Luxe

All posts by Curtis Lee

May 01 2015
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May Promo Pricing A

May We Park For You?

By Curtis Lee | Luxe News | No Comments

We’re excited to announce our promotional pricing for May for our awesome Luxe users in San Francisco. We’ll only be charging a maximum of $10 on weeknights for cars parked after 7pm and $5 for all-day parking on Sundays. We know that you work hard all week and the last thing you want is more stress in your life. So let us handle the parking for you.

Whether you’re going to a Barry’s Boot Camp in SOMA or SoulCycle in the Marina after work, we can park for you. Whether you’re going to a concert at the Symphony or a performance at the Opera, we can park for you. Whether you’re going to Sunday brunch at Foreign Cinema or a movie at AMC Van Ness, we can park for you.

Our valets have saved the day for many of you, now let them save your nights and weekends too.

Curtis

 

 

Apr 09 2015
1

Greater Reliability: Peak Pricing

By Curtis Lee | Luxe News | No Comments
Two years ago, we set out to change the way people think about parking. We launched a revolutionary service that would improve the lives of drivers by removing the headache of finding parking while delivering great value. It was a bold and ambitious mission, but based on your overwhelmingly positive response to Luxe, we had a real impact:

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We’re flattered by all the great feedback and support we’ve received from our happy Luxe customers, but there’s more work to be done. During rush hour in the mornings and evenings when we get a huge surge of demand, some customers have had to wait too long for their cars to be returned and others weren’t able to get matched with an available valet at all. The reason is that we don’t have enough valets to meet our exploding demand. We need to incentivize more valets to be available during times of peak demand. We are committed to providing the highest level of service and the best experience for customers. In order to maintain these high standards, we are introducing Peak Pricing.

We’ve put a lot of thought into this decision and for the past month, we’ve been encouraging more of our valets to work in the mornings and evenings by paying bonuses during those times. We saw a 50% increase in workforce turnout, 70% reduction in unfulfilled reservations, and 30% reduction in car return wait times, all resulting in a 95%+ reservation fill rate. So we know that increased pay to our valets certainly gets them to don the blue jacket more often. Our valets are awesome individuals who have many job alternatives, so incentivizing them makes a ton of sense. And we know that more valets means fewer rejected customers, faster return times, and the best possible service.

We will be introducing Peak Pricing tomorrow, Friday, April 10th. Our goal is to maximize the total number of parks and availability by incentivizing our valets to work during peak times through variable pricing based on demand. Peak Pricing will be clearly displayed to customers at the beginning of their reservation via a notification display showing a multiple of our base rate.

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We realize that our customers love Luxe because of the convenience AND value. When demand is high, the price may increase, but will still be a better value than parking in your local garage. Consequently, when supply increases and demand decreases, rates will automatically drop. All of this means greater coverage, shorter return times, more dependability and reliability, and continued value; everybody wins.

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We know change can be hard, but if our ultimate goal is to be the best, most available and dependable service, this is a big step in the right direction. There will be more Luxe valets on the streets and you, our awesome customers, will benefit. Thanks everyone for all of your support. As a show of our gratitude, use this code PEAK to get $20 of Luxe credits during the introductory Peak Pricing period (expires April 30).

Lastly, we also offer flat monthly parking rates for power users. If you’re interested, please email us at [email protected].

Thanks,
Curtis
Co-founder, CEO - Luxe

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Mar 03 2015
5

Growing Luxe

By Curtis Lee | Luxe News | No Comments

When Craig and I started building Luxe in 2013, we began with a very simple premise: fixing a problem we both experienced every single day - parking in San Francisco. As we built the product and business we knew we were onto something, but nothing could have prepared us for the incredible growth, engagement and excitement we’ve seen in the last year and a half.

A few metrics from just the last 180 days spell this out:

  • 90% month over month increase in new customer sign ups
  • 97% month over month increase in parking requests
  • 2x week: average number of parks by our customer base in SF & LA

We’re excited to share several major updates:

  1. Android’s finally here!
    We appreciate the patience from our Android community as our team built you the best app possible - including Google Wallet integration and several new features that make the most of the Android platform. You can download it here.
  2. Boston, Chicago & Seattle: we’re on our way
    Luxe is going national. We’ve heard from many of you in other cities and you’ve made it clear that you want Luxe. Next up will be Chicago, Boston and Seattle, who will all have a new way to park by the end of April. Sign up for the Luxe waitlist in Boston, Chicago or Seattle and we’ll make sure you’re among the first to park.
  3. Funding and growing the Luxe team
    Finally, we’ve raised a $20M Series A from Venrock, Redpoint, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Data Collective and BoxGroup as well as angel investors Dave Morin, Mark & Ali Pincus, Gary Vaynerchuk, Gil Penchina, Rick Marini, Fritz Lanman and Jason Kilar. This funding will help us bring Luxe to even more cities this year, as well as continue to build out our team with great engineers, operators, designers and product leads that are driven to put technology to work in solving real problems. And on that note, we’re thrilled to welcome Ro Choy to Luxe as our Chief Business Officer this month.

