If your driving skills are superb and you are great with customer service, consider becoming a valet driver! They are professionals who work in various organizations and directly interact with customers and their vehicles. Understanding how to become a valet driver can help you decide if it’s a promising career.
In this article, we will discuss what a valet driver is, describe how to become one, list their skills, and provide information on their average yearly salary. Let’s get started!
What Is a Valet?
Also referred to as a parking attendant, a valet is responsible for parking and retrieving clients’ or guests’ cars at hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. They often greet guests in a friendly and professional manner at the check-in front of the establishment. Your duties as a valet may include opening car doors, collecting keys, and giving customers their pick-up tickets.
You will need to park vehicles safely and retrieve them when customers return. In addition, you must keep the guests’ keys safe and organized so that it is easy and fast to retrieve their vehicle. Remember to always make a great first impression on your employer’s behalf and ensure the guests get their cars quickly when they leave.
Steps to Become a Valet Driver
1. Education Requirements for Valet Drivers
Generally, a high school diploma is the required education for a valet driver. While some may pursue a bachelor’s degree, it is rare, with about 0.97% of valet drivers having this level of education. When discussing certifications, a Commercial Driver’s License will be required in most cases.
Meanwhile, valet drivers often study Business, Criminal Justice, General Studies, Communication, or Automotive Technology in the case of specific majors. These majors are common among valet drivers, and the top schools for this career are not specified.
2. Start To Develop Specific Valet Driver Skills
Valet drivers are known for their excellent customer service, parking and retrieving cars, and maintaining parking areas’ cleanliness. They must also follow traffic laws, comply with company policies, and help clients/guests with directions and transportation. A valet driver must demonstrate a sincere desire to meet and surpass customer expectations, display a professional appearance, and have good communication skills.
3. Complete Relevant Valet Driver Training And Internships
New valet drivers need skills and techniques to learn for their job. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a valet driver based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real valet driver resumes.
4. Research Valet Driver Duties And Responsibilities
The responsibilities of a valet driver include obeying traffic laws, keeping their work environment clean, and providing extraordinary customer service. They must also anticipate guests’ needs, park and retrieve vehicles and assist with directions or transportation. Furthermore, valet drivers may be responsible for training new drivers, running the valet booth, and keeping the parking areas clean.
5. Park and Retrieve the Client’s Cars
As a valet driver, you must assist guests or patients in/out of the hospital. You must also create and book reservations per day and arrange conferences, meetings, or travel reservations for office personnel.
6. Prepare Your Valet Driver Resume
With a strong background, you can start writing your valet driver resume. Ensure that you include important information that recruiting officers want to see on a resume. Delve online for resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries.
7. Apply For Valet Driver Jobs
Now, you can begin searching for a valet driver job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Check out job boards for relevant postings.
- Keep in touch with your professional network.
- Consult companies that you are interested in working for directly.
Skills for a Valet Driver
Certain skills can help valet drivers secure professional positions and maintain employer and customer satisfaction. Below is a list of skills that valet drivers possess to secure such positions. Scroll down!
Communication Skills
A valet driver must communicate effectively to interact with clients and team members. Such communication with team members may include vehicles’ location or customers requiring help. They can also communicate with clients about retrieving or parking their cars.
Driving Skills
Valet drivers must use their excellent driving skills to maneuver through jammed city streets and valet parking areas in busy restaurants and hotels. This skill also helps valet drivers maneuver cars into tight spaces. Some employers may require them to be able to drive manual and automatic vehicles.
Organization Skills
Good organizational skills will help valet drivers manage and remember important information about their clients’ vehicles. For instance, they can have a written register where they record the car’s location, color, model, and key location. With these skills, they can create effortless customer service experiences and reduce mistakes.
Physical fitness
Valet drivers need to be physically fit to service a wide range of vehicles in various situations and complete other essential duties. For instance, they may have to stand for an extended shift period while waiting for customers to approach them with their cars. In addition, this job involves walking, bending up and down, and lifting customer luggage.
Professionalism
As a valet driver, you must always act professionally. This will help you serve clients and other guests in a professional and pleasant experience. Valet drivers may greet customers positively and treat their vehicles carefully while driving. They must also be friendly towards other team members and show excellent presentation skills in their uniforms.
Average Salary for a Valet Driver
According to Talent.com data, the average salary for valet drivers is $35,907 per year and $16.50 per hour. However, these figures can vary based on the employer, location, experience, and whether it’s a full-time or self-employed individual. In most cases, full-time employees may earn an hourly wage, while self-employed individuals can charge clients for their services at the end of their shift.
Qualities of a Good Valet Driver
A Cool head
Valet drivers often encounter situations when the line is jammed and may feel their anxieties rising. Just like in other industries, an anxious worker is undesirable and can spell disaster, as nerves can mean inattentive driving and costly mistakes. Jobs may often cause stress, but a good valet driver will handle it well.
Versatility
As a valet driver, you don’t get to pick which customer’s car you take to the parking lot. You must be able to quickly and calmly familiarize yourself with any and all types of cars, from stick shifts to diesel trucks.
Dedication
A great valet driver must value their job; as such, they will understand that they hold a unique position, which allows them to make somebody else’s day a little brighter and more accessible. With this understanding, they will be dedicated to and passionate about their job.
Enhanced driving skills
A professional valet driver must have expert skills when navigating a client’s vehicle. You’ll need to be insured, licensed, and able to manage total professionalism when you’re behind the wheel. In addition, they must be on time, greet the clients, and open and close the doors for them professionally and courteously.
High energy
Traditional shifts will also require high energy and a positive attitude. As a valet driver, you need to be available to assist with parking clients’ vehicles, opening and closing their doors, or supporting them if they have any special requests while maintaining a high level of enthusiasm.
Customer service
It is essential always to keep your clients happy and satisfied. The driver must put any stressors from personal life or frustrations aside and stay calm, especially when things are hectic or fast-paced. Excellent customer service implies that a client will get personalized attention from a friendly individual with every interaction. The valet will do everything to meet their needs and ensure they are satisfied with their experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Valet Parking a Good Job?
Valet parking jobs are good opportunities for applicants who like driving but need a post-secondary degree or specialized job training. Many positions provide on-the-job training; therefore, previous experience is optional. It is a lot of fun for individuals who admire different kinds of cars to become valet drivers.
As a valet driver, you’ll be able to drive cars you may never have before, including quite expensive ones! Some jobs may have tricky parking areas or parking lots that are difficult to move through, so after working as a valet for a while, your driving and parking skills should improve quite a bit. A friendly smile and excellent customer service are often rewarded with customer tips!