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    Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    The other day I went for a nice dinner with valet services, in the front they had 2 spots, there was a M5 and a M6 when I arrived in the Turbo. Immediately BOTH cars were moved to make room for my car. The boys do not know me and I have yet to tip them. By the time I am done for dinner there was a Z06 next to my car and the bimmers were way out in the back.

    Being the curious george that I am, I asked the boys why and how they decide what to put in front. I was told common sense dictates what gets put in front, the bimmers were good for place holders, but once the upper tier cars come in they are gone in no time. And I asked about the vette and they were like are you crazy, it's a vette and of course the bimmmers had to give way.

    One of the boys know the M5, it's highly modified one but they say who cares if it got 1000hp inside, at the end of the day it's still a BMW and which is why they move it to the back.

    I asked them what would it takes to have my car moved, I was told nothing really as the Turbo is THE car to have atm, everything else is at least a year old and hence on top of the feeding order.

    Now it could be because they know I am the owner of the car and hence how they say things but I kinda doubt it.

    Needless to say they got a fat tip from me and more understanding to the feeding order in the real world.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    always listen to the street.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Out of curiosity which restaurant was this? I went to school with a guy who worked as a valet in vancouver at the time (and probably still does). From the stories I hear you are lucky you got your car parked out front. apparently this guy from school took a customer's 996TT out around the old indy track topping 200km/hr in the city!!!

    I'm driving a VW gti right now. the ecu reprogram i got has a "valet" mode which basically detunes my car to nothing. If i got my car parked i'd definately use that feature.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    The valet service at sutton place, I was there for the chocolate buffet :P

    I hear the stories too about valets taking cars for joyrides, but then again the dealership people might do the same too while the car was in their care and the extra miles they piled on can be reasoned as test drive miles......

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    997TT holds its own vs 430/599/65 at valet pkg from what I've seen....

    But suspect that, at any of the more competitive valet pkg spots, i.e., elite fin dt office bldgs, restaurants and motor courts of FourSeasHotels/FS-caliber hotels, the crowd incls many regulars whom the valets know well....and amt spent on tips is often the real tie-breaker at any place w/generous "regulars" and/or several "big dog" new F/997TT/65 competing for lim trophy, up-front pkg spots......

    For ex, earlier this wk @FS SF, on one eve, there were three 997TTs in a congested motor court...valets moved the 997TT w/o PCCB down to garage....jaded valets seem to know only 25% of 430s in US have CCM (maybe 50% in SF)...and only ?10-20% of 997TT seem to have PCCB.....

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    lol, now they go by brakes too

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    that's ridiculous if you ask me. I bet those valet boys just want to play with the cars. And if they recieved the order from the manager to do just that, the guy is a complete moron. The more they move the cars, the greater the risk to get it back with a scratch, not to mention that I wouldn't want the valet boy to move my M6 or M5 like 3 times in 2 hours just for his own amusement.

    I'm sure there are some snobs out there who won't eat at a restaurent if there are no porsches or ferraris in front of the damn building, but in reality it doesn't tell you anything about the restaurent itself.

    Sorry if my comments are felt to be harsh by some of you but that's what I think. And it's common sense.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    I'm one of the folks that's AGAINST the use of valet services. I'd rather walk a few blocks away than get that coveted "premium" spot out front. Haven't you guys ever seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    No valet for my baby. If I can't park it, i'll take a diferent vehicle.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Great thread. I dont like to valet, but Ive been to restaurants where you dont have much of a choice. At my favorite here in Atlanta (Chops), I've tried to get to know the valets, through a combination of $10 tips and just trying to remember their names, in hopes that they can at least park my beasty SUV close enough to keep an eye on it, and avoid door dings, etc. Lets hope they dont expect a raise to $20 for my new turbo ....

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    totally agree about avoiding the valets, i've always cringed when there are no alternatives i.e. brown palace in denver, where the underground garage has a porsche unfriendly brake- over angle at the street....i wonder how much the tt plastic front apron runs...their gonna be selling a bunch.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    I was late to a very early morning flight to DC (6am) and flew over the Courtney Cambell Causeway from Clearwater to the Tampa Airport. Didn't have time to park my 97 993C2, so I used the airport valet for the first time. As I jumped from the car he asked when I would return and I told him (without thinking) in 2 days. I just made in on the plane as they were closing the doors and as we took off my collegues said, "hey there goes a red Porsche like a bat out of hell, is that yours??" I'll never know, but they all got a big laugh and I was worried the entire trip. When I got back the car was fine but I don't keep track of miles. I'm traveling to DC next week but not leaving my 997TT at the airport, I'll go over in my 993C2 since she's been reduced to a backup now.

