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View Full Version : Tipping Ettiquette - Valet Parking



alphamommy
04-02-2009, 10:29 PM
I don't use valet parking often, but will likely be doing so next week.

The place I'm going charges for the parking service, and I know I need to tip the person retrieving my car. Here's the question: do I also tip the person who parks my car for me?

In either/both cases, what's an appropriate amount?

Thanks!

Aggie97
04-02-2009, 11:52 PM
We generally tip $2 to the person retrieving our car.

My understanding is that generally you would tip the person parking the car only if you asked them to do something extra for you, such as keep a special watch on your car in a high-crime area, or park it in an extra-close spot. :)

Ian
04-02-2009, 11:58 PM
I always tip both the person who takes the car from us and the person who returns the car to us.

Typically, I will tip each of them $3 - $5, depending on where I am.

NotaGeek
04-03-2009, 12:16 AM
Ian is correct ... tipping twice is in good form, but a $2 tip both the person that parks your car, and the person retrieving your car is plenty -- I do tip more if I am at an up-scale location (and depending on my small bill situation!), but for just regular valet, $2 is fine. Also, if I know that the same person will be doing both jobs (like at a smaller restaurant) I will just do 1 tip.

RenDuran
04-03-2009, 09:54 AM
We usually give 2-3 dollars for each person that handles our car....whether coming or going.

Aggie97
04-03-2009, 10:49 AM
Interesting - seems we'll have to reconsider tipping only on retrieval. We've always done that because it's what we've seen relatives and company execs do (and it's been supported by what I've read about tipping etiquette in the past), but I wonder if the practice is changing to tipping both ways nowadays! :)

NotaGeek
04-03-2009, 10:53 AM
Interesting - seems we'll have to reconsider tipping only on retrieval. We've always done that because it's what we've seen relatives and company execs do (and it's been supported by what I've read about tipping etiquette in the past), but I wonder if the practice is changing to tipping both ways nowadays! :)
I think it's changing because lots of places have big valet systems (think big hotels) and you will never see the person that takes your car again, and they are providing just as much of a service as the person picking up your car.

Ian
04-03-2009, 11:03 AM
I do tip more if I am at an up-scale location (and depending on my small bill situation!) ... I got nailed with the small bill problem the other day and ended up having to tip the guy who brought my car back ten bucks!! :eek:

NotaGeek
04-03-2009, 11:46 AM
I got nailed with the small bill problem the other day and ended up having to tip the guy who brought my car back ten bucks!! :eek:
WOW. Big spender! I hate that ... because you can't look like the doof who can't afford $10, and asking the valet for change is SO bad. LOL

LauraleeH
04-03-2009, 12:47 PM
I'm glad to hear that $2-$5 is more than fine for tipping, I may do valet at Disney when I eat at the Beach Club. My aunt and uncle always tip $10-$20 everywhere so I just assumed that was the norm, and I could never justify that much for parking a car. But $2? That I can handle.

Ian
04-03-2009, 02:48 PM
WOW. Big spender! I hate that ... because you can't look like the doof who can't afford $10, and asking the valet for change is SO bad. LOLYou know, if it had been on the way in I would have asked for change.

But it was late, I was on my way out, I was eating at a very price restaurant downtown for a business dinner, and I did sort of feel like, "Man, would I look stupid asking this guy for change as I'm driving away from a place where we just spent $1,300 for dinner for four people!!"

alphamommy
04-03-2009, 03:43 PM
Thanks for all the replies! I'll have to let DH know, who only tips on the way out.

This will be at a large hospital/medical building where I go for my cancer check-ups. It is highly unlikely that I'll have the same person bring my car as the one who parked it.

Thanks again!

magicofdisney
04-04-2009, 10:47 AM
You know, if it had been on the way in I would have asked for change.

But it was late, I was on my way out, I was eating at a very price restaurant downtown for a business dinner, and I did sort of feel like, "Man, would I look stupid asking this guy for change as I'm driving away from a place where we just spent $1,300 for dinner for four people!!"
At those prices, not only should you NOT have to pay for valet (or tipping), but they should be detailing your car while you eat!

pink
04-04-2009, 12:39 PM
I'm sorry to ask a question within a question but the hotel I'm going to be staying at on Thursday charges $31 a day for 24 hour parking.

Is that normal?:mickey:

NotaGeek
04-04-2009, 12:48 PM
I'm sorry to ask a question within a question but the hotel I'm going to be staying at on Thursday charges $31 a day for 24 hour parking.

