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Valet parking is a unique service, no doubt. It requires high attention to customer needs coupled with keen business acumen, making the valet industry as much art and science as it is ingenuity and hard work.
There are a lot of companies providing valet services but only a few have a well-defined and successful marketing strategy. In this blog, I will show you crucial techniques to follow for a successful and cost-effective marketing of your valet parking operation.
Why Valet Parking is a Unique Business
Great way to make money
There’s no better way to make money than by managing your own valet company! Your potential earnings will depend on how well you run your business.
No inventory
The biggest benefit to running a valet parking service is that you won’t have any inventory to worry about. You won’t need to invest in expensive items like cars, clothing, and other items.
Little investment required
It takes very little money to start a valet parking business. A good car and great customer service are all that is required to launch this business. You might also want to consider investing in a uniform for your staff members and buy some promotional materials so that you can market your business more effectively. However, the actual starting capital required is not substantial.
Huge potential for profit
Valet parking businesses have huge profit potential in that the profit margin is quite high compared to other types of small businesses. The profit potential is even higher when you include tips.
Working with people
If you like people, you’re going to enjoy working in the valet parking business. The customers will appreciate your hard work and will likely tip you generously at the end of the night. Plus, your coworkers may become friends and business contacts as well.
Exposure
Parking services attract a lot of attention and many people will turn up to watch even when they do not need to park their cars. Some clients may even want to avail themselves of your services when it comes time for them to park at other places like shopping centers or events where there are no parking spaces available.
Main Valet Parking Business Challenges
Hiring the right people
Valet parking is an important part of the hospitality experience. It’s essential that customers feel secure and well taken care of when they hand over their vehicle keys to your employees. Your business will quickly lose credibility if your employees don’t know what they’re doing or lack proper communication skills.
Vehicle damage
Most vehicle owners are protective of their vehicles and their paintwork (especially if they own expensive cars). To avoid vehicle damage, make sure you have a sturdy barrier between the sidewalk and the cars being parked. Ensure that your staff also use wheel chocks to prevent slipping or sliding. If your business does not have a dedicated parking lot, make sure your employees are experienced in parallel parking.
Valid permits
You must obtain the required permits to operate your business within city limits. The business license must include information about the types of services you will provide and whether or not you will charge money for them. You should also get an endorsement from your local Chamber of Commerce if possible.
Scams and other dishonesty
It happens in every industry, but one of the biggest challenges for valet parking companies is dealing with dishonest customers who try to scam them out of their money. Whether someone pretends they have left their car and asks for a refund, or tries to “sell” their ticket to another person, it can cost you time and money. Make sure your staff is trained so they don’t fall victim to these scams.
Business hours
When you run a valet service, your operations typically don’t have regular hours. You’ll have to work late nights, early mornings, and weekends. And because your services are dependent on when customers arrive and leave restaurants or events, your clientele will change with the seasons.
Pros and Cons of Valet Parking Business
Pros
- Valet parking services are profitable.
- You get to meet new people.
- You can manage your schedule.
- You get a chance to network with other businesses in your area.
- There is minimal competition in the field.
- It’s a simple way to get into the business world, with little training required.
- Valets deal with high net worth clients daily, which allows them great networking opportunities.
- Work outdoors.
Cons
- It could be hard to find parking spaces.
- You may get stiffed by customers who don’t pay their tabs.
- You might have trouble getting customers in bad weather or at night.
- Sometimes customers don’t have time to wait around while you go find their ticket in your stack of papers.
- Insurance requirements.
Best Valet Parking Marketing Strategies
Inspire confidence in your clients
If you have a valet service, your primary marketing strategy needs to promote your valet parking services.
You are not promoting the restaurant, hotel, or venue in general. You are promoting the fact that your valet parking services are available to customers who attend those businesses.
The goal is to reward the client for attending and give them something to feel special about because they chose that specific business.
Here are some tips on how to inspire confidence in your clients.
