher if needed. But definitly tell the landlord its hurting you.

[Alan22]

Definitely tell the landlord.

Some businesses I do work for had similar issues. One was able to get approval for 5 signs stating "Reserved for My Business Parking Only". Two others obtained approval to use orange construction cones with their company name & logo along with a time limit. They say 15 minutes at one location and 20 minutes at another. The cones are taken in every night.

Another business is in a strip mall with a very busy hair salon. Between the salon's employees and customers there was no parking for other businesses. The landlord got involved and now all employees park in the back of the building.

Yet another business I do work for does not have any signs, but the packing/shipping company next door does. It's a FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. shipper. They have 4 signs saying 5 minute parking, drop off / pick-up only.

In each case the signs helped tremendously. Most people will respect it.

[Martyn]

I would do the same, if they don't take the hint park in front of their office so defeating the object of what they are trying to do.

[Puff]

Originally Posted by Martyn

I would do the same, if they don't take the hint park in front of their office so defeating the object of what they are trying to do.

I tried that once and the next day they all parked in front of my store and I had no spots and then when I asked them to move they said they parked in front of my store because I had parked in front of theirs. These people are real jerks.

I'm just going to let the landlord know that because of the parking situation that I will not be renewing my lease at the end of the year unless he does something about it because I can't have this.

[Martyn]

Originally Posted by Puff

I tried that once and the next day they all parked in front of my store and I had no spots and then when I asked them to move they said they parked in front of my store because I had parked in front of theirs. These people are real jerks.

I'm just going to let the landlord know that because of the parking situation that I will not be renewing my lease at the end of the year unless he does something about it because I can't have this.

Probably the right action, surely there are rules in the contract small print for them to adhere to?

[Alan22]

Personally I wouldn't start off with a threat of not renewing the lease. Ask professionally and see what the landlord can do for you.

[Puff]

Originally Posted by Alan22

Personally I wouldn't start off with a threat of not renewing the lease. Ask professionally and see what the landlord can do for you.

It's not a threat, it's a business decision that I will be informing him of. Had I know that I would be having these kind of problems I would not have signed the lease. The space I'm in has been vacant for a year and the space next to me has been vacant for a year and a half so I'm sure he's going to be a bit more receptive to my request than my neighbors are.

I will absolutely be professional but I'm also going to let him know that the current situation does not work for me and that if he can't resolve it then I'll have no choice but to move to another location which I hate to do but what choice do I have?

[ATTech]

Originally Posted by Puff

It's not a threat, it's a business decision that I will be informing him of.

Semantics aside, not everybody responds well to ultimatums. The best course of action would be going to him, informing him of the problem and proposing a solution. If he gives you slack about it and refuses to do it, then I would bring up the issue about not renewing if no action is taken.