Another Tipping Discussion - Valet Parking (1 Viewer)

[fantasycurse42]

How does this work? I tip him when I pull in bc I want my car taken care of, then someone else brings it to me and I tip them too? I feel bad, I don't want to stiff this other guy... Even if it is the same guy, it just feels weird not tipping them. Basically you tip before and after if you're concerned about your car?

 

[fruity pebbles]

I just give him 5 bucks after.

 

[fantasycurse42]

I just give him 5 bucks after.

Any concern that they'll think your cheap for not tipping beforehand?

 

[bweiser]

I don't valet often. In fact, probably 3-5 times lifetime and not in a long time.

Last week, I decided to take advantage of 'free' valet service.

As I gave my keys to the first guy when dropping off I said, 'Is it customary to tip now or after I get my car later?' He said to tip the guy who brought me the car.

I tipped $5 because I had had a very good session at the poker tables. Honestly, it seems like $2-$3 should be normal for this service.

 

[fruity pebbles]

I just give him 5 bucks after.

Any concern that they'll think your cheap for not tipping beforehand?

The only place I've been lately that had valet parking was a restaurant. Figured two hours later It'd be the same guy. If it were a hotel and left overnight or days, I'd prolly drop a few bucks each time.

 

[The Big Guy]

I always thought that you tip on pick up as well. Sure the drop off guy gets stiffed, but the average valet person will do drop offs and pick ups at about the same amount, so it all balances out for them in the end.

 

[Bucky86]

I tip ahead of time only at hotels.

 

[FUBAR]

I was a valet at the University of Michigan hospital for a few months. One of the best jobs I ever had, got to drive some phenomenal cars. We never took tips when the car was dropped off.

That was back in 99. Most tips were $2-5, we'd occasionally get $10. As that wad a hospital, although a nice one, I'd suspect casinos would average $10-20.

 

[McGarnicle]

I tip whatever amount of change I have in my pocket, point at the guy, wink, and tell him to buy himself something nice.

 

[RealValetControl]

If you are concerned about your car, deploy the bulk of the tip when you arrive, to influence the level of care your car is about to receive. And I would also document the condition of the car on arrival. One way to do this is with the video feature of your smartphone. Shoot the odometer. Capture the valet's face and name tag. Then video tape everything with the outside of the car, paying particular attention to each wheel, underneath the front air dam, and each corner of the car, along with the sides.

Tell the valet "Just so you know, it's recording," while pointing to the car.

No further explanation needed. They will soon begin to think you have a video surveillance system.

When you get the car back, do a vehicle damage audit immediately. Do not drive away. Check the car entirely for new damage, and take it seriously. (Once you pull away, it becomes much more difficult to get compensation for damage.)

If everything is okay, only then do you present a departure tip - as a courtesy. And a smaller amount is okay at this step.

If you want more tips on this, just look me up online.

 

[RUSF18]

True story...about 15 years ago, my uncle was taking his father, my grandfather, to dinner around Philly. Forgot the exact car he had at the time, but it was probably in the $75k range. He dropped it off with the valet, gave the guy a nice tip, they went inside and had dinner, and when he came out, his car was gone. Turns out the valet he gave the keys to didn't actually work there, just a random schmuck who stole his car. Cops ended up finding the car, but my uncle always said the worst part of the experience wasn't just handing his keys over to someone trying to steal his car, but that he tipped him while doing it.

tl;dr tip on your way out

 

[swirvenirvin]

Use to work valet as a kid. Hardly ever got a tip beforehand. Always tip after. They arent going to mess up your car

 

[swirvenirvin]

Also for big locations there is usually the owner/manager that greets you at the car. Then the runner drops it off at location.

The runner's tip was "cleaning" up your car if it was a nice one. Hell I half way learned how to drive a stick from driving expensive ### sports cars that were manuals

 

[fantasycurse42]

True story...about 15 years ago, my uncle was taking his father, my grandfather, to dinner around Philly. Forgot the exact car he had at the time, but it was probably in the $75k range. He dropped it off with the valet, gave the guy a nice tip, they went inside and had dinner, and when he came out, his car was gone. Turns out the valet he gave the keys to didn't actually work there, just a random schmuck who stole his car. Cops ended up finding the car, but my uncle always said the worst part of the experience wasn't just handing his keys over to someone trying to steal his car, but that he tipped him while doing it.

tl;dr tip on your way out

15 years after the fact it is an awesome story... I'm sure it took him a while to find the humor in this one.

 

[sublimeone]

If you are concerned about your car, deploy the bulk of the tip when you arrive, to influence the level of care your car is about to receive. And I would also document the condition of the car on arrival. One way to do this is with the video feature of your smartphone. Shoot the odometer. Capture the valet's face and name tag. Then video tape everything with the outside of the car, paying particular attention to each wheel, underneath the front air dam, and each corner of the car, along with the sides.

Tell the valet "Just so you know, it's recording," while pointing to the car.

No further explanation needed. They will soon begin to think you have a video surveillance system.

When you get the car back, do a vehicle damage audit immediately. Do not drive away. Check the car entirely for new damage, and take it seriously. (Once you pull away, it becomes much more difficult to get compensation for damage.)

If everything is okay, only then do you present a departure tip - as a courtesy. And a smaller amount is okay at this step.

If you want more tips on this, just look me up online.

 

[jon_mx]

I hate mandatory valet service. I just want to go to my car whenever I want, not have to ask someone to go get my car and wait five minutes for it to show up. And charges are outrageous. I got a good rate at a hotel downtown Chicago, then had to pay $60 for valet parking. $120 for the room and $60 to put your car somewhere. What a racket. Then you have to tip to add insult to injury.

 

[shadyridr]

$2 after

 

[avoiding injuries]

At a hotel...if $20 is self-parking and $30 is valet parking, shouldn't that extra $10 be substituted for the tip?

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

I require every valet attendant to show me three forms of ID before handing over my keys. I then rip a $10 bill in half, give one half at drop off and the other half at pick up.

 

[ghostguy123]

As a former valet (long time ago, but I worked for a company that did party centers, hotels, restaurants, private parties.....).

The valets are supposed to pool their tips and divide them, so you aren't stiffing anyone. Even if you stay overnight, the way they rotate shifts and stuff it all evens out for them at the end.

And NONE of the valets expected tips when you get there. It's nice I guess, but only if you tip again on the way out or it feels like a stiff. No valet remembers the tipper when he gets there, only the stiffer when they leave.

Also, I have never seen or heard of anyone I worked with doing anything to anyone's car, ever. Chances are if that is going to happen it has nothing to do with giving them or not giving them 2 bucks when you get there.

Another thing. My boss always insisted we park the "nice" cars close. Never really worked out for us. The people with the super nice cars were BY FAR the worst tippers. I would bet 49 our of 50 times the guy with the 1997 Honda Civic will tip better than the guy with the 2014 BMW.

 

[Fat Nick]

I tip more if I'm voluntarily parking valet than if it's mandatory. For me, I tip afterwards. It's honestly proportional to how hard the guy appears to be trying. Make me wait 5 minutes for my car while you finish your phone call? No tip. Seem to get it in a expeditious fashion? $2-3. I'm not tipping a guy $10 for getting my car. I don't care if it is at a casino or a restaurant, that's too much.

I will say that I stayed at a hotel in Naples this past summer where they had a mandatory valet because their garage was across the street. Those valets SPRINTED back and forth to get cars. Amazingly well run operation. My wife and I were there for a week and went in and out many many times, and they usually had the car before we got down from the room. At the end of the trip, I gave the valet manager $100 and asked him to split it up amongst his guys. They really worked hard there, so to me, that effort was appreciated.