    Mike

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    roadtrip,

    Just slightly scaped mine (front apron) on the parking bricks. It's under the lip so you can't see it. My 993C2 is lowered so I'm used to being careful but the 997TT is longer in the snout by a few inches.

    Mike

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    In Los Angeles where you pretty much have to valet everywhere, it is a giant pain. Nice cars are everywhere so it takes A LOT to get special attention. So door dings, wheel scrapes et al just "shop up" when washing my M3. I think I will be parking my TT myself a lot more.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Quote:
    mawyatt said:
    roadtrip,

    Just slightly scaped mine (front apron) on the parking bricks. It's under the lip so you can't see it. My 993C2 is lowered so I'm used to being careful but the 997TT is longer in the snout by a few inches.

    Mike



    I think it is going to take great care not to scrape the lower apron, it is very low. I find myself literally crawling up and down certain entrances to avoid this.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    I had the same problem with my 993 but fortunately in the case of 997tt the apron can be replaced as new for around $150. This seems like a sound engineering solution so as to maintain a sufficiently low ground clearence.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    speaking from experience as a valet (worked through college at a valet where high-end cars regularly showed up) : the one single reason valets leave cars close is for the tip $$$. They're not there for their health!

    When a new car like the 997 turbo shows up for the first time, we'd park it close and ooh and ahh over it, but if the owner is arrogant or doesn't tip it'd get parked next to the Saturns and Chevy's on subsequent visits, at which point the owner gets mad and doesn't understand why an inferior car is parked where their car "deserves" to be

    I always wished I could explain this to customers, but probably would have gotten into hot water

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    I've found that a little up front discussion with he who runs/managed the valets is the secret to the entire issue. As a result my car always winds up in the best spot where they can watch it at all times,--just a little palm greasing up front for the valet manager.

    Dan

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    997TT holds its own vs 430/599/65 at valet pkg from what I've seen....

    But suspect that, at any of the more competitive valet pkg spots, i.e., elite fin dt office bldgs, restaurants and motor courts of FourSeasHotels/FS-caliber hotels, the crowd incls many regulars whom the valets know well....and amt spent on tips is often the real tie-breaker at any place w/generous "regulars" and/or several "big dog" new F/997TT/65 competing for lim trophy, up-front pkg spots......

    For ex, earlier this wk @FS SF, on one eve, there were three 997TTs in a congested motor court...valets moved the 997TT w/o PCCB down to garage....jaded valets seem to know only 25% of 430s in US have CCM (maybe 50% in SF)...and only ?10-20% of 997TT seem to have PCCB.....


    I am sorry vksf but this post is gibberish, why can't you type out full words like the rest of us. Endless strange abreviations are irritating. No offense.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    I was valet in Texas, we had a file for bimmers and one for benzes and jags, all in the front. Seldom Porsches would get special parking or we would move the bimmers aside. Everything else went into the structure building. V12 jags and vettes would get our special donut show and power brake inside the structure's flat concrete floor. Porsche would get the special test drive in the back of the structure. Tippers always got special treatment, non tippers would see their cars fly up and down the structure passing over speed bumps at special 30 mph where most damage is done.

    This is how its done...

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Quote:
    trip said:
    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    997TT holds its own vs 430/599/65 at valet pkg from what I've seen....


    Will attempt to translate for you:


    But suspect that, at any of the more competitive valet parking spots, which is, elite financial downtown office buildings, restaurants and motor courts of Four Seasons Hotels/and Four Seasons-caliber hotels, the crowd includes many regulars whom the valets know well....and the amount spent on tips is often the real tie-breaker at any place with generous "regulars" and/or several "big dog" new Ferrari/Porsche 997TT/65 competing for limited trophy space, up-front parking spots......

