Valet Parking

[drvai]

Hi guys...

Wonder if you valet park your cars.....

I always try to park the car myself, mainly because i don't want some careless kid to abuse of my baby (specially since I don't know if all this people know how to drive a manual).

And with a M3 it's even worse........

Any thoughts?

[Rimola]

i worked as a valet for 5 years...tip hefty upfront and your car will receive special treatment

in all seriousnesss though, if you do wish to valet or if it is mandatory, always ask to speak to the person in charge aka Manager. tip him and your car will be taken care of with extreme care considering Management has been doing it for quite some time, furthermore they are the person in charge of the safety of the vehicles as well as it most likely wont be a high school kid either.

[Davo2003]

If you rarely valet, tip hefty. Many places will give you a preferred space up front, especially if you are in a showcase car like the M3 will be for the first year or so. In any case tip well and get a different car for a daily driver if you have to. Parking lots are hell on cars. I won't take mine anywhere really unless they have valet and I will know the workers and tip well consistently. They will remember you and take care of you 100%.

[Rimola]

well said...certain locatons actually have priced spots aka VIP. a certain amount will get you a certain spot. in NY they actually may even have signs put up that even inform the customer w/o having to ask how much it would be to have his or her car parked here or there...

either way, tipping well is a safe bet that your car will be looked after. i remember in my days, LAMBOs and Ferrari owners would be extreme with the tipping, to the point where we even put cones around the car to make sure thaat nobody got too close to it

[drvai]

Thank you for the answers, but I don't find that the solutions are very realistic. At some places valet parking is 25 dollars (south beach) and many places don't have self parking. So 25 + tip?? $30 for parking is too much....
Specially when a teenager will burn your clutch...
And not even the best tip will guarrantee that the car will be taken care of (considering it's the first time you visit the place)

And look for the manager of the parking??? I don't think that is a realistic scenario!!!

[drvai]

Originally Posted by Rimola

i worked as a valet for 5 years...tip hefty upfront and your car will receive special treatment

in all seriousnesss though, if you do wish to valet or if it is mandatory, always ask to speak to the person in charge aka Manager. tip him and your car will be taken care of with extreme care considering Management has been doing it for quite some time, furthermore they are the person in charge of the safety of the vehicles as well as it most likely wont be a high school kid either.

Thank you for ther answer, but I have another question for you...

How hefty are we taking about (assuming is a manager)

[Hans Delbruck]

This is the bad part of owning a nice car and caring about it.... if the valets can find a way to f- up your car, they will.

I usually park on the street a few blocks away and walk.

[DarkstarZero]

why I don't valet...

I took these at the Hyatt in Reston Town Center in VA. The guy backed it right up onto the cement block.

[Rimola]

Originally Posted by drvai

Thank you for the answers, but I don't find that the solutions are very realistic. At some places valet parking is 25 dollars (south beach) and many places don't have self parking. So 25 + tip?? $30 for parking is too much....
Specially when a teenager will burn your clutch...
And not even the best tip will guarrantee that the car will be taken care of (considering it's the first time you visit the place)

And look for the manager of the parking??? I don't think that is a realistic scenario!!!

why is it unrealistic to talk to the person in charge ? you think they just scramble kids together and everyone does what they want ?? to be a realist, the PERSON that is in charge, actually does not even valet the cars. all they do is supervise these foolish young kids...in all reality management parked so many cars in their pathetic long career that your "M3" is probably the cheapest "expensive" car he has ever driven. so dont feel too special...

furthermore, places that have set parking prices, and on top of that valet is the only option, then you my friend have no other choice if you would like to enter the premises...like it or not you are forced to valet in which case a hefty tip is a must if you dont want your precious car parked next to the garbage container 1 mile away...

to answer the how much question...if it is a Catering hall and you are attending a wedding...$5 is a solid tip, $10 should get you a special spot and anything above that is more than enough. If its a nigh club or a restaurant, anything less than a $20 and you are treated as a regular considering people bring money to these type of events and you are probably not the only one looking for special treatment...

[Bemve]

Wow thats careless!!!

My friends used to work at the airport and they told me stories.... so i tend to stay away from valet service at all cost!!

[Los Angeles]

The worst is when the valet farts in your car before you get in.

[Rimola]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles

The worst is when the valet farts in your car before you get in.

LMAO

[jtown]

No valet. Tipping them more for special service is retarded. They should be doing their job and not fucking up cars otherwise what's the point?

[UltimateBMW]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles

The worst is when the valet farts in your car before you get in.

That reminds me of an old Seinfeild episode.

More on the topic though, I rarely use Valet. I don't have a problem with parking out in BFE. I might make a few passengers are bit disgruntled but my reply to that is usually, "whats another 30 ft. to walk? Tough it out." Plus, throwing the car into a spot in the open area is way quicker and any time spent walking is easily equal or less than the time taken to actually search for a good close spot.

On a related topic though, when I park out in the far reaches of a parking lot, typically the grocery store, I've noticed that SUVs and other cars of various undesirable natures well often park in the spaces adjacent to the spot my car is in. Even if there are like 20 spots open in any direction. Has anyone else experienced this? I absolutely loath when it happens and it happens often. So far the only way I know how to prevent it is to park taking up more than 1 spot. I don't really like to do that because it looks pretty dick on my part to random passers by that see it (may incur other damage).

