Over the last two years chauffeur parking and valet parking, otherwise know as meet and greet parking has received a lot of bad press. This article explains what should be done in order to ensure, if using this type of service, your vehicle is looked after in the way that is expected and paid for.

Meet and greet parking is a system of parking that allows the customer a stress free way to park their vehicle when travelling from an airport. Instead of the traditional park and ride facility whereby the customer drives direct to the car park and is transported to the terminal on a transport coach, they drive direct to the airport terminal and have their car collected. Upon the customers return their vehicle is waiting for them where they left it. Hassle free and no waiting for transfer coaches. Just simply walk outside jump in your vehicle and off you go.

All sounds good doesn’t it? It’s what happens next that can be worrying for the customer. It has been documented that some car parks can be up to and more than 10 miles away from the airport thus putting up to 20 miles onto the cars mileage.

Ask yourself this question. Is the car park where your vehicle is being kept secure enough? Is the driver insured to drive your vehicle? Is your vehicle actually being stored in a car park or on the side of a road?

All very scary and will no doubt put you off using such a service. Unfortunately there are operators out there who cannot answer the above questions satisfactorily and should be avoided at all costs. It is these operators that have given valet parking a bad name. Chauffeur parking is an excellent service and should not be forgotten about. With prices coming down everyday it is still worth using this type of service, and with a little bit of care you can find an excellent provider. Below is a brief guide on how to find a reputable meet and greet provider.

The Right Meet and Greet provider

1 Use a comparison site – Comparison sites have more than one car park available and usually research their car parks before allowing them to advertise on their site.

2 Always check the more info pages on a site – All reputable comparison sites should have more information on all the car parks that they advertise. These details should include such things as security details, insurance details, disabled facilities and more. If there are not any more info pages you should avoid the site.

3 Look for review pages – Reviews are always useful to find out what other people thought about each car park.

4 Do not just book on price – This might sound ridiculous but the cheapest car park is not always the best. Ensure you take on board all of the above when making your choice.

5 Ask Questions – Email the company and ask questions about insurance and security details. Any reputable company will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

6 Make sure your vehicle is checked – When you are handing your car over; ensure that the driver checks your vehicle and notes any damage. Always make sure you sign and agree any damage to your vehicle before leaving it.

7 Check your vehicle upon your return – Always check your vehicle on your return against the signed check sheet that was filled in upon your departure. It is vitally important to report any new damage at this point as once you have driven away you are less likely to be able to process a successful claim.

Meet and Greet parking is growing every day due to how convenient it is for the customer. Do not be put off by what you may have heard in the past, just follow the seven points above to ensure your vehicle is looked after in the correct way that will allow you to enjoy meet and greet parking the way it was intended, hassle free.

Mark Farrell owns and runs MF Airport Parking a Manchester Airport Parking comparison site – Manchester Airport Parking