Has a valet ever stolen something from your car?

[AllieGatorAde]

Unfortunately most places contract out valet, it's cheaper, especially liability wise. Unfortunately there is little accountability, unless you have a camera inside your car actually recording the valet, not much will happen. I was also a Director of Rooms at a 4.5 star hotel in a major city (got out 10 years ago!) and there was little they valet company would do. They might transfer a valet to a different location, but that's about it. It was usually the hotel who would take care of the guest. And we couldn't really terminate the contract as there really weren't any other companies in the area. I looked into it. We (the hotel) did not want the liability of having the valets as our employees.

I agree about the contracted valet companies, they’re the worst! I’m guessing the use of them varies by city a lot since Boston’s got contractors. In SF when my husband worked at the Fairmont it was contracted - the valets are unionized there and it makes it a pain for the hotels to have their own department. They constantly had issues with the company. We’re in Phoenix now and all the 4-5* have a valet department of their own. But restaurants are all contractors here and my husband insists we Uber instead of valeting lol. So people know: if the valet had a generic uniform they’re probably an outside company (like white shirt/black bow tie); if they have something more like a Tower of Terror bellhop they’re hotel employees & the hotel definitely wants to hear about any issues you have so they can fix them!

 

[Mle8308]

I agree about the contracted valet companies, they’re the worst! I’m guessing the use of them varies by city a lot since Boston’s got contractors. In SF when my husband worked at the Fairmont it was contracted - the valets are unionized there and it makes it a pain for the hotels to have their own department. They constantly had issues with the company. We’re in Phoenix now and all the 4-5* have a valet department of their own. But restaurants are all contractors here and my husband insists we Uber instead of valeting lol. So people know: if the valet had a generic uniform they’re probably an outside company (like white shirt/black bow tie); if they have something more like a Tower of Terror bellhop they’re hotel employees & the hotel definitely wants to hear about any issues you have so they can fix them!

I worked for Fairmont! Contracted valets (as are most in Boston and basically one company).

 

[AllieGatorAde]

I worked for Fairmont! Contracted valets (as are most in Boston and basically one company).

I’m really sorry Mle8308 - I hope I didn’t offend you! 96% of contract valets are fantastic, just like hotel ones - I just feel like sometimes the guests just have more of a chance of getting something done about their complaint if they’re not a contractor. At the Fairmont the main problem was the doormen were in some sort of Cold War with the valets - most of the complaints came from them (and were tip related).
I should have guessed you were in SF when you described parking in tight spaces/crawling out of car windows I’m impressed - Nob Hill is murder for driving and the parking garages are tiny!

 

[Mle8308]

I’m really sorry Mle8308 - I hope I didn’t offend you! 96% of contract valets are fantastic, just like hotel ones - I just feel like sometimes the guests just have more of a chance of getting something done about their complaint if they’re not a contractor. At the Fairmont the main problem was the doormen were in some sort of Cold War with the valets - most of the complaints came from them (and were tip related).
I should have guessed you were in SF when you described parking in tight spaces/crawling out of car windows I’m impressed - Nob Hill is murder for driving and the parking garages are tiny!

Oh no, you didn't offend me at all! I am in Boston, worked for Fairmont in Boston, but left the hospitality industry about 10 years ago. And yes, most of the valets who worked for us (through a contract company) were fine, a few were "problematic" and yes on the tip issues. Most guests didn't know the difference between our door/bellmen and the valets and if it was slow, the valets would try to help with luggage, etc and "steal" their tips. Our garage at Fairmont was not bad, we had actual marked spaces and lifts, though cars were moved all the time, but no need to leave the windows open. However, one of the valets who was lazy did because he didn't want to have to retrieve keys - he left them on the dash. One day they put a car that was too tall on a lift, it hit a sprinkler head and a bunch went off. Fire alarms everywhere and it flooded 4 VERY expensive cars because the windows were down - that was fun to deal with. The garage at the InterContinental Boston is where they would cram as many cars in as possible, where you couldn't open car doors. And I'm sure other places in Boston, too. Like SF, parking is at a premium here. I'm very lucky to have a space!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Hasn't happened to me, but I cannot ever remember an occasion where I used a valet.