Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Grocery store valet

Reduce parking lot accidents and injuries, and feel like a bigshot!
  (+4, -1)
(+4, -1)
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(edit: changed category)

Valet parking at grocery stores. Take the guys who collect all the carts/trolleys and repurpose them as valet drivers. They'll make more money, without having to PAY them more, because of tips. It's a win win and (checks notes) win.

It would actually save the store money too, potentially a lot of money. Shopping carts will last a lot longer, no more being used on rough, unforgiving asphalt parking lot surfaces, and won't get stolen anymore since they won't actually leave the store at all now. They won't get hit by vehicles, reducing liability claims against the store for minor dings and scratches, and it reduces their liability from people slipping and falling on ice trying to cross the parking lot on foot in the winter.

It also might go a long way toward preventing parking lots from being hotbeds of criminal activity such as drug deals and carjackings, making it safer for women and minorities to shop at night. You could also completely do away with handicapped parking spots, increasing lot efficiency across the board.

21 Quest, Mar 11 2022

Valet Market https://www.valetmarket.com/
Has nothing to do with this idea. An unmanned robo store. [doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022]

Here's the app https://apps.apple....market/id1564002874
Seems kind of pointless. [doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022]

[link]






       This could be a thing. Have them bring the car back around and load the groceries too I assume eh? [+]
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       Absolutely. It would actually save the store money too, potentially a lot of money. Shopping carts will last a lot longer, no more being used on rough, unforgiving asphalt parking lot surfaces, and won't get stolen anymore since they won't actually leave the store at all now. They won't get hit by vehicles, reducing liability claims against the store for minor dings and scratches, and it reduces their liability from people slipping and falling on ice trying to cross the parking lot on foot in the winter.   

       That's good, I'm adding it to the post lol   

       Seriously, the more I think about this the more mind- blowing it is to me that this isn't already a thing.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Yea, mind blown here as well.   

       I think you could absolutely talk stores into doing this, but how to you protect it as intellectual property to make some money?   

       Business plans are tricky without a technical aspect.   

       Got it! Have this be done with an app! That might actually be patentable!   

       Hit the app, drive up, the valets see you coming on their version of the app, bow deeply as you walk into the store, take your car and park it, (the app keeps track of the spaces that are available so it's very effecient) When you're done, hit "I'm done" your car appears, the guy loads your groceries, you hit the tip button maybe, get in your car that's completely loaded with groceries and drive home.   

       Mic drop. (oops, slippery mic I guess)
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       A valet app? Do go on.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Seriously bro, I've looked into patenting business plans and it's very tricky. Most patents are barbed wire meant to discourage people not a brick wall, but with an actual app this could be effective.   

       Own the app and charge stores a monthly fee. Dont' get greedy, 100 bucks a month a store. Ten thousand stores....multiply the.... carry the.... that comes out to...   

       a lot!
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       What would the app do? Ah, I see your edit. Very nice.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Hell, this would probably cut down on store left pretty dramatically too.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Woah! The valet sees everything as they load it into the car...   

       Dude...
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       That absolutely, but I meant things like beer runners, people who sprint out with a case of beer or other merchandise. You're not finding your car or getting your keys back until you return the merchandise, and if you DO somehow get away, such as with a spare key, we've got your plates.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Bonus eh?   

       Lookign up "valet market" and there's a unmanned store they're trying out. Fail to see how this has anything to to with a valet, it's the exact opposite of having a valet. Has nothing in common with this idea except the words.
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       Well I'll be damned, they DO! I wonder why this isn't more widely done! If I had to guess, they didn't go hard enough with it. Shouldn't have made it optional.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       Shoot!   

       Yea, you would have to wait if there weren't enough valets.   

       Still, clever idea.
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       Could valet for other customers
pocmloc, Mar 11 2022
  

       Ha!
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       That's a fair point, but on a busy day you often have to wait for a parking spot to open anyway. If you consider the time it takes to circle the lot, sometimes several times, waiting for a spot to open up, then to have someone beat you to it so you have to go back to circling, I'm not sure the total wait time would go up much if at all.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       // They'll make more money, without having to PAY them more, because of tips. //   

       They can grab the carts of many customers in a short time. Driving each car takes several minutes per customer. As such your calculation is impressively bad.
Voice, Mar 11 2022
  

       If a store went totally onboard with this parking system, instead of making it a seldom-chosen option, the cost savings from reduced merchandise and cart theft alone would likely allow them to hire additional valet drivers at no additional cost. If a large casino on a busy Friday night can handle valet parking just fine, I'm not buying a grocery store couldn't.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying it can't be done without paying extra for those valets with almost no savings.
Voice, Mar 11 2022
  

       One thing many stores do is simply reassign non-essential staff from other departments to cart collection when the demand gets particularly high. They could conceivably do the same thing with valet attendants when needed.
21 Quest, Mar 11 2022
  

       GOT IT!!   

       1- Pick the time / day of the week that's the least busy. Maybe, Monday 8 to noon? (Dunno, they would)   

       2- Make this "Seniors Get Valet Parking And Shopping Assistance Day" or "SGVPASAS"   

       3- Come up with a better name.   

       4- Since it's the least busy time of the week, have all hands do the valet, shopping assistance for seniors only, let's say... 65 and up?   

       5- Have it also be Senior Savings Day so "SGVPASASSSD"   

       6- Drop mic.   

       (I will not let this idea die dammit. I swear there's something here.)
doctorremulac3, Mar 11 2022
  

       Your idea is a very good one, Doctor.
Voice, Mar 11 2022
  

       Thank you V, I think this has some legs.
doctorremulac3, Mar 12 2022
  

       //Drop mic. //   

       You need a lanyard for that thing.
pertinax, Mar 13 2022
  

       That's why I said you have to go all in with it. The chief complaint was that it made the people who choose the service look like they think they're better than those who don't. Costco doesn't make their membership optional.
21 Quest, Mar 13 2022
  

       If you're using an app, the delay shouldn't be a problem. Just tell the app when you get in the checkout line, and that should be enough time to have the car waiting by the time you pay.
scad mientist, Mar 14 2022
  

       If you've seen the bagging clerks at our local Kroger there's no way you would want them operating your car.
RayfordSteele, Mar 14 2022
  

       Ok, so maybe hire/train BETTER clerks lol
21 Quest, Mar 14 2022
  

       I would kinda like it if they carried me out too. My knees and hips hurt after I walk the length of the really big superstores.
blissmiss, Mar 18 2022
  

       Yes but someone needs to push the cart, because you can't reach the ground to push yourself along if you're sitting in it.
pocmloc, Mar 19 2022
  

       Whilst I hesitate to speak for the European countries from whence many Bakers hail, in the good ol' US of A we have motorized shopping carts (trolleys) at most grocery stores for those who've a difficult time walking.
21 Quest, Mar 19 2022
  
      
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