Often enough that operators and owners of commercial real estate invest millions annually in surveillance systems to lower damage claim payouts.

Casinos and resorts have fancy camera systems that record the exterior condition of each vehicle when valets drive through a garage parking entrance, but sometimes camera systems are logistically impossible, or a company just can’t afford it.  The average cost is $200 per camera, plus installation and monitoring fees.1 Surveillance systems get as expensive as fighting fraudulent damage claims, so operators rely on valet attendants inspecting the car and noting any damage on a small diagram that’s printed on a paper claim ticket.

Workable fix, right?  Nope, it gets skipped a lot. Why?

  • It’s time-consuming
  • Written notes might be illegible
  • Paper tickets are the size of a match box

Valet operators pride themselves on speedy, efficient service that can translate into better customer service and often bigger tips.  However, businesses can have hundred-thousand-dollar deductibles, so fighting or paying damage claims have a huge impact on net profits.

How do operators balance speed and revenue protection? Consider SMS Valet.

Moving to a cloud-based valet solution makes identifying pre-existing damage seamless and speedy. Everybody can text faster than write, but especially a millennial at the valet stand. With SMS Valet, attendants double click the icon on the arrival screen that brings up a car diagram. From there, they double click areas showing damage and take a time-stamped photo that attaches to the record (which is archived in the system). The process takes seconds, and usually while the customer is still checking in, making recording existing damage faster than taking a selfie.

This handy tool is standard with SMS Valet: Records can’t be saved without noting if the car has existing damage or not, so attendants can’t forget or skip this important step. Better records equal lower damage claims—without sacrificing speed at the valet stand.

  1. Source for camera cost: https://www.fixr.com/costs/install-video-surveillance-cameras