Valet parking system fast becoming a fixture in capital<\/p>\n
By Riyadi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Taking a girlfriend or boyfriend to a plaza by
\ncar on the weekend is mostly a pleasurable occasion. But this can
\nturn sour as soon as you reach the overcrowded parking lot.<\/p>\n
But at certain places like Pondok Indah Mall one need not
\nbother looking for a parking space for their well-loved cars.
\nAttendants wait happily to park your car in a save and proper
\nplace.<\/p>\n
\"It is not a good idea for a gentleman to take out his
\ngirlfriend, and have to drive all around the parking lots. That
\ngives valet parking a distinct value,\" said Lukito Sutanto, the
\nfounder of Le Gong Valet Parking Service.<\/p>\n
Valet parking used to be synonymous with flashy hotels and
\ncelebrity parties. But lately it has been democratized. Some
\nhigh-rise buildings, cafes, meeting halls and plazas offer valet
\nparking.<\/p>\n
Even a house party could boast a valet, said Lukito, who
\nstarted his valet parking business four years ago.<\/p>\n
\"Rather than letting your guests wander around looking for an
\nempty space for themselves, why don't you ask a valet service to
\ndo all those things?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Valet fees for a house party can be negotiated, he said. The
\nhost could either cover all costs or cover only a portion of it.
\nIn the case of the latter, Le Gong would request tips from the
\nguests.<\/p>\n
The most traditional valet parking, that is at hotels, is
\nusually a free service. Mandarin Oriental Hotel, for instance, is
\none star-rated hotel in the city which provides free valet
\nparking.<\/p>\n
The Mandarin offers a unique valet parking service. Despite
\nits limited parking spaces, this hotel does not charge guests
\nanything for using its valet parking. However, guests who park
\ntheir own cars are charged the normal hourly parking fee by
\nSecure Parking, which manages parking spaces at the hotel.<\/p>\n
Here, visitors obviously benefit from valet parking.<\/p>\n
Mandarin front office manager Maman Lingga said the hotel does
\nnot charge for valet parking because those who use the service
\nare mostly VIPs. \"Nevertheless, we treat all guests the same, in
\nterms of valet parking.\"<\/p>\n
Maman said there were normally two valet attendants on one
\nshift. But when there is a function at the hotel, he could deploy
\nup to five parking attendants.<\/p>\n
To be an attendant, Maman said, one must first of all have a
\ndriver's license, know how to drive various types of cars and be
\nable to communicate in English.<\/p>\n
Some hotels, however, charge their guests for valet parking.
\nGrand Hyatt Hotel, for instance, charges Rp 2,000 per car, plus
\nthe usual hourly parking fees.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, for VIP guests, hotels like the Grand Hyatt
\nalways have a reserved free parking space for them, including
\nvalet parking.<\/p>\n
Other hotels do not bother hiring staff for parking. They just
\nuse a valet parking service like Le Gong. Hotel Santika Jakarta,
\nfor instance, is negotiating with Le Gong about a valet service
\nat the hotel.<\/p>\n
Besides at hotels, valet parking is also available at some
\nrestaurants and cafes. Restaurants can use distant car parks
\nrather than rent expensive space next to their premises. Besides,
\nprofessional parkers can cram cars into a parking lot despite
\nlimited space.<\/p>\n
Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta, which is uses Le Gong's services, is
\namong the first cafes to use valet parking.<\/p>\n
Other cafes and restaurants which provide valet parking, in
\ncooperation with Le Gong, include Sizzler, Jalan-Jalan, Twilight
\nCafe, Indicus and Ole-Ole Cafe.<\/p>\n
Le Gong's Lukito said the valet parking business was promising
\ndespite limited parking space in Jakarta. But the demand has yet
\nto arise significantly.<\/p>\n
Not all car owners are happy to let attendants drive their
\ncars to parking lots. There are still many car owners who do not
\nlet other people drive their cars.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot let my car be driven by people I don't know,\" said a
\nfrequent visitor to Pondok Indah Mall.<\/p>\n
Another car owner said she just could not let other people
\nenter her car, which she considers to be like her private room.<\/p>\n
Renata Sofjan, public relations manager at the Grand Hyatt,
\nhad a different reason for wanting to park his own car. \"If I
\nknow the location already, I would rather park my car myself.\"<\/p>\n
Parking attendants are happy just to smile at this type of
\nperson.<\/p>\n
Despite the limited market for valet parking services, Le Gong
\nhas expanded tremendously. When it opened in 1994, Le gong was
\nmanned by 12 personnel, but now, four years later, it is has some
\n80 personnel -- a significant growth.<\/p>\n
When asked about Le Gong's turnover, Lukito just said it's
\ntens of millions a month. \"Just imagine, we pay one person at
\nleast Rp 300,000 a month, plus bonus and some other benefits.\"<\/p>\n
Despite promising returns, Lukito said, there are only a few
\nwhich really focus on the business of valet parking.<\/p>\n
\"This business seems so simple, but in reality it is not that
\neasy. It needs a special type of management,\" Lukito said.<\/p>\n
To get qualified parkers is not an easy job either. \"Once you
\nadvertise a vacancy in a newspaper, hundreds of applicants rush
\nto your office. But out of those hundreds of applicants, you get
\nless than 10 suitable people. That's normal.\"<\/p>\n
Lukito said he must be choosy in selecting from candidates for
\nparking attendants because \"80 percent of this business is
\ntrust\".<\/p>\n
He also warned that establishing a valet parking service was
\nnot a license to print money. All people in charge of valet
\nparking service live in fear of dents and scratches, not to
\nmention collisions. Put some young men in charge of Rp 100
\nmillion cars and you are bound to get some expensive accidents.<\/p>\n
To reduce incidental claims, Le Gong insures cars in some of
\nits locations for the high risk of dents and scratches.<\/p>\n
Le Gong also has a disclaimer on its valet parking tickets,
\nsaying that \"We are not responsible for: car damages\/damaged
\ngoods inside\/outside your car; lost car\/goods lost inside\/outside
\nyour car; accidents between your car and other cars\/people in
\nthis parking area.\"<\/p>\n
Lukito said a disclaimer was necessary, otherwise people could
\neasily make claims on Le Gong \"for any scratch on their cars\".
\nNevertheless, if a crash does occur, Le Gong would take some
\nresponsibility. \"But it should be within reason and still under
\nour capability.\"<\/p>\n
\"We must take this kind of responsibility because again this
\nis a business of trust.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/valet-parking-system-fast-becoming-a-fixture-in-capital-1447893297",
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