How Valet Can Take Back the Night, and Day
Are Uber and Lyft driving down your profits? Well, you’re not alone. Industry giant Ace Parking told the San Diego Union-Tribune that, in the current battle of valet vs. rideshare, rideshare competitors are cutting into the parking business with as much as 50% less traffic at nightclubs and a 25% drop at restaurant valets. We believe parking services can come out on top with partnerships, smart marketing strategies and tech tools!
Reasons for Your Customers to Drive Instead of Rideshare
First of all, the truth about valet vs. rideshare is, ridesharing is not always the cheapest or most convenient option. Additionally, customers with a service animal or those who want to visit a pet-friendly place may find themselves in a predicament if their Uber or Lyft driver arrives and refuses to transport their pet. Lastly, for people heading to mall, there’s no guarantee a rideshare vehicle will have room for all their purchases.
Driving is Good for the Neighborhood
Digital parking management via pay-ahead parking websites, parking locator apps, and space-saving automated garages, enables more sustainable parking and valet services. This takes up less valuable real estate and makes room for denser, more walkable neighborhoods. It also eliminates the wasted time and emissions that come from circling for a spot and better utilizes parking inventory, improving profits and reducing the need for parking expansion. Plus, says Mark Lawrence, CEO of parking app SpotHero, “lots of people say, well, autonomous cars will simply drop us off then go to the outskirts and wait. Where is that? How will, say, two million vehicles go to the edge of Los Angeles, and then come back to where they’re needed?” Idling Ubers and Lyfts only add to traffic congestion and toxic emissions.
Dependability, Freedom, & Four-Wheeled Zen
Dependability, freedom, privacy . . . aren’t these the main reasons we love cars, and driving them? But what happens to these vehicular virtues when we switch to rideshare? How dependable are rideshares when people are late for a meeting and there are no drivers available? Plus, how can someone stick to a transportation budget when rideshare companies can add surge pricing to their trips, whenever they like? And what about freedom? Road trips. A spontaneous journey to surprise a long-distance love a state away? All at a moment’s notice or with little planning. Lyft has a maximum range of 60 miles. Though Uber technically doesn’t have a trip limit, it does require passengers to “notify the driver” of a long drive, and hope they’re willing to go the distance. Then there’s the four-wheeled zen of being on the open road and blasting a favorite playlist. Or the ability to zone out on a drive and not engage with a chatty Uber driver. Andintimate conversations? There’s no way anyone can have a heart to heart with their husband, or even call in a pharmacy prescription without a driver hearing every personal detail.
Why wouldn’t everyone pick driving over rideshare if they didn’t have to worry about parking?
Smarter Parking
If you own a parking lot or garage, you can now park smarter, thanks to the latest 21st-century tech advances. Parking expert Casey Wagner, who hosts a National Parking Association webinar, says that, in valet vs. rideshare, parking and valet chains are competing by offering “parking reservations, parking on demand” and smart parking apps. Ace Parking’s leadership envisions a parking website that displays the locations of available spots, plus prices. Drivers would pay online and scan their cell phone when arriving at the garage. Somerville, Massachusetts is working with Audi and the Federal Realty Investment Trust on a garage design that stores cars in a tight grid instead of rows with space for humans to maneuver. Mercedes-Benz and Bosch also have a trial smart parking garage in Germany. Museum guests leave their vehicles at a drop-off area and send them off to park using a smartphone app. Technology in the garage and car will get the vehicle to a designated spot. When visitors are ready to leave, they summon the car to a pick-up area using the app. Take advantage of this tech and University of Toronto study predicts the capacity of parking lots and garages could increase by 62%.
Give Your Business a Lift, With the Perfect Podium
So now that you know all the reasons parking services win in valet vs. rideshare, don’t keep it to yourself! Devise a marketing campaign that lets customers know why you offer a better alternative to rideshare. Once you’ve come up with that campaign, we know a great place to promote it—on your valet podiums.
Let customers know the name of your website, app, contact info, or the locations of your garages and valet services by investing in a Custom Deluxe podium from the experts at The Valet Spot. It features brand-able panels that allow you to add custom graphics and signage. Have your valet or parking manager contact us today to learn more!