- Treat your clients like VIPs. Any good valet parking marketing strategy will treat your customers like royalty. You’ll provide them with the best service and ensure that they receive their cars quickly and without inconvenience. If someone is looking for something specific inside of their cars, such as a purse or wallet, you’ll make sure that it is found before you bring the car around. This kind of attention to detail will help to build trust.
- Provide directions and information. One mistake that many valets make is not providing enough details to their guests about where to go once they have parked their cars. Make sure that you’re providing all of the information that your clients need when they arrive at the location where their cars are parked. This might mean handing out maps, or simply making sure that you spend time talking with them about where they need to go after they’ve been dropped off by the valet parking marketing strategy. The last thing that you want is for a guest to get lost while visiting the establishment because they didn’t know where to go once they arrived after being dropped off by a valet service team.
Use signage
Signage is a powerful marketing tool that can effectively help you improve the image of your valet parking business.
With the right signs, you can make your valet parking services more appealing to customers and make them want to come back again.
The goal is to show people that your valet parking service is dependable and trustworthy.
Use these ideas to get started on creating an effective signage strategy for your valet parking business;
Emphasize your trustworthiness; First and Foremost Signs that show people that you’re a legitimate company can be effective in helping you build trust with new customers. For example, if you operate out of a garage, you can use signage to show your home address as well as the name of the garage where you’re located. If you park cars at an apartment complex or hotel, include the name of the complex or hotel next to your contact information so that people know that they’re dealing with someone reputable. You might also consider putting up a “how to find us” map at the entrance of each location so that it shows people how to find where they need to go when they arrive.
Tailor your signage to each customer; Large vehicle wraps are extremely versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to meet different customer needs. For example, you can use them to convey a message directly to customers who need valet parking, or you can use them as a way to gain attention from potential customers who might not know your business exists.
Make sure it’s visible; One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to use signage as a valet parking marketing strategy is failing to make sure it’s highly visible. It should catch the eye of anyone in the area, whether they need valet parking services or not, and give them an idea of what you offer without being too pushy.
Use referral marketing
Referral marketing is one of the most effective strategies of a valet parking marketing campaign.
It involves your customers recommending your business to their friends, family, and acquaintances.
With the help of referral marketing, you can increase brand awareness for your business, attract new customers and generate more revenue.
1: Encourage your customers to spread the word
Give your customers a reason for spreading the word about your business. Offer discounts or other benefits for referrals. Make it worthwhile for them to refer your business to their friends and family members.
2: Set up an email campaign
You can quickly reach out to potential customers through email campaigns. Include your referral program link in the email, so that they can easily share it with others. You should also provide them with detailed instructions on how they can access the link via email.
3: Run contests
Hold contests and give prizes as rewards to people who bring you, new customers, via referrals. The prizes could be simple things like coupons or discounts on services or products or could be bigger things like gifts and cash prizes.
4. Be generous with rewards
As with any service, it’s important to provide incentives for people to refer their friends, family, and co-workers to your business. One way is to offer a cash reward or discount for each customer that is referred. This can be especially effective if you’ve already set up a loyalty program that uses rewards as incentives for repeat business.
Use stickers
Stickers are a great way to market your valet parking business because they allow you to reach tons of customers in an affordable, unobtrusive way. Stickers can be placed on the back of handles in valet parking cars, left on the dashboards of cars, and even put on windshields.
Stickers are an affordable marketing strategy because they are less expensive than many other forms of marketing and advertising, such as radio or television spots, newspaper ads, etc. Stickers do not require any special equipment and can be placed anywhere where people might see them.
For example, stickers can be put on the backs of seat handles to be seen by the passenger when they are getting out of the car. It is also possible to place stickers directly onto the dashboards or windows of cars if you want to target drivers instead of passengers.
Stickers used for valet parking marketing will also benefit from being easy to use and cost-effective since valets are typically young people who are either working part-time or attending school full-time.
A business owner needs to keep in mind that any advertising must be able to accomplish its goals without requiring too much time or money on the part of those who use it.
Establish brand loyalty
Valet companies are an important part of the hospitality industry. They provide a high-quality service to their clients, which includes hotels, restaurants, event organizers, and other business owners.
