"There's an app for that" has simply gone too far. Hospitality requires human interaction, but today's traveler expects all the modern efficiency that technology has to offer. From booking our room online and using our smartphone to check in, maybe even letting it replace our room key, technology has a place in our toolbox and it won't give it up. That said, there are things that are better handled face to face.
Valet parking is no different. Members of our team here at Doxa were early adopters of text for car. There were some great outcomes, and some not so great outcomes. The lessons we learned helped us carry forward with strategies for incorporating technology into how we play our role without letting the process become automated to the point where the guest no longer feels they are interacting with real people.
We don't suggest creating a stand alone valet application for your property or your brand. If you want to bring music to your guest rooms your don't recreate Spotify, you create a way for your guest to connect their account to your environment. In the same way, apps are on the market that allow your guest to connect with your team without downloading a new app or sharing too much personal information. These are purpose built and constantly evolving to deliver for the property and the guest.
At Doxa, we avoid the temptation to install a scanner to read the barcode on a valet ticket in order to alert the valet team that a guest needs their vehicle. These systems are very efficient, but highly impersonal. In fact, we try hard to eliminate the valet ticket at as many locations as logic allows. We utilize a system which sends the guest a ticket via text and allows them to text us back when they are ready for their vehicle. They can even text us that their child left that all important blanket in the backseat, allowing us to deliver the item they need rather than retrieve the vehicle. When they request the vehicle, our system alerts them that it is on the way, our team can let them know when it is ready, and even alert them that we may need to re-park it if they aren't ready to leave yet.
Our preferred partner also produces daily reports tracking things such as the number of vehicles parked, total revenue, which team members were in each vehicle, and even allows for logging pre-existing damage noted at the time of arrival. Although the system will track the amount of time it takes each valet to park vehicles, we do not suggest over reliance on this data as it may inspire valet attendants to drive in a manner best left out of your operation.
Contact Doxa today to discuss the apps we use and how we can help you bring your customers the technology and efficiency they desire without giving up the person to person contact that allows your team to stand out.
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