One of my favorite things about working for ChargePoint is the feedback loop. With more experience in this industry than just about anybody else, we’ve had more than a few conversations with partners, analysts and drivers about the future of transportation over the years. That dialogue has helped us become the global leader in electric fueling, but the most valuable feedback of all comes from our customers. For example, when we had the idea for a new subscription-based pricing model that makes it easier than ever for businesses of all kinds to provide EV charging, the President of the Oklahoma real estate firm Robinson Park not only saw the immediate value for his company, he gave us an excellent way to explain it to new prospects (find out how below). I guess that’s what happens when you put customers first—you both make each other stronger and more successful.
New Name, Same Exceptional Service
Since 1905, Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort has been making a name for itself in the Oklahoma real estate market. Now it’s making a new name. In 2018, the company rebranded its property management arm “Robinson Park.” Despite the new name, Robinson Park will do what it’s always done—put its customers first. One way it’s making residents and tenants lives better is by offering electric vehicle (EV) charging from ChargePoint. “We take care of customers by giving them the best offerings, so they can feel at home and have a comfortable work environment where they can succeed," says Robinson Park President, Eric Starns. The company is so invested in customer service, it holds monthly meetings to come up with ways to provide even greater value for customers. It was during one of those meetings that someone hit upon EV charging.
ChargePoint as a Service Means No Surprises
Next, Robinson Park formed a subcommittee to choose an EV charging vendor that would live up to its high standards. ChargePoint ticked all the boxes, including ease of installation, functionality and price—something made even more attractive by ChargePoint as a service, which brings the popular “as a service” subscription-based financing to the EV charging industry. It’s perhaps fitting that, along with a new name, Robinson Park was one of the first customers to take advantage of ChargePoint as a service. The flexible-pricing model provides the company with predictable expenses and proactive upgrades, among other advantages. That’s when Starns hit upon what we now try to convey to all our new customers: “We weren’t interested in getting into the EV charging business,” he said. Exactly! That’s the great thing about ChargePoint as a service—you can focus on your business and we’ll handle the rest. “Having ChargePoint manage our charging services is a benefit for us. It takes one more thing off our plate and allows us to budget the cost annually so we know there will never be any surprises,” he says.
“We weren’t interested in getting into the EV charging business. Having ChargePoint manage our charging services is a benefit for us. It takes one more thing off our plate and allows us to budget the cost annually so we know there will never be any surprises.” – Eric Starns, President, Robinson Park
Oklahoma is EV
Oklahoma probably isn’t high up on the list of places where you’d expect to find a lot of EVs. The state hopes to remedy that soon by offering generous rebates, including 75% off the purchase of electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE). Robinson Park took advantage of that tax credit and other available incentives to install its first ChargePoint solutions. Today, the company offers its valued customers 10 ChargePoint EV charging spots in three of its highest-profile properties in Oklahoma City, with plans to add more as demand and business grow. “We take care of customers by giving them the best offerings, so they can feel at home and have a comfortable work environment where they can succeed,” says Starns. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
