Has anyone done the shop where you observe a number of valet interactions and self park. Was it awkward talking to the valet or just standing around watching them for 30 minutes.

Errr,
I have done tons of valet shops and was always supposed to depart for at least 30 minutes. Have never seen one where you have to hang around and watch the valet. And, I have done, literally thousands of these. What MSC is it ?

I have done many valet also and have only observed them as I was arriving and departing. The in between time I do another nearby shop if possible or if it’s a hotel I hang out and people watch.

Liz

Like other responses, I have done hundreds of valet shops. Everyone of them you observe with your arrival and departure. The 30 minutes is for you, the shopper to get lost and stay hidden. Never have I had a valet shop with instructions for a shopper to hang out with the valet folks for 30 minutes...and also to self park???? What's up with that? The purpose of a valet shop is for them to park your vehicle - never had one to tell me to evaluate the valet, but self park my vehicle. Are you sure you understood the guidelines? You might consider contacting the scheduler after you re-read the guidelines.

If it's a hotel, I have said I am there to meet friends who are visiting in town and also used the "I'm here for a meeting for planning our high school reunion", etc.) I use the free wi-fi and go ahead and start completing the shop on my tablet or phone and I have also done the report (if short) for the previous shop I finished before arriving for the valet shop. I also have done valet shops at hospitals and other large healthcare locations. I say I am there to visit a relative or friend and sometimes I say I am there for lab tests or other type of test - go hide out in the cafeteria, or other sitting/lounge area and again, turn on the tablet and put in shop info.

I've only done one, but it was easier "in person" than the instructions sounded. Like the others say, you're supposed to have them park your car and observe the valets, disappear for 30 minutes, then have them retrieve your car and observe the valets again. I said I was there for tests, then sat in the cafe' with a cup of coffee and a book. Very relaxing 30 minutes!

I'd do more of these, but am trying to tie one in with having lunch with a friend at a place across the street because the hospital is way across town....

I have met my “college roommate” so many places lol. She has no idea she is so well travelled.

Liz

That sounds like a BS job. They ought to be paying a lot more than I imagine they do. Maybe I'm wrong.

I don't do regular parking shops for under $25, btw. It'd have to be a big chunk of money for me to pretend to have a reason to stand around that long.

@1cent wrote:

That sounds like a BS job. They ought to be paying a lot more than I imagine they do. Maybe I'm wrong.

I don't do regular parking shops for under $25, btw. It'd have to be a big chunk of money for me to pretend to have a reason to stand around that long.

Who pays more than $25 per parking shop?

Really. Who on earth pays that. I consider them easy shops. But having read other discussions that they can be as much about cash integrity as they are customer service, perhaps I have not been as fully engaged as I ought to be.

Back to the OP, you might even find a hotel cafe or patio that allows you to observe the valets attendants in a casual manner. I've never found it a requirement to do so, but allows me to make notes. I have seen a company that schedules both valet and self-park assignments, but not in the same visit.

I too have done many valet shops and never had your scenario. On one shop that was for an audit I had to valet park my car and then hang around for 30 minutes before beginning the audit part to make sure they had actually moved my car into the garage before asking them to retrieve it and then revealing the audit part. I did have to look around to make sure my car was not still parked at the curb of the hotel before asking the valet to go get it but did not have to observe the valet during that time. And that shop pays much, much more than a regular shop. For some reason they have trouble booking it. I have no idea why I have not taken it for years as it was quite easy and interesting.

I have done less than five. I try to get them along with doctor visits but not always able too.

The cash integrity ones with video pay much more than $25.

Do you feel safe handing your car to a valet guy? I have seen horrible things people do with a valet car...

@walesmaven wrote:

The cash integrity ones with video pay much more than $25.

Yeah, I know video pays more... but I guess I assumed the person who commented was doing non video since they said 'regular'.... I very well could be wrong.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2019 07:39PM by luckygirl0100.

alan,
We are also checking for safe handling and can make claims, just like anyone else who parks at a garage or lot. And, yes, shoppers have (rarely) had to make claims for valet damages.

In my case, I have done thousands of these over 5+ years and never had a problem. We are not handing the keys to the part-time wranglers who park for a restaurants just on Friday and Saturday nights! All of the clients are large parking management companies.

Yes, even non-video can pay $25 to $50.

I'm doing one tomorrow. I've been waiting for it to be bonused, which they never are in my town, and/or for it to time out with upcoming lunch meetings. The stars aligned today -- it's now bonused, and I have a business meeting across the street from the location. There must be a lot of shoppers in my area who do these at base. I see other locations carrying bonuses of $8 (which is good, considering the base fee), but this one never is. Finally, a small bonus!

Naturally, now I'm already fretting about getting names. That was probably the hardest thing about the first one that I did. They have name tags, but there are several other observations you have to make when they come out to get your car, and I'm always afraid I'll forget the name or will stare so hard at the tag that they'll peg me for the shopper....

@1cent wrote:

Yes, even non-video can pay $25 to $50.

Mind naming the company? Servimer strives to stay competitive and we (typically) pay more than any other company. If there is a company out there paying more I'd love to know who.

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

Mind naming the company? Servimer strives to stay competitive and we (typically) pay more than any other company. If there is a company out there paying more I'd love to know who.

hmmmm...yeah, I appreciate that but would rather not give the specifics. I have seen some valet shops for $5 or $10 and Servimer is definitely working above that. Others start at $20-$25 and negotiate up. I don't usually share my negotiated rates because it causes conflict. I just know from my experience how much it was worth just to learn that I could ask for more.

I do from 18 to 30 for Servimer most months. What I like is that their rates provide their maximum at the START of the month. So shoppers know that there is no advantage to waiting until later in the month, or the quarter. Plus, shoppers who have been granted self-assign rights can load up their calendars, early, for a month, confident that they are not missing a better fee by waiting. That looks like a win-win for both the shoppers and the MSC.

About getting names from name tags. When the shop is for cash integrity, a complete description is at least as important as the name from a name tag. Fraudsters know all about the trick of "borrowing" another employee's name tag to wear when diverting funds. Complete descriptions protect that innocent employee from undue suspicion in many cases. So, we may need to state whether a valet's accent is "local" (i.e., native speaker of American English very likely) or "foreign" (first language probably not American style English); and race/ethnicity if it can reasonably be determined, and body type (slim, medium, large), and even distinctive moles, tattoos, piercings, etc. So, my report may read: "Name tag obscured (missing/not readable, etc). Male, Caucasian, foreign accent, 5"10"-6', very curly short blond hair, medium build, dark rimmed glasses, prominent mole near left ear." (With some alterations, such as hair color), that is actually a description of the cashier at a garage that I have shopped several times. I have never seen any indications that he is diverting funds, nor have other shoppers. But, he has been cited for (probably innocently) wearing different name tags. (i.e., having left his at home, perhaps?)

Oddly enough, I find that description easier to remember than many of the very unusual names on tag, some of which are also very, very long.

The valet who took my car today had his name badge reversed so that I couldn't see his name. But in the middle of taking down my name and giving me my ticket, he saw that it was backwards and flipped it over. So I was less than a foot from his name. Couldn't miss that one. But I swear, the guy mumbled. I literally couldn't understand a thing he said. He gave me the instructions for picking up the car when I was done, and I had to ask him to repeat those. Otherwise, I couldn't tell if he used my name, gave me his name, or anything else. Plus, he didn't take my keys from me -- just left me sitting in my running car while he wrote down the plate number. So I got out and left it there. When I went to fetch the car, the valets did everything they were supposed to. But the first guy.... I hate to do it, but I have to give him a fairly negative report.