Trouble is, customers, don’t always know the brand name of the valet company they’re using. Sure, they might have a good experience with that company’s staff, but how do they remember that exact name?
And how will they know if they should try your competitor next time? Here are some tips on how to establish brand loyalty as a valet parking marketing strategy:
1. Offer quality incentives. Valet companies who offer quality incentives earn their customers’ loyalty. For example, you can offer free car washes to your customers when they pay for a certain number of parking services. You can also give them discounts on fuel or give them access to special offers from your client businesses. By doing this, you’re encouraging customers to use your services again and again for these perks alone.
2. Make sure you’re easy to find. Advertise your valet parking services so that people will remember them when they need them next time.
3. Create a brand image by dressing your employees in matching uniforms and assigning each of them to a specific designation. This will make customers feel like they’re in good hands.
4: Be aware of your competition by doing business intel on other valet parking companies servicing your area. You can learn about their pricing strategies and what kind of customer base they have. You might even consider teaming up with another valet company to compete with their clientele and gain new customers.
Quality services
Valet parking services are generally considered to be an upscale, premium service. It’s not something that everyone can afford and having it at a wedding or party is meant to be a special experience.
Being a valet parking attendant doesn’t just mean driving cars around. It’s about providing great service to your customers. Whether you’re a valet parking marketing strategy for a restaurant, an event, or personal use, here are some tips to help you provide quality service.
Treat valet parking like an art
Valeting is not just driving cars from point A to point B. It’s about providing a service that people appreciate and come back for. When you’re valeting a car, it’s important to clean the interior and exterior of the car thoroughly until it shines. This will give your customer the best impression of their experience with you.
Be efficient And friendly
When you’re valeting, efficiency is important. That doesn’t mean rushing through your work, but rather completing your work efficiently with high quality. Smile and be friendly with everyone you meet while you’re working so they feel comfortable being around you. Not only will this make your work better, but it’ll make it more enjoyable.
Be aware of customer needs
The first thing that you need to do is to know what kind of event that you will be attending. Is it a formal event or an informal one? You also have to consider where is the event held. Will everything be inside or outside? Also, consider how many people will be attending the event. Are there going to be a lot of guests or just a few? This can help you prepare better since you already know what kind of service that you have to provide.
Make sure that everything is ready beforehand
This is a very important tip when it comes to providing valet parking services at events. Since most events only happen once a year, most people want their guests to enjoy every second of their party or special occasion so they would want everything to go well and smoothly without any problems or distractions like getting their car blocked by other cars.
Consider special events
Tailgating parties, wine tastings, and grand openings are just a few of the great events that you can take advantage of and be the hero of the party by offering valet parking services. The best part about this is that it’s a win/win situation for everyone involved.
You get to make some money off of parking cars and (hopefully) more business in the future. The event organizers get to keep their customers happy without having to worry about having enough parking available themselves and they might even end up getting more guests than they could have anticipated!
The key is to make sure that you’re doing your research beforehand and understand what sort of crowds you’ll be dealing with. Once that’s been established, then all you need to do is show up with your valet service signs and start making some money while being an asset to the event organizers!
Here are some ideas on how you can use such special events for your marketing strategy:
Offer discounts; Valet parking services can offer discount coupons to people who avail of their services during the event. It could be a way of promoting their business while at the same time helping others enjoy themselves better.
If you are thinking about doing this, here’s what you should do: Get some flyers printed up with your logo and information on them
Leave out several flyers at the entrance of the venue where your event is taking place so that they will be picked up by people when they arrive at the venue and go looking for parking.
Final Thoughts
Valet providers need to offer a service that is reliable and convenient. How well a business targets its particular demographic of customers, should then flow into the marketing strategy.
It also needs to reach beyond word-of-mouth advertising to provide secure resources that attract more customers through reputation and documentation.
Marketing strategies will vary depending on companies’ valet parking clients, but whichever way a company goes, they need to aim for excellence in communication.
