Valet parking is the first and last impression you make on your guests; it sets their levels of expectation. The customer’s experience can be immensely elevated with an efficient valet service, and can be easily brought down when faced with a cumbersome one. The difference between the two is determined by competent, professional staff, and the application of smart parking and mobility technology.
As businesses that regularly utilize valet, such as restaurants or hotels, rebound and recover from a drought borne from COVID-19, their attention is split across many focuses. Restaurants have to contend with lingering safety protocols while preparing for increased occupancy. The same goes for hotels, which must adhere to equally high, or even higher, operational standards. Across these industries, valet service remains a crucial pillar that businesses rely on to create memorable experiences. However, it can also be an added cost that they might not be prepared to make a priority just yet.
As part of our suite of offerings for those on the road to recovery, FLASH Valet Free is a technology solution that manages all aspects of your valet—including queuing, rotating, and payments—at no cost to you.
This is where our Free Valet solution comes in. We recognize the importance of valet while also understanding the current constraints that businesses face. As part of our suite of offerings for those on the road to recovery, Free Valet is a technology solution that manages all aspects of your valet—including queuing, rotating, and payments—at no cost to you.
Yes, it’s true. And, no, there is no catch! Read below to learn how it works, and then schedule a time to chat with our team about how you can get on board.
What’s Free Valet and How Does it Work?
The free version of our valet solution was developed from our desire to play our part in the industry’s recovery from the pandemic. For businesses that rely on it to operate, valet can present an additional challenge on the list of steps to get back to “normal.” Our standard valet package for higher volume locations comes with a monthly fee. But for smaller operations, the free version of our valet offering is a great option that doesn’t cost anything.
The free version operates similarly as any valet service does for the customer—with the added benefit of being digital. A guest checks in with their mobile number and receives a “welcome” text. When it’s time to leave, the guest simply replies to the “welcome” text with a request for their vehicle and is able to complete their transaction from the phone—including tip! The vehicle is then returned via the valet driver, and the guest will receive a text when the car is ready. Businesses can also opt to include a survey for guests to rate their experience, which may help provide valuable feedback.
The service operates based on insights from the pandemic showing that customers are willing to pay higher convenience fees for premium service. This takes the form of delivery fees within a favorite app, or higher fees in rideshare. Our free valet solution follows a similar model—the cost of small convenience fees are added to the service prices, contributing to revenue generation for your valet operation.
Why Make it Free?
Many small-to-medium-sized businesses are thinking, “I can’t afford this,” and/or, “My business is too small.” We want to deliver the deep impact that good valet technology can have on a business of any scale and elevate the customer experience. So, we decided to develop a model that allows us to give businesses a leg up in recovering from the past year.
Similar to technology providers like Square, our valet solution gives you the platform to excel. The free version is just one of our many parking and mobility offerings and presents itself as a risk-free first step towards a future-ready operation.
How Free Valet Can Support Your Road to Recovery
Your road back to normalcy contains many forks and turns as you need to ensure every aspect of your business is up to par. As valet is a first and last impression for your customers, it takes a key position on that road, and our free valet solution can help in some crucial ways.
No long-term commitments are needed to start using the service. It’s completely free and up to you to decide how long to use it; you only need an iPhone or iPad to get started. You’ll also be able to take advantage of the service’s ability for easy damage cataloguing. Dealing with people’s cars can be a risky, personal business. With our valet program, you can record any pre-existing damage you find to help you with any claims from customers. This will help avoid any huge costs while you’re focusing on the rest of your business.
Cashless digital payments have become the norm during COVID-19, and will continue to trend upwards. According to payment processor Square, “74% of U.S. Square sellers were accepting contactless payments by the end of February 2021, up from 64% a year ago.” Therefore, it would benefit any parking operation to offer contactless payments as well. All of our valet offerings allow customers to pay through their phone, adding to a frictionless experience. What’s more, Google and Apple Pay will be introduced in the coming months, allowing more ways to transact without cash.
Measuring performance and optimizing based on the results is a benefit that any good valet software should provide. This data is invaluable to understanding how to orient your service for maximum efficiency. Users of our free valet solution will have access to data from their operations without having to spend a large amount of money.
You’ll be able to understand information such as peak performance times, allowing you to ensure you’re using your staff when you need it, and not overusing resources. This will help with a struggle that some businesses currently face: having the right amount of staff. It can be tough to have good workers during recovery. Technology with good data will help offset this risk by permitting you to do more with less.
A no-cost valet solution means you don’t have to fall behind compared to other businesses.
Staying competitive can be a challenge when the pandemic has siphoned money from your accounts. A no-cost valet solution means you don’t have to fall behind compared to other businesses. As recovery moves forward, those who aren’t able to match the needs of their community will be delayed. Our valet solves this by granting companies the ability to play with relatively even odds and give the same service as others—a service like valet signals that you’re back in action.
It also allows businesses that haven’t had valet before to enter the space by giving them the chance to try something new within their communities and become competitive. You’re no longer hindered by the cost of adopting new technology, and can use Free Valet as a test to determine if it’s something you want to become a core offering.
The Road to Recovery Begins With Small Steps
Recovery is a strategy—no different from any other that’s decided upon by a business. It requires careful consideration and coordination between all facets—including parking and mobility. The free version of FLASH’s valet solution is a tool to elevate the customer parking experience at no cost.
Learn how to use our free valet for your business by speaking to a member of our team. Request a demo here.
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