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Some curbside service at the hospital

Many patients still haven't warmed up to the service, not typically seen at places like Citrus Memorial Hospital.

By ELENA LESLEY
Published November 28, 2005

	[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
	Valet Luke Wilber brings a walker to Alice Gundrum, as she and her daughter Barbara Cogdill, far left, drop their vehicle off Tuesday morning in front of the medical office building across from Citrus Memorial Hospital. "They're very pleasant, very efficient. It makes it a lot easier to come," Cogdill said.

INVERNESS - Citrus residents can now enjoy the benefits of valet parking. At the hospital.

While most of the county's nicer hotels and restaurants still lack such service, Citrus Memorial Hospital began chauffeuring its patients' cars in October. Two valet parking attendants now wait outside the hospital's medical office building, Monday through Friday, ready to assist drivers.

But many patients are hesitant to use the free service.

"We get about 15 people a day," said Bob Walton, the site supervisor. "Most people are surprised when they see us and don't really know what (valet parking) is."

Representatives from Healthcare Parking Systems of America Inc., say it can take a while for people to start taking advantage of new valet services. CMH contracted with the Tampa company to kick off its valet parking initiative.

Though the service is now offered at only one building, the hospital may add locations if this trial proves successful, said Rebecca Martin, CMH manager of public relations.

"More people will start coming gradually," said Andy Fasig, Healthcare Parking's regional director. "People have been here before, and they're on cruise control. They don't notice the valet parking until they walk up to the door."

Plus, there's no shortage of spaces in front of the building. In urban areas, valet services are often essential when drivers can't find anywhere else to park, Fasig said.

That's not the case in Citrus County. CMH decided to offer valet services, not to ease parking problems, but rather to provide the best customer service possible, Martin said.

"There's a business aspect to this," she said. "You can go lots of places to get X-rays, your blood drawn. They're commodities. Customer service keeps you coming back."

After researching different valet options, Martin said hospital officials felt most comfortable with Healthcare Parking Systems. Unlike many valet companies that only dabble in hospital parking, Healthcare focuses on that particular service.

"We're not at nightclubs, bars, restaurants," Fasig said. "We're just at hospitals."

He said hospital valet parking requires skills that differ from normal parking services, pointing out that the company's slogan used to be "It's not about cars; it's about caring."

"If you pull someone out of a parking lot who's just used to waving a flag, they're not ready to provide a high level of customer service," he said.

Healthcare Parking Systems recruits workers locally, doing strict background checks.

Do they like applicants with previous experience?

"We'd prefer that they not have it," said Jeff Lipman, a vice president at the company. "So they won't bring bad habits with them."

New hires go through an extensive training process using the company's five manuals. The booklets outline different scenarios and scripted responses. For example, if a guest is waiting for his or her vehicle, attendants are urged to smile and make a comment about the weather: "Such a nice warm day to be out here working!"

The manuals also outline how attendants should assist and interact with elderly patients.

"They have age-appropriate phrases," Martin said. "You don't want to say "Hey mama' to someone who's a grandma."

Luke Wilber of Inverness, the hospital's valet attendant, said he and Walton sometimes use the suggested responses, but generally just improvise based on situation.

"I had no idea this would be so elaborate," Wilber said, referring to his valet training. "I figured it would be more like, "Here's a board with hooks. Hang up the key. Park the car."'

But those who have tried the new service seem happy with the results.

"It's a 100 percent improvement over the other system," joked Barbara Cogdill of Hernando, who recently drove her mother to the hospital. "They're very pleasant, very efficient; it makes it a lot easier to come."

Now if they only had a few more customers.

"I think people could understand if it were a four-star hotel and not a hospital," said Claire Ekker, a CMH volunteer. "But every day I'm here, I see a little increase."

[Last modified November 28, 2005, 01:04:15]