Valet parking

[Debra in Cali]

So my mother is in the hospital. Our local hospital has valet service until about 6 P.M. I figured that I can deal with the truck later, but I need to get into that ER and find out how my mom is doing. I have used valet parking at this hospital before without any problems.

 

I hand over my keys and note the mileage just to ensure that no one is going to get away with taking my truck for a joy ride. The hospital valet service is in a kind of traffic circle that allows pick up and drop offs of all kinds along with the valet service. I start walking over to the ER entrance. I suddenly hear this screeching sound to my right. I turn to see this moron driving my new truck with the parking brake screaming and to add to this insult his is talking away on the cell phone oblivious to the whole situation while driving. OH HELL NO. I start screaming at him to just STOP, STOP. He finally hears me and stops. I am then screaming at him to get his ass out of my truck. I am reading this moron the riot act about it being illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone and that he is so distracted in his phone conversations that he can't even notice that screeching sound.

 

He then insults my intelligence, claiming that he is allowed to drive the cars while talking on the cell phone since that is how he is to clock in and out of work is by cell phone calls. Hmmm He also claims that since this is private property it isn't against the law. He also claims that he released the parking brake and he had no idea of what that noise was. At first he was hesitating to even give me my truck back. the way I look at it, that kid is lucky to be alive. I guess that was his story and that he was sticking to it. I also at one point of the conversation I pointed out that my truck was worth at least double, if not triple his salary. And that he couldn't even to begin to pay for that truck.

I parked my truck in the ER parking lot

 

After being at the hospital all night, I went over to the valet service kiosk. There were a group of 4-5 employees there, including the moron. He greeted me so warmly that you would have thought that he and I were long lost friends. I snarled at him, "Don't even talk to me". As I inquired about the supervisor, he suddenly disappeared. Sure enough he found his supervisor so that he could tell his version of the story before I was given the opportunity. After waiting 20 minutes, the supervisor walks up. He introduces himself. I start telling him my experience with his employee. He is mortified as to what had happened. He then tell me that the area manager is on his way over. I then repeat the experience to the manager. I explained that I would have been much more forgiving if that little moron had owned up to his actions, and modified his behavior. But since he didn't even have an inkling of remorse or ownership of his actions I was furious. The manager had just purchased a Silverado as well. We finally got to the bottom line, "What did I need to resolve that issue?" Well since the little shithead hadn't reached bottom and was still digging, I decided to bury him. I requested that he lose his job. He had no integrity, or ability to reason right from wrong, so why would they want that kind of liability? He shouldn't be allowed to drive other people's vehicles,old or new, cheap or expensive.

 

That was a bit of a shock to the manager from the look on his face, but he couldn't disagree with my logic. He was going to discuss it with HR, but if it was legally possible that kid was going to be GONE. If they couldn't do that, he was going to write up a report that was so severe that if that kid even did one tiny thing wrong he was going to be gone.

 

So does anyone else have any crazy valet stories?

[Chris]

Nope. I have just told them to watch the tip in and ease up for the 1-2 shift.

[Lawnmower2020]

I have bad news for you. Not only will the kid not be fired, he'll probably get an award (like a free burger) for "Craziest customer of the week." As soon as you left, they all stood there and laughed about it. That's the way car valets are.

 

On the bright side, it could have been worse -- you could have had a Porsche or Corvette.

[heavyclay]

Everything in california is illeagl so i guess I shouldn't be suprised that phone use while driving is one of those

 

But really, we are worried about him driving with the parking brake on and now we are demanding his head on a plate? Poor kid. . . Shotgun, knee jerk reactions like this is screws up people for a long time if not forever. He doesn't have a skilled job. He doesn't require extensive training. He is probably paid very little (I used to valet) Of course he was making up excuses when he was confronted. he was being interrogated in a threatening manor he went into defensive lie-to-save my life mode

 

What if he wasn't on his phone, would it be different? what if this was your kid? Would you be suing the company for wrongful termination if it was your kid?

