Wilson Parking is Australia’s largest parking operator, managing more than 1,000 car parks nationwide and processing over 59 million paid parking transactions in the past 12 months. For decades, the company has been an integral part of daily life for commuters, families, and visitors in major CBDs, hospitals, retail centres, and entertainment precincts.

Recognising that customer expectations had shifted in the wake of hybrid work and digital disruption, Wilson Parking set out to become a service business that operates car parks rather than simply a parking operator. The goal was to make parking flexible, fast and stress-free.

The transformation was shaped around four pillars: digital innovation, process redesign, culture and capability, and collaboration. The Wilson Parking App was rebuilt with features such as licence plate editing, guest QR access and instant refunds, achieving more than three million downloads and a 4.8 star rating from 65,000 reviews. Flexible products, including FlexiSaver and Daily Pass Bundles, were introduced to give hybrid workers a choice, while Shuffle, a space-sharing platform, unlocked new revenue and access opportunities for landlords.

Operational processes were also redesigned. Refund automation reduced turnaround times from five days to under 48 hours. LivePro replaced six disconnected knowledge sources, improving accuracy and reducing call handling times. In the contact centre, onboarding was redesigned so new hires reached competency in two months instead of six. The STRIVE recognition program embedded peer-to-peer appreciation, and internal pathways ensured that every leadership role was filled from within. Staff satisfaction has increased to 90%, and attrition has decreased from 33% to 16%, resulting in annual savings of more than $500,000.

Execution was disciplined yet adaptable. Products were piloted before national rollout, with rapid adjustments based on customer feedback. During Sydney’s New Year’s Eve, a traditionally high-pressure event, combined planning across digital, operations and frontline teams enabled 23,000 customer enquiries to be managed with intercom response times under 15 seconds, cutting complaints by 30%.

The outcomes are clear. First contact resolution improved from 62% in 2021 to 85% in 2025. Digital adoption surged, with more than two million app sessions recorded in a single quarter. Landlords have realised up to 40% increases in utilisation, with one Brisbane site recording an additional $400,000 in annual revenue without adding new bays. Customers now report less stressful commutes, staff describe their work as supported and meaningful, and communities benefit from smoother parking experiences at major events. Environmentally, smarter utilisation has reduced congestion and eliminated more than 150,000 paper tickets in 2024 alone, with QR access expected to save another 100,000 each year as it scales.

Wilson Parking’s transformation demonstrates how a traditional service can evolve to meet modern expectations. By combining technology with culture and maintaining a constant focus on customer needs, the company has created a model of service excellence that sets new standards in the industry.

For more information about Wilson Parking, visit wilsonparking.com.au.