Bring out the best in your Valet Staff through skills training! Click To TweetIn our modern day society patience is a rare virtue. Everything needs to happen fast and now, and the hotel industry needs to play into this in any way they can. A simple yet greatly effective way of making your customers feel special, and saving them lots of time, is offering valet parking. But to make this a smooth sailing operation, it is vital that your valet staff is trained well, and trained regularly.
So how can a well-trained valet staff contribute to your guests’ overall hotel experience?
The importance of a hotel valet
Valet staff offers your hotel guests an instant level of high service before they even step foot in the hotel. Valet parking takes the annoyance away from having to look for parking in a place that the customers are probably not familiar with. Nor do they have to queue to wait for parking or walk a long way from their parking space to the hotel. Now they can simply leave the car with the valet and walk directly into the hotel for that sterling service the moment they arrive.
The standards a hotel valet should follow
Having good Valet Service in place means that the organisation must be on point. Without smooth running schedules, a valet service can quickly turn into a disaster where customers actually end up waiting longer than if they were to park themselves!
The right amount of staff
Making sure the right amount of valet staff is present is vital. Not having enough valets there will result in waiting times for customers – which is exactly what you are trying to take away by offering valet services. However having too many valet staff on shift will be costly, and can also create confusion in task divisions.
Right way of parking
Retrieving a vehicle when a customer is leaving the hotel is much more time-pressured than when the are arriving. When a customer leaves he does not want to have to wait on the steps of the hotel for long periods of time until the valet has located the car and driven it out. Therefore when the valet parks the car, he should always reverse in (where possible) so that it can be very swiftly pulled out when the client is waiting upon return.
Anticipation ahead
Following from the above, make sure there is a system in place knowing when customers have arrived and when they will leave again. In the evening, make an overview of all the guests you know will be leaving the next day and make sure those cars are lined up and ready to go at the front.
Check for damage
When accepting a car, the valet should do a damage check and note down any damage inside and outside of the vehicle. This should be recorded on official documents and verbally confirmed to the guest to avoid any confusion at pickup. If there is a great rush and no time to do this when taking the car from the guest, the valet should still do this procedure after having parked the car.
When returning a car
When the valet has parked the car it is vital to always switch off all lights, turn off the ignition and take the keys out. Then the valet should step out of the car and wait by the vehicle with the door open until the guest arrives. If appropriate, the valet will help the guest into their seat, verify their ticket for the car and finally hand over the keys.
Hotel Valet Training: what skills will be trained
To make sure the valet team works perfectly in sync and to keep up to date on all skills, regular training is vital. All the training provided by Polo & Tweed is completely tailor made exactly to your situation, team and needs, however the below gives an idea of what kind of skills are needed:
- Social and Cultural Etiquette
- Presentation and Dress Code
- Local Names and Addresses
- The Art of Conversation
- How to Greet, Address and Thank Customers
- Social Confidence and Communication
- Common Sense
- Manners & Consideration for Others
- Problem Solving & Answering Questions
- How to Handle an Angry, Belligerent or Intoxicated Customer
- How to Handle Damage Claims or Requests for Refunds
- Attendance and On-Time Policy
- Guest Arrival and Departure Procedures
- Teamwork
- Hierarchies and Structures
- Dealing with Emergencies
- Health & Safety Awareness
- Paperwork
Polo & Tweed only have the best trainers who are highly experienced industry professionals. If you would like to know more about our trainers, our tailor made Valet Training options or our other hotel training packages, please contact us here and we look forward to helping you further!