Please Stop Watching Me Pee: When Service Is Nice Vs. Necessary

By Todd Katler

I know, you are probably thinking, “Todd, really?” But this blog will take you into the unlikely universe where parking, junk fees and bathroom attendants collide. Just bear with me.

One of my favorite restaurants in Orange County is Javier’s in Newport Coast. It’s not because the food is the best (it’s good but not outstanding). The décor is nice (especially after their redesign), but not memorable compared to many of the spots overlooking the Pacific. That aside, as my daughters would say, the vibe is on fleek.

What I do love is the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (garlic prawns) with a serrano margarita. Now they are spicy, which means the only way to make the pain stop is just to keep drinking my marg. What happens shortly after? Gotta pee. And here comes my issue with Javier’s—the bathroom attendant.

I get the overall concept of a bathroom attendant about providing a more service-centric, concierge-like experience. But if you really think about it, what problem does a bathroom attendant solve? Realistically, we are all grown adults using the restroom and should be able to handle the process by ourselves—use the bathroom, wash your hands, and get back to dinner.

However, in establishments like Javiers, there stands the bathroom attendant who may hand you a paper towel (that was only a foot away) or wipe down the counter , and perhaps offer a mint or some cologne. And now comes the climax of the story….compensation.

While it seems like a silly example, it clearly indicates the fundamental issue with choice, or at least the appearance of choice, when it comes to service. Maybe it’s just me, but when I see a bathroom attendant, I feel compelled to give them some money. But I don’t always have small bills on me. So then I have to start messing with electronic payments when I really don’t want to do any of it. He’s a nice enough guy, but now I am wasting time paying for a forced service I didn’t want and find no value in. If I don’t tip, I am now officially “that guy.”

So how does this apply to parking, parking management and the hurdles facing multifamily operators? Simply put, it comes down to fees (and tips) for service (not to be confused with service fees) and determining if a service is nice to have or a necessity.

We all want to operate communities where parking follows a set of rules. Residents and their guests can park as effortlessly as possible (some properties just don’t have enough spots and will always be an issue), the onsite teams don’t have to be traffic cops and the ownership can make some incremental NOI. But we know this effortless parking isn’t realistic. So do we force a solution, or make it a nice-to-have?

There are many properties that charge an extra service fee for these solutions, and in many cases, that’s fine. The problem resides in properties where you can’t, or shouldn’t, layer on a fee that looks/feels like a junk fee or simply perceived as extra rent. And given the legislation we are facing today in many markets with rent calculators, fee transparency and “all-in pricing,” this topic is as sensitive as ever. I think we have had our fill of DOJ inspired lawsuits against property owners these past couple years—perhaps we should not encourage another relating to these fees.

Again, looking at the fundamental issue of choice, for those properties that can’t, or shouldn’t, implement a service fee for parking, are you finding ways to provide a method for your residents and their guests to pay for parking if they so choose?

Implementing parking management and a modern reservation platform doesn’t burden your staff, incur a monthly operating expense, but instead offers your residents the ability to decide if they want to pay for the service of reserving a parking spot. Now you are providing a superior experience to your residents and their guests without mandating a monthly fee. And all of this results in incremental NOI.

Or, you can keep doing what you are doing and essentially expect people to pay you to watch them pee…