Your primary responsibility as a valet is to make sure that a car owner’s automobile is parked properly and recovered when needed. You might also take a position in front of a place of business and assist visitors with their luggage as needed. If you want to work as a valet, you must have good etiquette and provide quick service. The valet job is an interesting job for a lot of people and also not interesting to a lot of people.
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Job Description
Depending on the time of day, the mood of the customers, and the state of the vehicles brought in, a valet’s duty might be frantic or laid-back. The day shifts are the most sought-after, but night hours are regarded as less desirable, just like any other hourly service employment.
You’ll probably greet customers as they enter a place of business and direct them to the designated parking spaces on a regular day. You will also make sure that all vehicle documentation is accurate to facilitate retrieval, including essential storage locations, claim numbers, and tag information. Another crucial component of the job is working with security professionals to coordinate the reporting of accidents and the promotion of a secure parking area. Valets are supposed to efficiently direct emergency vehicles and manage traffic in emergency circumstances.
Duties
With an emphasis on offering effective service and memorable experiences, valets have a range of tasks to complete efficiently, including the following:
- Be courteous when greeting new and leaving customers, and give them excellent service.
- Take customer-provided numbered tags, find guest automobiles, and deliver them, or give customers directions for quickly and safely locating vehicles.
- Drive and park assignments in accordance with departmental policies and guidelines.
- Follow protocols and report an suspicious activity
- Occasionally deal with basic vehicle maintenance issues such as changing tires and oil, checking tire pressure, and replacing flats.
Typical hours and the work schedule
Those who want to be valet should be prepared to work in all kinds of weather and for long stretches of time during the week and on the weekends. The majority of valet positions provide flexible hours, making them an ideal choice for students looking for part-time employment.
Job Growth
A customer interacts with a valet both at the beginning and end of their interaction with a business. Since 2004, the outlook for valet jobs has been very favorable overall. Parking lot attendants and valets will continue to be in demand in the future. Gaining work experience in the automotive industry, office cleaning, industrial cleaning, or dry cleaning might help you adjust to the demands of a valet’s position.
For this type of work, wages aren’t very high, and the benefits that are offered vary by employer, experience level, area, and other considerations. Since a significant portion of an employee’s salary comes from tips, success depends on delivering obliging and competent service. Your income may increase as a result of shift payments and overtime work.
Common Employers
Valets typically operate in parking lots at a variety of establishments, including shops, hotels, restaurants, and sports stadiums. A large portion of the job involves working outdoors; you can find yourself in garages, workshops, or on customers’ property. Automobile dealers, rental and leasing companies for automotive equipment, lodging providers, and event organizers are additional industries that use valet workers.
Getting Started as a Valet
You require a high school diploma or the GED equivalent to be employed as a valet. Additionally necessary is a spotless driving record free of DUIs or dangerous driving offenses. The only prerequisites for working as a valet are a valid driver’s license and be at least 21 years old. There are no further special educational qualifications. Valets should have a meticulous attitude, keen attention to detail, and excellent customer service abilities.
Services for valet parking may have erratic hours. You must be able to operate both automatic and manual transmissions in order to work as a valet. It takes exceptional eyesight and hand/eye coordination to be a great driver and be able to make fast bends. Calculation errors may result in thousands of dollars in losses. Most valets learn their trade through doing.
Short-term training programs of two months are offered for the majority of valet positions. Being able to tolerate crowds, smoke, and noise of varying intensities—the severity of which depends on customer volume—is essential for success as a valet. You can be required to adhere to appropriate grooming standards and wear a uniform during working hours, if necessary.
Data on Valet Salary
The editorial material and recommendations on this page are based on our research, while the income and growth information is based on the latest data revealed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics information. The average national salary for this job is $22,520 and the average hourly wage is $11.
How much money does a Valet make compared to other Jobs?
According to the most recent data on employment across the country, valets can earn an average yearly pay of $22,520, or $11 per hour. It is therefore a salary above average. On the low end, individuals can earn $18,870 or $9 an hour, possibly when they are just starting out or depending on the state they reside in.
How has the growth of the Valet Job compared to other Jobs?
For a total of 141,300 people employed in the career nationwide by 2024, 5,700 employment will change. This represents a 4.2% change in growth over the following 10 years, giving the career a below-average growth rate nationally.
