Valet parking has always been a business of precision, timing, and trust. As an operator, your reputation depends on seamless coordination between your team, your customers, and your technology. But let’s face it—manual scheduling and cost tracking can be a headache, especially when you’re managing multiple locations, dozens of employees, and constantly changing shifts.
That’s why Summon is excited to introduce Automated Shift Management, a powerful new capability designed to help you save time, forecast your labor costs, and stay in complete control of your operations.
In this post, we’ll walk you through what Automated Shift Management is, how it works, and why the ability to predict and verify your labor costs per shift is a game-changing innovation for valet operators.
What Is Automated Shift Management?
Automated Shift Management empowers you to automatically create recurring shifts for your valet team. Instead of manually entering every shift for every day and every location, you can define rules that the system uses to generate schedules on your behalf.
For example, you can set up:
- Recurring morning, afternoon, and overnight shifts every day of the week
- Shifts that repeat only on weekdays or weekends
- Special shift schedules during holidays or events
With automation handling the routine scheduling, your managers can focus on higher-value work: training staff, improving customer experience, and growing your business.
Predict and Compare Your Labor Costs—Before and After the Shift
One of the most impactful parts of this update is the new ability to track and forecast your labor costs in real time.
Here’s how it works:
- Assign Hourly Rates: You can assign an hourly rate to each employee or role. Whether you have part-time valets, supervisors, or contract staff, each role can have its own rate.
- Automate Shifts: When you create or automate a shift, Summon immediately calculates the estimated cost of that shift based on the duration and assigned hourly rates.
- Review Estimated Costs: Before the shift begins, you can see exactly what it is expected to cost. This empowers you to budget more accurately and avoid surprises.
- Verify Actual Costs: After the shift ends, Summon generates a Shift Report that compares estimated costs with actual time worked. You get a clear picture of how your labor dollars were spent.
This transparency helps you answer questions like:
- How much will this weekend’s staffing cost before I approve the schedule?
- Which shifts went over budget last month?
- How can I optimize staffing levels without compromising service?
No more guesswork. You get clarity and confidence every time you schedule a shift.
Why Is This a Game-Changer for Valet Parking Operators?
Here are just a few reasons this update is such a big deal:
1. Save Hours Every Month
Creating and updating shifts manually is time-consuming. For operators managing multiple locations or large teams, scheduling can take hours each week. Automated Shift Management cuts that down to minutes.
2. Predict Labor Costs With Confidence
Before this update, most valet operators had to estimate labor costs manually or after payroll was processed. Now you can see a clear projection upfront—so you can make smart decisions in real time.
3. Verify Actual Costs With Shift Reports
After each shift, you get a side-by-side comparison of estimated vs. actual costs, showing you exactly where you came in under or over budget. It’s a level of visibility that can transform how you manage profitability.
4. Ensure Consistency
Automated scheduling reduces human error, helping you avoid missing shifts, overlapping schedules, or inconsistencies that disrupt operations.
5. Improve Accountability
With predictable schedules generated in advance, team members know exactly when they’re expected to work. This transparency improves attendance and accountability.
6. Stay Flexible
You can adjust automated schedules anytime or create on-demand shifts as needed. Whether you prefer planning weeks in advance or responding to same-day demand, Summon gives you both options.
Automation + Flexibility: You’re Always in Control
One question we hear a lot is:
“Do I have to use automated shifts? What if I prefer to create shifts manually?”
The answer is simple: you decide.
Summon’s approach is built on flexibility. You can:
- Use fully automated recurring shifts to save time
- Create shifts manually as needed
- Combine automated and manual shifts for ultimate control
For example:
- Automate your standard weekday shifts
- Add one-off shifts on busy weekends
- Adjust specific shifts for holidays or special events
With Summon, you never have to sacrifice control for convenience.
Key Benefits Recap
Whether you’re managing a boutique valet service or operating at a multi-location enterprise scale, Automated Shift Management helps you:
- Reduce scheduling effort by up to 90%
- Avoid scheduling gaps and overlaps
- Estimate labor costs before every shift
- Compare estimated vs. actual labor costs to improve profitability
- Ensure your team always has clarity on expectations
- Stay nimble and responsive to real-world demand
- Provide a modern, professional experience for your staff
Getting Started
If you’re already a Summon customer, Automated Shift Management and labor cost tracking are available in your Operations Dashboard today.
To get started:
- Navigate to Shifts in the menu.
- Select Recurring Shifts to define your automation rules.
- Assign hourly rates to employees or roles.
- Save your schedules and see projected costs instantly.
- After shifts are completed, review your Shift Reports to see actual labor costs.
Need help setting it up? Our customer success team is ready to walk you through it step by step.
Final Thoughts
Valet parking thrives on operational excellence and tight margins. With Automated Shift Management and integrated labor cost forecasting, Summon empowers you to run a smarter, more predictable operation without extra effort.
Whether you choose to automate, create shifts on demand, or combine both, Summon ensures that your business runs smoothly—so you can focus on delivering exceptional service every time.