It is fair to say that parking professionals do not have the best reputation with the UK public. 

While this negative perception is often undeserved, it doesn't change the fact that many people see civil enforcement officers and their colleagues as jobsworths who are simply out to take motorists' money, rather than civil servants who work to ensure parking regulations are adhered to for the good of the community. 

Over in Denmark, action has recently been taken to try and improve the reputation of the country's parking professionals. In Copenhagen, a pilot project means traffic wardens will now be required to take on additional duties as tourist guides, as well as keeping the capital city's parking in order.

Thomas Jakobsen, the head of Copenhagen's culture and leisure management authority, told the Copenhagen Post: "We would like to give tourists an even better service when they visit Copenhagen. It should be easy for tourists to get the information they need, so we have asked traffic wardens to share their knowledge of the city and its attractions or just to help out lost tourists."

Jes Øksnebjerg, the managing director at Copenhagen's Center Parkering, added: "The attendants are a group of professionals who are not always greeted with smiles. So when there is a chance for a different type of citizen contact, employees respond positively."

The pilot scheme will involve 11 parking professionals wearing 'ask me' signs in a bid to encourage tourists to approach them for information. If the project proves successful, more wardens will be included and it will be continued into 2016.

Coming to the UK?

So, what does all this mean for parking professionals in the UK? For a start, it is interesting to see how the profession is developing in other countries and while nothing quite so formal has happened in Britain, recent years have seen more of a focus on the customer-service element of a civil enforcement officer's role.

In many parts of the country, parking professionals are being encouraged to provide advice and assistance to the public, be it giving them directions or providing information on traffic issues. Indeed, with the Conservative government having expressed a desire to cut down on the parking charges collected by local authorities, it would not be a surprise to see more of an emphasis placed on the customer-service element of a civil enforcement officer's work.

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