[mdrobc13]

Originally Posted by DarkstarZero

why I don't valet...

I took these at the Hyatt in Reston Town Center in VA. The guy backed it right up onto the cement block.

OUCH....I'd be seriously PISSED. The valet service woud be seeing my car to the body shop next or the nearest detailer to get my car fixed pronto! That is just WRONG!

[Hans Delbruck]

Originally Posted by jtown

No valet. Tipping them more for special service is retarded. They should be doing their job and not fucking up cars otherwise what's the point?

+100000000000000000

I'd rather park in a slum and risk getting vandalized (ins will cover it) than give my money to a little prick who thinks he's entitled to a big tip so he can "take care of" my car. WTF. I tip well for good service. Tipping to prevent bad service is, well... as you put it -- RETARDED. Get real. They need to work for their money like everyone else does. I don't like the vibe I get from most valets, and like hell I'm going to put my car in their hands. I can do without the attitude.......

[jtown]

Originally Posted by Hans Delbruck

+100000000000000000

I'd rather park in a slum and risk getting vandalized (ins will cover it) than give my money to a little prick who thinks he's entitled to a big tip so he can "take care of" my car. WTF. I tip well for good service. Tipping to prevent bad service is, well... as you put it -- RETARDED. Get real. They need to work for their money like everyone else does. I don't like the vibe I get from most valets, and like hell I'm going to put my car in their hands. I can do without the attitude.......

Bingo. If they park my car in front and take special care of it then I'd give them a little something, but otherwise ... no.

This brings up another question. If a restaurant only has valet parking in a location where there is a huge parking lot for the restaurant, should you tip? Personally I think it becomes a free service from the restaurant ...

[Davo2003]

Much depends on where you live as well. Last time I went to one of Houston's "hot spots" the VIP spot was $20! At a typical bar and grill in the preferred section of town, $5 or $10 makes them happy because so many give them a few wadded up ones or nothing. So thanks to the cheap skates I consistently pay a medium amount and get treated like gold from valets who remember me and my car never goes further than twenty yards from the door. Tip well, tip consistent or walk...end of story.

[Rimola]

Originally Posted by Davo2003

Tip well, tip consistent or walk...end of story.

couldnt agree more, especially if this is a location that you visit on a frequent basis. my previous comments on tipping hefty mainly was regarding a location that VALET is the ONLY option. if you are given the option of self parking, that is your right and you are more than welcome to due so. i remember when this dude in a Ferrari wanted to self park, and he was extremely pissed that he had to park blocks away or out of the "insured" parking lot.

you seriously dont think that just because someone has a nice car, they deserve a special spot ?!? i enjoyed being a prick to rich old men who believed their shit dont stink. whether its a Ferrari or a KIA, it takes up "one" parking space. so in the end it doesn't matter what type of car it is, as much as the number of cars parked. and whoever is willing to pay for parking upfront, rightfully receives special treatment. you can not forget that you have entered a "private property" and they may make whatever rules and regulatins with their valet service.

some people just enjoy the attention they get with their car, and rightfully so. if they are an attention whore, that is none of my business as long as they paid for the few hours of fame...

[Hans Delbruck]

Originally Posted by Rimola

i enjoyed being a prick to rich old men who believed their shit dont stink.

Dude... that's the problem. It was your attitude in a previous post that set me off. I tip my bartenders, servers and the guys at the car wash well. I know they're busting their butts. It's the attitude that makes a huge difference. I always treat everyone I meet the same way... with an open mind and a smile... it's not about the dollar amount, it's about trusting that I will get good treatment for my car. When the valet is in a hurry and radiates a sense of entitlement, that doesn't suggest to me he's going to take good care of it. I am a serious car nut, so I want them to respect my car the same way I do. It really would be better if they just put up a sign "$50 to park here" because that would simplify this little dance of expectations between the patron and the person providing the service.

[JerezBlue!]

Originally Posted by drvai

Hi guys...

Wonder if you valet park your cars.....

Not particularly common in the UK.

[drvai]

Originally Posted by Rimola

couldnt agree more, especially if this is a location that you visit on a frequent basis. my previous comments on tipping hefty mainly was regarding a location that VALET is the ONLY option. if you are given the option of self parking, that is your right and you are more than welcome to due so. i remember when this dude in a Ferrari wanted to self park, and he was extremely pissed that he had to park blocks away or out of the "insured" parking lot.

you seriously dont think that just because someone has a nice car, they deserve a special spot ?!? i enjoyed being a prick to rich old men who believed their shit dont stink. whether its a Ferrari or a KIA, it takes up "one" parking space. so in the end it doesn't matter what type of car it is, as much as the number of cars parked. and whoever is willing to pay for parking upfront, rightfully receives special treatment. you can not forget that you have entered a "private property" and they may make whatever rules and regulatins with their valet service.

some people just enjoy the attention they get with their car, and rightfully so. if they are an attention whore, that is none of my business as long as they paid for the few hours of fame...

But I am not talking about location, I am talking about the treatment that the car has. IN most of this places you don't even see where the car is taken. The guy can go and do whatever he wants with the car (e.g. play with the poor cluth). You can pay tip him 100 dollars and that won't guarantee you that he will just take the car where it should be parked.

My special concern is with the MT. (for you guys in europe, in the US, many people don't even know how to drive with a clutch).