Do monthly parkers tip valets?
November 19, 2012 12:44 PM Subscribe
Do you tip a valet when you have a monthly parking space? In Chicago, if that matters.
I'm pricing monthly parking options near my office in the Chicago Loop. Most garage spaces are 260-330 per month, but I've found a couple of valet garages that are 220 per month. That would be a money saver, but would my savings be eaten up by tips?
I've always tipped valets at garages when parking for just a few hours, but I wondered whether there is also an expectation that I would tip if I have a monthly space.
(Also, if you know of a cheaper parking option in the northwest corner of the Loop, I'm all ears.)
I'm pricing monthly parking options near my office in the Chicago Loop. Most garage spaces are 260-330 per month, but I've found a couple of valet garages that are 220 per month. That would be a money saver, but would my savings be eaten up by tips?
I've always tipped valets at garages when parking for just a few hours, but I wondered whether there is also an expectation that I would tip if I have a monthly space.
(Also, if you know of a cheaper parking option in the northwest corner of the Loop, I'm all ears.)
Best answer: My partner worked as a valet in a garage in Chicago with mostly monthly parkers, and some of his regulars would tip him a large sum once a month and he was happy to get it (He only worked weekends; they'd tip him more than a dollar but not a dollar for each time he would have parked them, so he'd occasionally get a $5 tip but not expect to get tipped every time he saw them.)
But most folks who parked monthly didn't tip at all. (This may have had more to do with his status as weekend-only, but I doubt it.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:54 PM on November 19, 2012
But most folks who parked monthly didn't tip at all. (This may have had more to do with his status as weekend-only, but I doubt it.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:54 PM on November 19, 2012
Another Manhattan data point, I gave a fairly large tip to each of the attendants (on par with what we gave to doormen) a bit before the holidays.
This appears to have been the expected behavior since in late November the garage would give everyone a holiday card with the names and pictures of all the attendants.
posted by NormieP at 2:08 PM on November 19, 2012
This appears to have been the expected behavior since in late November the garage would give everyone a holiday card with the names and pictures of all the attendants.
posted by NormieP at 2:08 PM on November 19, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the data points! This was really helpful.
posted by slmorri at 7:26 PM on November 19, 2012
posted by slmorri at 7:26 PM on November 19, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dfriedman at 12:50 PM on November 19, 2012