    For example, earlier this week at the Four Season Hotel in San Francisco, on one evening, there were three 997TTs in a congested motor court...valets moved the 997TT w/o ceramic brakes down to garage....jaded valets seem to know only 25% of 430s in US have ceramic brakes (maybe 50% in SF)...and only 10-20% of 997TT seem to have ceramic brakes


    Dan

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Quote:
    Frissen said:
    I was valet in Texas, we had a file for bimmers and one for benzes and jags, all in the front. Seldom Porsches would get special parking or we would move the bimmers aside. Everything else went into the structure building. V12 jags and vettes would get our special donut show and power brake inside the structure's flat concrete floor. Porsche would get the special test drive in the back of the structure. Tippers always got special treatment, non tippers would see their cars fly up and down the structure passing over speed bumps at special 30 mph where most damage is done.

    This is how its done... {image removed}



    And you think it's funny? That only defines the low-level character of a valet, one you confessed to have been and so acted. Pathetic and irresponsible.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Quote:
    ADias said:
    Quote:
    Frissen said:
    I was valet in Texas, we had a file for bimmers and one for benzes and jags, all in the front. Seldom Porsches would get special parking or we would move the bimmers aside. Everything else went into the structure building. V12 jags and vettes would get our special donut show and power brake inside the structure's flat concrete floor. Porsche would get the special test drive in the back of the structure. Tippers always got special treatment, non tippers would see their cars fly up and down the structure passing over speed bumps at special 30 mph where most damage is done.

    This is how its done... {image removed}



    And you think it's funny? That only defines the low-level character of a valet, one you confessed to have been and so acted. Pathetic and irresponsible.




    What exactly do you expect from them? If they got such job in the first place, that means they don't have such cars in their garage, that's if they have a garage at all. Most are college students or guys who never made it and never will have the money to buy a such cars. In addition to that, there's the "group effect" : usually, there are more than 1 valet, and all they've got in common is the cars they've driven. The one who has the best story wins the pot (you have to read the one who did the worst in the most expensive car wins the pot)

    ...and you don't have to go to college to understand that.

    If you can't park the car yourself, don't take the porsche. just my 2 cents. Peronaly, I'd rather walk a block than hand over the keys of my "cheap" Audi A3 diesel.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Soulds like valet parking 101. Tell the customer thier car is the best and you will get a nice tip. I use to valet cars back in the day and I parked them based on tips. You could drive up in a rust bucket but if you where a regular who tipped heavy, your car got special treatment in my book.

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Okay, I have waited on the sidelines on this one until now...but I feel that I should share with you some of my Valet experiences.

    I worked in the gaming business in Las Vegas for many years and the Valet Dept was one of the departments that I oversaw at prominient Las Vegas Strip Hotels (that shall remain unnamed). All I can tell you is that based on my experiences, I only park my car in Valet as a last resort. On many occasions I have sat with the owners of exotic cars and employees to discuss cars that were crashed, dinged, scraped and even totalled. Ultimately, to reduce the about of abuses, we had to install radar detectors with cameras throughout the very large valet garages that we had. If the valets exceeded 35 miles per hour in one of the tunnels we took their pictures and issued suspensions and terminations. I have witnessed Valets driving over very aggresive speed bumps at 45-50 mph. We finally decided to install cameras at the entrances and exits of the valet parking garages to photograph a 360 view of each car as the gate opened, to assist us in either disputing or acknowledging damage claims made by the patrons. In addition, there were a significant number of claims involving articles taken from cars including sunglasses, phones, blackberry's, laptops, etc.

    I have to admit that I am somewhat biased against valets because at one hotel that I worked at several years ago, a valet that I knew and worked with, parked my car one day and took my drivers license number (which in those days was my social security number). He went to a local Toyota dealer, said he was me, and purchased a car under my name using my credit. Had he made his payments he would probably not have been caught for sometime.

    To be fair, there are many honorable people out there who park cars in small operations that do a great job and treat the cars like there own. But there are also the others that powerslide through the garage at break-neck speeds to show off.

    My advice.... if you can park it yourself where it will be safe, do yourself a favor.....

    I apologize in advance for being such a buzz killer!

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Guy's it is all about money. I have a simple policy. When I pull up to a valet I tell him to get into the car and tell me where to park the car. I also have a ten dollar bill in my hand. If there is a place in front (often he makes room) I usually get it. If not, then he and I drive to a spot which I must approve. I keep the key. NO EXCEPTIONS!

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Nick, that is a great recommendation!!!

    Re: Your local valet service might be the best judge of cars

    Nick, I like that recommendation too! Thumbs up to you too!

     
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