In Praise of Volvo Valet

So my local Volvo dealer this year started participating in the Volvo valet service. If you're not familiar with it, let me explain and tell you that it is wonderful.

In the past, my dealer always provided a free loaner car when my vehicle was in for service. It was convenient, and one of the reasons I continued to do business with Volvo over other brands. I really liked the idea of not needing to have someone follow me to the dealership to drop my car off to be serviced and bring me home—then take me back to the dealership when the car was ready to pick up.

With Volvo Valet, the dealer sends a driver to your house, usually with a loaner vehicle. The driver leaves the loaner for you, takes your vehicle back to be serviced, and then returns your vehicle when service has been completed. The dealer keeps you abreast of what's happening with your car or SUV throughout the whole process, sending text messages and emails, telling you when it's arrived at the shop, telling you what's wrong with the car, and, if there’s a problem, how much it will cost. You can authorize the service by text or email—or call them if you like-and also given an option to pay online when your car is done. So it's a very seamless, contactless free way to do business.

Volvo has also embedded practices to make its valet service safe while we're dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The driver who brings the car wipes down the loaner vehicle inside before leaving it for you. He drops the key into your hand from a plastic bag that he carries with him, or her, then you drop your key for your car into that plastic bag. And off he or she goes. When your car is brought back, the driver wipes it down inside so that you are safe.

This is one of those services that falls under the category of you wouldn't know how much you like it until you try it. I have a brother-in-law who for years has owned Lexuses and more recently a BMW. His dealers always provided this service, picking up his vehicle, taking it into the shop and bringing it back. I thought what Volvo offered with a free loaner was pretty similar, and that it was not worth worrying about. Now that I've used Volvo valet, however, I can't imagine ever going back to the old way.

For now, Volvo is reimbursing dealers to provide the Volvo Valet service. So it costs customers like me nothing. I don't know how long this will last. And if it does end, I don't know what Volvo will start charging to provide it. I hope it's not much. If it were a modest charge, it would certainly be worthwhile. In my case, it's about a one hour round trip to take my car out to be serviced and then to go pick it up. So that's two hours of my life that I get back by not having to do this.

In short, I hope Volvo keeps the Volvo Valet program, and I hope that if your dealer isn’t providing it, it does soon. It really is a great service.

This 2020 Volvo S60 was the loaner dropped off by the Volvo Valet delivery service for our use while our S80 was being serviced.