Operations · Vehicle Exceptions
Do not turn a delayed car into a damaged car.
A silent ignition, an immobilizer warning, a clutch nobody expected, and an electric vehicle with no usable charge can all look like “the car will not start.” They are not the same event, and guessing at the cure can create more liability than the delay itself.
First principle
The valet team identifies and controls the exception; it does not become a roadside repair shop.
Jump-starting or manipulating a modern vehicle can damage electronics or create personal and property risk. Follow the vehicle instructions, operation policy, insurer guidance, and qualified roadside assistance rather than a generic electrical procedure.
The response
Stabilize first, diagnose only within authority
Classify what the team can actually observe
Power
No response or weak response
Record what the vehicle displays or sounds like. Do not assume the battery is the only possible cause.
Access
Key or immobilizer message
Check the recorded key and approved start method; avoid repeated attempts that may deepen a lockout.
Control
Unfamiliar transmission or interlock
Stop and locate the vehicle instructions or guest. Familiarity with another model is not authority.
Energy
EV reports insufficient charge
Treat charging and towing as vehicle-specific logistics to coordinate with the owner and qualified provider.
Run one visible incident path
→One owner preserves the facts and keeps several helpful people from trying several incompatible fixes.
If the vehicle is blocking flow, solve the traffic problem without pretending to solve the mechanical one. Mark the lane, assign a spotter, redirect handoffs, and use only an approved safe-movement method appropriate to that vehicle. Do not let the urgency of the curb expand the team's technical authority.
Tell the guest what is known, what has been tried, and what happens next. Avoid diagnosing a failed battery or promising a five-minute resolution. A precise update such as “the vehicle displays an immobilizer warning; we have stopped attempts and are bringing you to the car” is more useful than confident speculation.
Close the record with the resolution, outside provider, guest authorization, and any change in custody. Then review whether intake could have captured a useful note, such as a nonstandard start sequence or an unusually low charge warning, without turning every guest interaction into a technical questionnaire.
