5 benefits of ticket machine shelters

Ticket machines are a common occurrence in many car parks, whether you’re taking a trip into town, visiting the supermarket, or have an appointment at the hospital.

Wherever ticket machines are located, having them enclosed in a shelter offers both users and owners of the machines lots of benefits. Here are five of them.

1. Protects users from bad weather

There’s nothing more annoying than trying to grapple with loose change at a ticket machine when it’s blowing a gale or chucking it down, only to end up with a soggy ticket. Plus, you might not be able to see what you’re doing or could enter the wrong information into the machine if bad weather hampers visibility, which could end up leaving you with a parking fine.

This is why ticket machine shelters come in useful. Whatever the weather, the shelter will keep you dry and protected whenever users need to purchase a parking ticket.

Plus, visitors or customers are more likely to use a car park with a ticket machine that’s inside a shelter if the weather is bad or during the depths of winter, rather than one that isn’t covered. This adds value to the customer’s experience and makes them more likely to use your services again, so, essentially, ticket machine shelters could be good news for your business.

2. Prolongs the life of the ticket machine

Ticket machines that are constantly exposed to the elements may have a reduced lifespan compared to those that are covered. For example, rain, wind, ice and sun could damage the machine over time, while wet tickets may cause the machine to jam.

Although purchasing a ticket machine shelter will cost you an initial outlay of money, it could prove an invaluable investment and save you cash in the long-run, by protecting and prolonging the life of the machines it’s covering.

Ticket machine shelters supplied by reputable manufacturers are also made from sturdy, tough materials that are weatherproof, so you can also expect longevity from the shelters themselves, in addition to protecting the machines.

3. Makes the machine more visible

Customers and visitors need to be able to identify the location of your ticket machines. After all, if they can’t be seen, they run the risk of not getting a ticket, which could result in a fine. Plus, if you’re in a hurry, there’s nothing more frustrating than wasting time looking for the ticket machine in a car park. It could, potentially, put customers or visitors off from using your facilities again in the future.

Many ticket machines are fairly slim and compact, so aren’t that easy to spot, especially if they’re hidden behind vehicles or shrubs. A lot of machines are also dark or silver in colour, further hindering their ability to be seen, particularly from a distance.

Placing your ticket machines in a shelter immediately makes them much easier for visitors to your car park to locate. Because shelters can be quite tall and can come in a range of different colours, this means that they’ll stand out and be visible above other vehicles and landscaping, with no obstructions in the way.

4. Enhances safety and security

Ticket machines shelters can help users feel safe when visiting your car park. In particular, if you opt for a shelter that has lighting, then this will make the machine safer to use when it’s dark. When you’ve got your purse or wallet out paying for a ticket, you could become a victim of theft. A thief is much less likely to attempt to steal from you in a ticket machine shelter that’s lit up, compared to one without a shelter or no lighting.

Additionally, from a practical point of view, adding lighting to a shelter makes it easier to see what you’re doing when it’s dark. This makes the experience more convenient, and safer, particularly if you’re on your own.

For those who want to make environmentally friendly choices, the use of solar-powered lighting could also be a good option to add to the top of the panels to capture maximum sunlight.

Having a shelter that has lighting also reduces the risk of any damage being caused to the ticket machine itself from vandals, as they would be easily seen.

For additional security when the ticket machine isn’t in use, such as overnight, some shelters can be fitted with lockable doors or roller shutters that can be operated manually or electrically. This will help to keep the ticket machine and the inside of the shelter safe from vandals.

5. Marketing potential

While most people consider the benefits of ticket machine shelters from a practical point of view, they can also serve a useful marketing and advertising purpose.

Ticket machine shelters come in all different types of shapes and sizes, so you’ve got lots of options to choose a style that suits your requirements. You can choose from various types of materials, as well as standalone shelters or those that lean against a wall. You may decide to house more than one ticket machine within a larger shelter, particularly for those areas of the car park that get the most use or near building entrances.

Shelters also come in a range of different colours, so you could decide to pick one that works well with the landscape of the car park or even colours that match your company branding. Bright colours, such as red or blue, are also handy to make your shelter stand out so that visitors can easily locate it.

What’s more, you may also wish to use the shelter itself for marketing your business, by adding adverts to the glass panels. These will be easily seen by users as they wait to queue for the machine, and could prove an inexpensive and effective way to market your brand.

As well as marketing your business, you could add important information notices to the panels, such as ‘pay here’ or ‘no smoking’.

If you’d like to enjoy the benefits of owning ticket machine shelters that precisely meet your needs, contact the experts at Ace Shelters.