Valet Service No Longer Free at Dania Beach SC - Miami-Dade Owners Annoyed

DJ Frustration · Mar 4, 2015

I wanted to share some news with this forum since I don't see it mentioned elsewhere. My Service Advisor told me yesterday that starting last week, valet service will no longer be complimentary at the Dania Beach Service Center. Instead they will charge $100 for valet service. Valet service is where a loaner car is dropped off at a convenient location and your Model S/Roadster is driven in for service. When finished, your vehicle is driven back to your convenient location and the loaner is returned.

I think it's short sighted for a few reasons. If you feel the same, I was instructed to send an email to the Dania Beach SC Manager - [email protected]

Our early VIN Model S has required about 16 different service visits over two years of ownership. Thankfully, valet service has made these service experiences completely tolerable, effectively quashing any annoyance at having that many issues with such an expensive car.

We live in South Miami, which is 37 miles from the Dania Beach Service Center. With traffic, this is easily an hour and a half of travel in each direction. I can only assume that there are thousands of Miami-Dade owners who will be surprised to learn that they will have to pay for valet service or take possibly three hours out of their busy days.

The good will lost by charging $100 for each valet service will most definitely outweigh the revenue gained from this change. Maybe Tesla will start to see it in lower customer service rankings in publications like Consumer Reports and elsewhere. I have to believe someone within Tesla has quantified the value of the free marketing the high ratings in Consumer Reports and similar publications has brought.

Alternatively, if Tesla had a Miami Service Center this wouldn't be an issue. There has to be plenty of available commercial real estate in the Falls Warehouse District and in the Kendall area. Should Tesla want an introduction to people familiar with commercial real estate I''m sure there are plenty of folks that would be happy to do so. Last year, Palm Beach County saw a new Service Center open up. With decisions like the one to charge for valet service, a Miami-Dade County Service Center is rapidly becoming a necessity.

Do you feel the same?

tdelta1000 · Mar 4, 2015

Not a Tesla owner yet but working towards the goal real soon. I totally agree with you that a Miami-Dade County SC should be added because it would reduce the stress on the Dania location. I think a proposed location would be somewhere near downtown Miami or near the grove.

vgrinshpun · Mar 4, 2015

I am not sure that this is a change in company policy, looks like this is something specific to this SC. My car is currently at the SC (Devon, PA) and I am driving a loaner. The loaner was delivered and my car picked up last Thursday, and there was no mentioning of any charges...

Larry Chanin · Mar 4, 2015

Creating the World’s Best Service and Warranty Program by Elon Musk

Valet Service
Your time is valuable and should not be spent driving to or waiting at our service centers. Tesla is putting in place a valet service, so that your car is seamlessly picked up and replaced with a loaner and then returned as soon as we are done. There is no additional charge for this.

Larry

jrreno · Mar 4, 2015

I scheduled service with Tampa and was told there was a change coming in the Valet service. Did not apply to this visit but would for future visits. They would not tell me what the change was going to be.

DonD · Mar 4, 2015

My car is at the Orlando (Longwood) service center for it's annual service today. I was provided a loaner and valet service (to my office in Clermont), which is within the distance that the SC said they were still offering complimentary valet. They did indicate that this was a new policy - to only offer complimentary valet within a certain radius. That seems like a reasonable policy to me, but of course I'm biased, since it works to my benefit. :smile:

djp · Mar 4, 2015

vgrinshpun said:
I am not sure that this is a change in company policy, looks like this is something specific to this SC. My car is currently at the SC (Devon, PA) and I am driving a loaner. The loaner was delivered and my car picked up last Thursday, and there was no mentioning of any charges...

Same change in Toronto. Free valet service is now limited to a 10 mile radius.

For me it's not a deal breaker, I've been dropping off my Roadster for annual service long before valet service was even added.

jrreno · Mar 4, 2015

I assume this is just valet service, not the loaner program. In other words you will still be able to drop your car off and drive away in a loaner.

Lifeguard(ret.) · Mar 4, 2015

djp said:
Same change in Toronto. Free valet service is now limited to a 10 mile radius.

Peculiar - seems like those within 10 miles would be least inconvenienced by having to drop their car off. What about those of us who are >100 miles from a service center. I didn't mind making day excursions to Winter Park for my first tire rotation and annual maintenance, but would be upsetting if it was for a warranty item that could not be handled by a ranger. NE FL service center has been "coming soon" since before I bought my car. I guess "soon" now is a lot sooner than it was 18 months ago :wink:

djp · Mar 4, 2015

jrreno said:
I assume this is just valet service, not the loaner program. In other words you will still be able to drop your car off and drive away in a loaner.

Correct, loaners are still available when you drop off the car. Much better than the shuttle bus I used to get from BMW!

DJ Frustration · Mar 5, 2015

So, I sent feedback to Tesla at the address I included with the OP. The Regional Service Manager responded and addressed my feedback directly. I commend him for doing so. Here's what I can share.

The Service Advisor who told me that valet service would be $100 wasn't entirely correct. The valet policy will change, but hasn't been finalized yet. However, it should be finalized next week. I sent feedback about only charging for valet if you live within 5 or 10 miles of the SC. Seems like those people would be much less inconvenienced should they not want to use valet service. It's those of us who live much further who would have to take hours out of our busy schedules to drive our cars that would be most affected by having to pay for valet service.

He also gave an update that they are working on opening a Miami area SC sometime in 2016. They've identified a location but he didn't elaborate.

If you wish to share feedback, please send it to the Dania Beach SC Manager - [email protected]

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Valet Service No Longer Free at Dania Beach SC - Miami-Dade Owners Annoyed

DJ Frustration

Former Model X Sig, Model S, Model 3, Model Y

tdelta1000

Active Member

vgrinshpun

Well-Known Member

Larry Chanin

President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

jrreno

Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile

DonD

Member

djp

Model 3 Performance