We tip a dollar...although it is a free service here. I assume others tip too, but I don't know if they do.

I would think a dollar or two would be enough. I expect the hospital pays them at least minimum wage..

Our hospital valet is manned by volunteers. Mostly retired men who just enjoy doing a good deed.

I'm going to guess this varies by geography and circumstances. For a hospital, it is a service for patients and visitors and as such the expectations may be different from a valet parking situation at, say, a restaurant or a private affair.

Away from a hospital setting, a dollar or two for an regular kind of car in an average kind of place is probably fine and well appreciated. For a newer and more upscale car in many urban or upscale areas, it wouldn't be enough.

Would it depend on what they charge? Ours charge $7. Surgeons office visit (in the hospital) stamps my ticket so it's only $2. When DH was in hospital long term I couldn't use valet, but the couple times I needed to get in there quickly I paid the full $7. Either way, I tipped $2. Interested to hear what others do.

I am obviously the minority here. I would think that $5 would be a minimal tip to express my gratitude for avoiding the hassle of parking.

PK, I was thinking about some of the regulars here who live in small towns, in rural settings, in the Midwest, when I suggested that a few bucks might be ok. For where I am (and I suspect where many others are), I agree that $5 is probably at the bottom of what to offer. In rural Illinois or Georgia, that might be too much.

Where I live it would be around five dollars minimum also. Valet parking isn't free but I have seen how hard those workers run plus they help with loading wheelchairs and walkers etc.

I was surprised to see the comment that there are volunteers that do this service. No way would want to entrust my vehicle to someone who isn't covered by proper liability/workmans insurance. Wonder if the hospital covers these volunteers?

Our hospital provides free valet service and employs a contracted service with appropriate insurance to provide that service.

One of our local hospitals offers free valet service and the employees won't take a tip. They appear to be of retirement age, but aren't volunteers.

There's also free self parking, which can be a real trek at times.

Nothing here. It's free. They set it up that way on purpose. They pay their employees a fair wage and not a wage based on tips. It's ok not to pay. In this instance.

edited to add this: I have parked cars for tips. When it's going to be tips, there is low set wage and then everyone puts into the pot. The pot gets split at the end of the shift. So even if you like the way a person hustled, or took care of your car, you're not rewarding the one doing the work... necessarily. They all did the work. So if you want to tip, just keep in mind, they may not get to keep "your" tip anyhow.

Happy "going to be grandmother"!

:)

Thank you Rob:)

I've decided that $5 to park, $5 to pick up if it is a simple park. More if she is in labor or the employee is especially helpful or if the parking lot is packed.

Our hospital offers the valet parking as a free service to visitors and volunteers. The valets are not allowed to accept tips. They are retired men or college students who receive a decent wage plus benefits from the hospital.

Down here it's customary to tip 3 dollars.