 

A little forgiveness and tolerance goes a long way. Instead you belittled him and made him feel so small. Guess what! these companies have awesome insurance coverage if they were to mess up your ride.

[Spurshot]

Everything in california is illeagl so i guess I shouldn't be suprised that phone use while driving is one of those

 

But really, we are worried about him driving with the parking brake on and now we are demanding his head on a plate? Poor kid. . . Shotgun, knee jerk reactions like this is screws up people for a long time if not forever. He doesn't have a skilled job. He doesn't require extensive training. He is probably paid very little (I used to valet) Of course he was making up excuses when he was confronted. he was being interrogated in a threatening manor he went into defensive lie-to-save my life mode

 

What if he wasn't on his phone, would it be different? what if this was your kid? Would you be suing the company for wrongful termination if it was your kid?

 

A little forgiveness and tolerance goes a long way. Instead you belittled him and made him feel so small. Guess what! these companies have awesome insurance coverage if they were to mess up your ride.

 

I am generally of similar mindset. I would have tossed the kid out of my truck, gave him a piece of my mind and dealt with the family issue and forgotten about the kid.

 

As for "tolerance", ...

[BOOMER119]

Another reason I don't use valet :-)

[SkiDooNick700]

My girlfriend doesn't care for valet, and neither do I. I think I found a keeper. :-)

 

I do not have any crazy valet stories. I was "stuck" valet parking my previous truck a couple times and all went well.

[heavyclay]

Don't get me wrong I don't like valet either. . . but mostly because i think its pointless. I'm not paying someone to park my car unless there's no other reasonable option. I have two legs and I'm perfectly capable of walking.

[Rambunctious]

Soooo... You're fortunate enough to buy a nice truck, but mock the salary of someone who can't when you get upset? And then ask that he lose his livelihood because he didn't disengage your parking break/ wasn't nice when you were yelling at him?

 

Clearly there are some issues for that valet company to resolve, but after reading your narrative, I think the bigger problem is you and the way you handled the issue.

[ember1205]

You complained to the wrong person.

 

Valet services are NOT operated by the hospitals. You need to pursue the issue with the hospital administration because THEY are the ones that are responsible for maintaining the contract with the company that provides the valet services. You griping at someone that works for the valet company will generally fall on deaf ears. But, when the hospital invokes clauses in their contract based on customer issues with the vendor that result in the valet company having to give up money to the hospital, it will be heard much more loudly by the valet company.

[sahls01gmc]

2 things:

 

 

- DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE DRIVE YOUR TRUCK

 

- DON'T INSULT SOMEONE'S INTELLIGENCE/SALARY. You don't know what they got going on in their life.

 

 

Why didn't you just park the truck yourself in the first place? Don't take this the wrong way....are your legs broke?

[NitroCherokee]

One of those "I spent $50,000 on a truck so I am better than you" people. Who in the hell pulls into Valet and sets the parking brake on a automatic trans vehicle anyway? Poor kid probably had no idea it was on. I know if I was that kids manager I would have told you whatever it took to get you to go away, then carried on with my day

 

 

Hope your mom is OK

[dwm42a]

I was a valet in college and was one of the only employees with a valid drivers liscense. Parked cars at a lot of high end restaraunts and clubs. Saw a lot of terrible things happen to customers cars with them never knowing. Because of this I will never valet park my car and always tell everyone I know, to stay away from the valet stand! Just my $.02

[heavyclay]

I was a valet in college and was one of the only employees with a valid drivers liscense. Parked cars at a lot of high end restaraunts and clubs. Saw a lot of terrible things happen to customers cars with them never knowing. Because of this I will never valet park my car and always tell everyone I know, to stay away from the valet stand! Just my $.02

I valet for a number of summers as part time evening work to supplement income when I was in single and living on my own.

Served many different venues and 9 out of 10 times the car was $50,000+. wasn't uncommon to get $100,000+ cars either. Never heard of anyone being disrespectful to someones car or intentional abusing it while I was employed with the company.

[austingta]

I like valet and use it as often as I can. The OP's whole attitude about service people is the opposite of mine.