IPC launches meet & greet accreditation

The IPC Accredited Airport Meet and Greet Provider

The IPC Accredited Airport Meet and Greet Provider

The International Parking Community has launched an accreditation scheme for companies offering meet & greet services at airports.

The IPC Accredited Airport Meet and Greet Provider certification scheme has been developed via engagement with both domestic and international airports, meet & greet providers and other interested parties, with additional research into common motorist concerns.

The IPC says that for a long time, airports and reputable meet & greet providers have been having issues with rogue providers. From vehicles being returned to their owners damaged, or with excessive mileage, to vehicles being left in residential areas causing traffic chaos, or vehicles being used to facilitate crime.

Having a provider that is behaving unlawfully can cause issues to customers and cause reputational damage.

Compliance against the scheme will be assessed via a combination of information uploaded to the IPC portal and in person inspections and regular audits.   The scheme will ensure providers are operating within the scheme’s framework, covering topics such as insurance, personnel, site regulations and Vehicle management processes. 

Accredited providers will then be subject to scrutiny to ensure the services  they offer continue to meet the requirements of the scheme, and therefore the requirements of passengers.

The scheme will be marketed to the public using a recognisable badge that will be displayed via the airport and the certified providers. Additional campaigns will be launched via social media, press and online. Airports themselves will market the scheme directly to their customers.

When asked what it thought about the launch of a parallel scheme by the BPA, the response was: “The IPC feels very positively that the industry is working to raise standards. The Meet and Greet Provider certification scheme will help to ensure that motorists receive a high standard of service, and airports can be confident of high standards. While we are proud to be the first, we applaud the hard work of the entire industry to raise standards and work towards a common goal.”