Is that normal?:mickey:
It would certainly matter which city you are visiting. That's a normal parking amount for a hotel that doesn't have its own parking lot ... think about parking in NYC, if you find $31 you are getting a steal.

Ed
04-04-2009, 04:22 PM
...where we just spent $1,300 for dinner for four people!!"

How long have you been working for AIG ?? :shrug:

:bolt:

Ian
04-04-2009, 04:41 PM
How long have you been working for AIG ?? :shrug:

:bolt:Ha ha ha ha! I wish. ;)

Client dinner. In advertising, when the client's in attendance it's pretty much expected you're going to shell out for a nice meal.

Most of that was actually on alcohol. The client has an affinity for good scotch (Macallan 18) and expensive wine.

pink
04-04-2009, 05:31 PM
It would certainly matter which city you are visiting. That's a normal parking amount for a hotel that doesn't have its own parking lot ... think about parking in NYC, if you find $31 you are getting a steal.

Thank you. It's in Boston.

wdw_bound
04-04-2009, 06:19 PM
Thanks for all the replies! I'll have to let DH know, who only tips on the way out.

This will be at a large hospital/medical building where I go for my cancer check-ups. It is highly unlikely that I'll have the same person bring my car as the one who parked it.

Thanks again!

We offer valet parking at our cancer center, and staff are not allowed to accept tips. In fact, we had to have special cards made up to ensure patients that it is absolutely free.

I take DD to a large medical center in another city, and they now have valet parking as well - no tipping.

In the case of hospitals, it is a service that is offered to improve patient satisfaction, and also to ease congestion and illegal parking since most medical centers are land-locked and not as accessible as they need to be.

Hope your visits go well!

ElenitaB
04-04-2009, 06:56 PM
I use the valet parking at our cancer center as well, and up until now, I've only tipped the guys bringing me back my car. I'll have to change that policy now (they're a small team of maybe 3 or 4 guys so I do see them often). Considering I'm going to start going daily soon, this can add up to a lot (on top of the discounted $19 rate to use the valet service and the garage which is located a few blocks from the facility)! :faint:

garymacd
04-05-2009, 11:23 AM
I got nailed with the small bill problem the other day and ended up having to tip the guy who brought my car back ten bucks!! :eek:

You know what you need? You need a really neat two-dollar coin!

magicofdisney
04-05-2009, 06:22 PM
You know what you need? You need a really neat two-dollar coin!
Or swing by the bank and pick up several $2 bills and just use those for tipping.

I read one time about a guy who only tipped with $2 bills. One day he had a young server ask him if it was real, spendable money. That server had never seen a $2 bill before.

alphamommy
04-05-2009, 06:29 PM
I'm going to be at the University of Michigan, at an entrance that's shared by the medical office building and the hospital. I'm not sure what the parking is like at the Cancer Center. I do know that, while the parking lot for Radiation Oncology is easy to get in and out, there's no discounted parking even when going through treatment. It's sort of a metered parking system - there's a kiosk where you enter the space number where you've parked, then feed the machine with quarters for however long you think you'll be there. I know that, a couple times, whoever drove me had to go pay more because we were there longer than expected.

Where I'm going, valet is $5 for however long you're there. With validation, self-parking is $2. However, I'm having an MRI at an off-site facility, followed pretty closely by my appointment with my doctors. In theory, I should have plenty of time to get from point A to point B and self park. However, sometimes there's quite a back-up in the garage, so I figured I'd blow a little extra to make sure I was at the doctor appointment on time.

Thanks again!

ElenitaB
04-05-2009, 06:54 PM
Tammy, if there was ever a time to "treat yourself" to an extra little luxury, this would be it! God bless... and I'm praying that you have a GREAT check-up! :hug:

alphamommy
04-07-2009, 12:01 PM
ARG!

I got a call from U-M yesterday telling me that they have to change my appointment to May 14. They're having MRI machine problems, and they can't squeeze me in Thursday morning. I guess the diagnostic appointments get precedence over the check-ups, which I understand.

I'm just irritated because I was supposed to go in last Thursday, and they changed that appointment without telling me. I've now had three different appointments in a week. I really just want to get it over with!

garymacd
04-08-2009, 01:10 PM
Or swing by the bank and pick up several $2 bills and just use those for tipping.

I read one time about a guy who only tipped with $2 bills. One day he had a young server ask him if it was real, spendable money. That server had never seen a $2 bill before.

I didn't know you still had them in circulation!

Gotta get out more.