How to spot a reputable meet and greet parking company

We’re heading into the summer holiday season when airport passenger numbers will rocket as the world, his wife, and their children head off for sunnier destinations.

Airports will be heaving with passengers, roads will be filled with traffic and airport car parks will be bursting at the seams with parked cars.

During the school holidays the demand for flights rises significantly and with increased demand for flights comes demand for other holiday services: foreign currency exchange, hotel rooms and, of course, meet and greet airport parking.

There are many long-established, reputable airport parking companies for the traveller to choose from, however, in the run up to the busy holiday period, a number of smaller parking companies will appear in the hope to glean a slice of the airport parking companies’ business. While some of these will be honest, and hardworking looking for a well-deserved break into the business, others will just be there to make a quick buck and move on to the next business as soon as summer is over.

It can be difficult for the customer to distinguish the good guys from the bad, after all, they only book parking once a year, so don’t always know how to spot the cowboys.

There’s lots of competition in the valet parking business with some companies gearing their prices so that they work on a numbers basis rather than a service basis. Anyone looking to book valet parking should always be aware that the cheapest is not always the best and likewise, the most expensive may not be either, so how do you spot a reputable meet and greet parking company?

The following tips should help:

Telephone number
Always look for a company with a landline number, not just a mobile phone. The company should have a mobile number for contact but they should also have a landline which should be answered with the name of the company, not just ‘hello’.

Car park
Ideally, the company should hold the ParkMark Safer Parking award which demonstrates that the car park has met strict security guidelines to reduce crime.

Many companies just setting up to take advantage of the high demand during the holiday season don’t have official car parks and often rely on parking cars in fields, outside homes, supermarkets, industrial estates and side roads.

Identification
You need to be able to recognize your driver to ensure you are handing your car over to the correct person. Ideally your driver should be wearing a uniform and carrying official ID. Check the company’s website before you book.

Payment
Payment should be made via a secure website, not by cash on the day.

Terms and Conditions
Always read the company’s terms and conditions before booking. Check that your car is covered by the company’s insurance while being driven by their drivers.

Alarm Bells:

Alarm bells should be ringing if the only method of contact is via mobile phone, you have no physical address for the company and they require cash on the day.

The above is only a small selection of ways in which to identify a reputable valet parking company. You can always check online reviews, however, beware of reviews by people who have only just joined the forum and have only posted one review.

If you are in any doubt about the reliability of the company, walk away and look for another company.