At PMSA, we are often asked by businesses the intangible value of them offering valet parking to their guests and even their employees. This is a great question as in most cases, it is the business that is picking up the tangible costs associated with offering the valet service. For this reason, we suggest to these businesses to consider making the valet parking service complimentary. The rewards of offering their guests and employees a complimentary valet parking experience can go a long way. Continue reading below for some of the key advantages of offering a complimentary valet parking service.

Complimentary Valet Parking Will Improve Guest Relations and Increase Employee Satisfaction

It’s been said that drivers in Los Angeles spend about 85 hours per year looking to find parking. When comparing this to the national average of 17 hours per year, we are able to illustrate the significant frustrations of finding parking here in Los Angeles for both guests and employees of a business. As we elaborate on this, let’s now imagine a guest or employee driving around multiple times unsuccessfully looking for parking. At some point, they are already having a bad day and so any additional “problem” upon their arrival on the inside will often be taken much worse.

Increase Parking Lot Safety

A survey among drivers found that about two out of three of them (66%) admit to allowing themselves to become distracted while driving through a parking lot. It’s been discussed that parking lots tend to be more unsafe for both drivers and pedestrians because the same attention that is used by drivers on the roads is then minimized while they are looking for parking. Because drivers pay more attention to finding parking rather than to other vehicles or pedestrians in the parking lot, the loss exposure is increased. An increase in loss exposure often results in more accidents, and if the accident is on a business parking lot, this can become a possible liability to the business. Complimentary valet parking services may solve this problem of safety.

Complimentary Valet Parking Equals Convenience for Guests and Employees

As explained by ‘Shark Tank’s’ Robert Herjavec, some people prefer a business offering valet parking services because they find the extra fee or the expectation of tipping to be worth their convenience. Yes, these individuals are often people with opportunities of expandable income but they are also more likely to conduct business with the company they visit if they have a completely positive experience during their stay. For this reason alone, it is viable for a business to have reputable parking company managing their valet parking services. After all, guests and employees are entrusting their vehicles to a stranger. And so the trust and reliability of the company that hires them is key.

The average cost of hiring a full-time single attendant valet parking professional in 2017 was about $34,600 annually. This cost was all inclusive of the following:

• $1M General Liability insurance policy
• $1M Employer Practices Liability (EPL) insurance policy
• State approved Worker’s Compensation insurance policy
• Operating permits
• Employee uniforms
• Necessary parking equipment such as signage, traffic cones, lock boxes, jumper cables, etc.

The intangible return on investment (ROI) for businesses implementing a complimentary valet parking service far outweigh the tangible costs when considering the following key points:

• Improve Guest Relations and Increase Employee Satisfaction
• Increase Parking Lot Safety
• Adding Convenience for Guests and Employees

To receive a free quote for complimentary valet parking services, please contact us online or reach us at 1-800-552-PARK (7275). Not sure whether to offer complimentary or paid parking? No worries! Contact us to schedule one of our informative parking consultation surveys and we will help you make the right decision!