Boss Talks

Boss Talks: Episode 05 with Marques Oliver

Episode Summary

Bosses, we’re about to take security to a whole new level! Join today’s conversation with our very own Marques Oliver, the Boss of Enforcement at Parking Boss. From the United States Army to an exotic car dealership to a private security company, all of Marques’s experiences before Parking Boss prepared him for his current role at Parking Boss.

Episode Notes

Marques’s security career began in 2000 in the United States Army, where he served a tour in Iraq. After that, he was the head of security at an exotic car dealership in Las Vegas. While working there, the owner invited Marques to become the director of his private security company. This is where he really began to learn the ropes of the security industry since more than 70% of their clients were from residential communities.

At this point, pen and paper were the standard methods for parking enforcement between the patrolman and a dispatcher. “Was it great? No. But it was functional.” However, shortly after this Marques formed his own private security company. And his first thought was, “I was not using pen and paper.”

With enough experience to know he needed parking software, his hunt began. And guess who he discovered? Parking Boss! “I found this really cool company called Parking Boss. It just made things so much easier on everyone’s front, from the residents to the clients to the property managers to the guards to the dispatchers, and even to the tow companies.”

Having efficient and accurate parking enforcement is really vital to security, which is why Marques is such a passionate advocate for Parking Boss. In fact, he joined our team in 2018. Here are some of his best pieces of advice:

  1. Own your parking system. With Parking Boss, you own your own parking data.
  2. Make your rules firm, but fair. “Understand that people are gonna make mistakes.” It often takes 60-90 days to see community behavior start to take shape, so start with a free warning before ticketing or towing.
  3. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Tell your residents about your parking program, the repercussions for breaking parking rules, and how to contact the patrol or enforcement team.
  4. Let’s chat. Call me, email me—I'm happy to have a conversation to help you build and strategize an enforcement program for your community!

We’ll end with one final piece of advice from Marques, “A parking program without enforcement is like a speed limit without fear of a speeding ticket.” Thank you, Marques, for sharing your Boss advice with us! If you’re curious to see how other multifamily leaders Manage Like A Boss, then subscribe to this podcast for more inspiration. And if you liked this episode, then don’t forget to share it with other bosses in your community too!