Valet Parking Supplies That Make Your Business More Efficient
The valet business is all about convenience and fitting the maximum amount of vehicles into a limited parking area. When you have the right equipment, operating your business can be quicker, easier and safer – improving your image while protecting people and property from the chance of being involved in an accident. Every location has its own specific needs, so we are looking at some common items that you might consider using. Traffic volume also can have an impact on the valet parking supplies that you may choose. Smaller operations can comfortably use items that have less capacity without affecting performance. Larger operations need to ensure plenty of room to work, with several people accessing equipment at the same time.
Fixed Valet Podiums
These items are the centerpiece of the valet business where customers come to drop off and pick up their vehicle. It is always important to balance form and function, as no one wants to have an unattractive valet podium. However, a great looking podium that makes your customers and valets’ life more difficult is not a wise choice either. Location can be a prime determining factor because podiums that are situated outside need to be able to withstand the weather – including wind, rain and sunshine. This requires much more robust materials that will not deteriorate, so that the podium will still look professional for many years. A podium in a protected area can be less robust which also means that they are less expensive. It may be tempting to save some money but they will deteriorate very quickly requiring replacement after as little as a few months.
Mobile Valet Podiums
A great way to be able to change locations at the same site or for a multi site valet business is a mobile podium. They come in a range of sizes with many of the larger styles using a modular design to make moving the easier. There are different styles of wheels available that are suitable for flat smooth surfaces while others can make moving the podium on rougher surfaces easier. A mobile podium needs to be strong enough to be constantly moved yet light enough that being moved and transported is still easy to accomplish. This increases their price compared to a fixed podiums but the extra functionality is well worth the slight premium that must be paid.
Valet Key Boxes
The heart of any valet service is a safe and secure place where vehicle keys can be stored. It is vital to have adequate storage space for even the busiest occasions, because even a single misplaced key can cause havoc to your business. While almost every key box has some sort of locking mechanism, there is no point in having a flimsy lock that will quickly become difficult to use. It is likely that it will quickly fall into disuse negating the security aspect. A robust, professional mechanism that works smoothly and quickly will ensure that everyone keeps it locked and that no one is delayed when putting away or retrieving keys. This will increase the cost, but it is money well spent that will ensure your business operates at peak efficiency. Key boxes come in many different styles with models available that are designed to be fixed to a wall, free standing and with wheels that allows them to be moved easily. There are some models designed to be used outdoors while most are designed for use in a protected area.
Valet Signs
Signage is an important class of valet parking supplies that can help customers locate your service and help them know where to go. There is a huge range of different sign styles available, including generic signs that can identify the valet service and where to stop. If you need signs that are easily seen at night then there are options including reflective signs that uses the vehicles headlights to make them stand out in even the darkest locations. Lighting can be used to make a standard sign readable at night or a light box style sign can be used to make sure that it is easily seen at night.
Valet Ticketing Systems
Tickets are a low cost way to make sure that the right system is used by everyone that is part of your valet service. That can be an easy way to incorporate the account side of the valet service with a secure identification system. Pre printed numbered ticket are an easy and low cost way to ensure that the customer gets a claim ticket, the car has an easy to identify number making retrieval simple and the keys have a matching number ticket section with them. They can have virtually anything you want printed on them and come in single and multi section designs that usually have perforated tear off sections. Common items incorporated into ticket designs include advertising for the valet service and third parties, vehicle damage diagrams and legal disclaimers.
Traffic Control and Safety
The need to control traffic flows and parking spaces in an easy to identify and safe manner makes these valet parking supplies vital to your business. There are a huge range of items that may be useful to your business and they are a relatively inexpensive way to ensure your employees and customers remain safe when dealing with traffic and moving vehicles. Items such as traffic cones can be used to guide customers to the podium area and also can help to limit access to the valet parking area, ensuring that non valet customers do not inadvertently park in the wrong area. Flashlights and colored wands are excellent items to signal people controlling vehicles at night, and can also make it easier for staff to locate vehicles at night. Caution tape is a fast and inexpensive way to block off an area, so that it is kept clear of vehicles. A single person can quickly cover large areas and the light and highly visible tape will not damage items it is attached to or any vehicle it comes into contact with. Cleanup is easy with the tape simply pulled down and thrown in the nearest trash receptacle.