Your restaurant has delicious food, a steady stream of regulars and is in an excellent location. However, the lack of parking around your restaurant is keeping you from expanding your customer base. Moving your restaurant is not an option. So what do you do?
Many restaurant owners just like yourself hire a valet service. A team of qualified and professional drivers greeting your patrons as they arrive can open up abundant possibilities for growth and providing a more customer-oriented experience. According to the National Parking Association, around 61% of Americans utilize valet services. While only 27% of Americans report saying they have never used valet parking.
Since most Americans see the value in valet, implementing it at your restaurant can only help sales. If you’re not sure what a valet service can do for you, here are the five big benefits a valet service provides.
Valet Makes Things Easy
People go to restaurants for a brief reprieve from the day-to-day chaos of life. The last thing they want to worry about is finding a parking spot in a new neighborhood or parking illegally. Offering valet puts the worry out of mind. Having a trusted group of professional valets who know the lay of the land gives potential patrons the added incentive of not having to deal with the hassle of parking in a strange new place.
Having a delicious meal, a pleasant prior experience and being treated with the best possible customer service are all leading factors that strongly influence restaurant choice. Giving your patrons the added convenience of valet will definitely add to the experience of visiting your restaurant. Offering valet turns first-time customers into regular ones.
Valet Keeps Things Safe
Potential diners are also more likely to pick your restaurant if they feel their property will be safe while they enjoy your delicious food. An unattended car is vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and accidents. A valet at your restaurant adds an extra layer of protection and security, which allows your patrons to relax and stay longer.
Parking in well-traveled, well-lit and open areas are the best for deterring thieves as the chances are higher they’ll be seen in the act. A team of valet drivers will know the best spots to park your patron’s cars so they are safe.
Valet Keeps Things Classy
Seeing that a restaurant has valet instills a sense of importance, exclusivity and an upscale environment in most people. Valet has the remarkable ability to present a picture of wealth and sophistication. This association will help your restaurant gain a high-class reputation, causing a buzz around your restaurant and attracting a more affluent crowd. Valet services will set your restaurant apart from local competitors.
After bringing on a team of valet drivers you might start to see more luxury and sports cars in your parking lot. These patrons are trusting you to handle their expensive cars with care. Valet drivers receive extensive training on how to handle these high-performing cars.
Valet Warms Even When It’s Cold
Being attended to from the moment they arrive makes your guests feel valued and appreciated, which will keep them coming back. A pleasant smile greeting them as they get out of their car at the entrance and a pleasant goodbye once they leave will do wonders to how the customer service is perceived at your restaurant. This sets the tone at the very beginning that your guests will be well taken care of and puts them in the right frame of mind to enjoy the entire dining experience at your restaurant.
You might already have someone in the position of ‘greeter’ or ‘host or hostess’ at your restaurant. But imagine if your patrons were greeted twice before they even sat down at their table? Seeing a smiling, well-groomed valet as they pull up will go a long way toward bringing them back next time.
Valet Helps Everything Run Smoothly
In an urban environment where cars pile up when there is a concert, sporting event or political rally, nothing kills the motivation to eat out at your restaurant like the prospect of sitting in traffic just to get there or leave. Your restaurant can be a part of the solution by offering valet services. Parking experts ease the flow of traffic with a savvy knowledge of the area and cones, radios and parking plans. This helps cars keep moving during rush hour and events.
When making the parking plan for your restaurant, the valet experts will assess how traffic moves at the busiest times for your restaurant and the city.
What are the next steps?
Are you convinced you want to hire a valet service for your restaurant, but aren’t sure how the process works? Once you have decided on the company you will go with, they start by asking some questions regarding the parking options in the area, the size of your restaurant and what you hope to achieve by hiring valet. Then they may do an on-site inspection to get a better feel. They will draft a parking plan with all of the details, including staff needed, pricing and more. Once that’s agreed upon, you will have valet service at your restaurant!
Do your future customers a favor and invest in valet parking. Valet service will boost your restaurant’s reputation and lets your customers know their comfort and experience is being put first.
