how does this work then? when they wanna take your car you just show them a 20 dollar bill and ask if they can just put your car up front? i always wanna do that (if i ever have to vallet again). the way i see it, i rather pay that 20 to have my car seen all the time rather than taking risk

any suggestions welcome

 

$2 when im sober

Up to $20 when im drunk

 

Just about everyone Ive ever known that uses Valets, has had they're
car damaged at one point... I'd never use them, unless i had a sub 10k car..

 

I AGREE WITH MY MAN HERE. There's no ego involved in tipping. Not at all.

I remember Liz started a thread regarding "do you park or velet your car."
Since I ALWAYS valet whenever possible--going to the mall, eating, and especially when I dine at Newport Beach(because trying to find a spot @ beach front is just not worth the time)-- I try to keep up with my financial sense

 

HAHAHA, that's what I'm talking about bro!

 

I gave my Lexus RX to some valet in downtown San Diego Gas Lamp I come back to find my new hip hop CD stolen.

 

In a perfect world, I'd never valet...ever. My GS was damaged by a valet the first weekend I had my car...Viceroy, Santa Monica Problem is, you likely won't see the damage until the next morning, and by then, it's too late to lay blame on the valet.

But sometimes you just can't avoid it. When I go to dinner in Beverly Hills, most establishments require you to valet and there is seldom any street parking. But my experiences at more upsclae places has been good...they handle enough high end cars and treat them correctly.

 

Basically, yeah. You ask them if they can park it up front, and to make it worth his while, slip him a Jackson. At least that's how it works in Tampa... I’m not sure about Cali... Everyone is a high roller in Cali. You may slip him a 20 and he might laugh at you! Works like a charm at the PF Chang's in Tampa. I've only done it once, but when I came out, the GS was parked next to the restaurant owners Bentley!

 

Most places have at least one prime spot saved for big tippers that's right in front. I hold out bigger bill and ask loudly so a few guys can hear my request so no one else comes along and "reparks" it by accident.
I worked in the parking lot at Gladstone's 4 Fish one summer and we had rooom for about 3 nice cars/big tippers in the front.
Otherwise, there was room for almost 200 cars and we packed in the cars double so sometimes your car will "tap" the car behind yours. Our tips were "pooled" and some cheap customers would tip us only 50 cents so some valets woud steal money out of cars. One guy told me he found a bag of potato chips in a car and he ate some. Another guy was fired for smoking crack in cars. No joke, I can't make this stuff up. He would park at the opposite end of the parking lot where no one could see him, take a couple hits and walk back to valet station.
Ever since that summer I try not to use valet, unless I'm in Vegas or it's absolutely neccessary.

 

I've never need to use valet in Las Vegas on the strip(that's where I go anyway), they have a lot of parking available & usually within walking distance even to the fancy restaurants.

 

I like using the valets at the hotels on the strip in Vegas. I mean, it's free, and you can walk right into the casino through the front door instead of walking from wherever the parking structure is.

I know I'm a cheap valet tipper. I tip a lot for good service at dinner. Is $1 too little for the Vegas hotel valet?

 

Yeah, I'm too lazy to walk that far in 110 degree desert heat. Well $1 is better than nothing, I'm sure there are people who leave nothing. Those guys walk around the back to get your car and sometimes it's really hot. In Vegas I usually tip 2 or 3 bucks.
I agree with you on tipping well at good restaurants, especially if it's a place I frequent. I'll leave up to 30 percent sometimes. I worked as a hostess in a horrible restaurant too, but that's a whole other thread......

 

tipping at least 20% has been the way i do things at restaurants, unless he/she realy ticks me off. and i am usually pretty nice to them too.

so liz, in your opinion, how much should i "take out" and ask for the spot then? it would be really embarassing if i take out a 20 and ask for the spot but the guy say sorry can't do that, whereas the guy behind me taking out a 50 gets the spot.

thoughts? good to do all these hoemwork

oh and of course i only do this at high up-scale place like b-hill or so (lawry, etc...). no way i am givin out my keys everywhere

 

At the Streets at Southpoint Mall in North Caolina...it's free valet parking to anyone with a lexus....haven't tried it yet cuz everytime I go to the mall I'm driving the wrong car...but it's good for lexus owners especially during the holiday season!

 

It's funny to see their faces when I pull up, they think i'm valeting but i'm just dropping off my wife, then it's off to that spot a half mile away.