Going from an idea, to having a dedicated team of 30+ (currently hiring more!) building a technology platform that solves one of the worst pain points of city living in such a short time has been incredible and humbling. We can’t wait to bring Luxe to more people and we’re thankful to all of our customers.

Happy Parking,
Curtis

P.S. We have an infographic below that shows our progress so far, enjoy!

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Dec 17 2014
4

#MeetLuxe: Startup Ops Manager by way of Afghanistan

By Curtis Lee | Luxe Team, Meet Luxe | No Comments

James joined Luxe after four years with the U.S. Marine Corps where he was an Infantry and Intelligence Officer deployed to Afghanistan in 2013. We took a few minutes with him for this week’s #MeetLuxe.

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What do you do at Luxe?

As an Operations Manager, my job is to secure parking inventory and create strategic partnerships that help build Luxe across the country. One of my favorite parts of the job is having the autonomy and freedom to execute, but also working alongside the team to take our vision and turn it into reality.

What does startup life have in common with the Marines?

Everything. In the Marine Corps, we are given challenges called ‘endstates’ where you’re given a goal - and no guidance or resources to get it done. Sometimes you fall flat on your face, sometimes you succeed, but either way you learn a ton. Being at an early stage startup like Luxe - which is creating not just a new company and product, but a new category - we are presented with constant endstates. We know our goal, but we don’t have a model or map, so we try everything to get the job done.

What’s your favorite part of San Francisco?

Three weeks ago I would have said the weather. But in all seriousness, I love SF. My favorite neighborhood is Russian Hill - it feels like the Upper East Side with older buildings, and has that old city feel.

How do people respond when you tell them about Luxe?

I tell them Luxe is making city parking better for everyone - the consumer, and the operators - and people get excited. Especially my parents, who live in New York and are already huge fans of Luxe. They beg me to get Luxe to New York ASAP. :)

Nov 24 2014
3

#MeetLuxe: Partner Ryan Cole of Stones Throw

By Curtis Lee | Meet Luxe, Uncategorized | No Comments

One of Luxe’s first local business partners, Stones Throw, is a Russian Hill neighborhood gem drawing diners from not only all over the Bay Area — but all over the country — to enjoy its renowned California/American cuisine and friendly, fun environment. We took a minute to chat with Stones Throw owner Ryan Cole and hear his thoughts after his first month of partnering with Luxe to help his customers get to the good part faster: dining!

 

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Why did Stones Throw decide to be one of Luxe’s first local partners?

Because of my early work to partner with Uber and OpenTable, I’m pitched by tech companies nearly every week on new products relevant to local businesses and restaurants. I always make time to listen to what new companies have to say, because you never know when something great will cross your path. That said, most of the time it’s not a fit, or the solution I’m being pitched would actually create more work for us — but Luxe was different.

What made Luxe different from other tech companies you hear about?

Luxe actually solves a real problem. Here in Russian Hill, parking is as close to impossible as it gets. And as a city restaurant without a white zone in front and no parking garage nearby, we don’t have many options for our guests from the East Bay, South Bay and others who drive in. We suggest they don’t drive or even park in garages a couple miles away and then take an Uber over, but most still drive and go through the ordeal of looking for a parking spot. It can take more than 30 minutes to find a spot, and some never even find one.

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How does Luxe help Stones Throw?

I want people to come into Stones Throw already happy, and I think it’s part of my job to help with that. Uber has been a great partner for people who don’t need to drive, and now we can recommend Luxe for the people who do need to drive in. They can park in seconds — versus circling the block for half an hour — arrive on time and, of course, happy.

What do your customers say about Luxe?

We tell every customer with a reservation to try Luxe if they’re driving in. San Franciscans like to be the first to know about something, so it’s fun to see people get excited to get into Luxe early through bypassing the waitlist with our partnership. I think people are really intrigued by the idea and when they try it, can’t believe it exists!

Nov 16 2014
3

LA, We’ve Got Your Spot

By Curtis Lee | Luxe News, Uncategorized | No Comments

The best part about what we do here at Luxe is hearing feedback from our community. Every day we hear stories about how Luxe is making life easier — helping people make it to meetings on time, saving money and perhaps best of all, spending more time doing what they love. Little things like like getting back early to their kids, arriving to their dinner without circling the block or simply having an extra 15 minutes to grab a coffee before the work day begins all add up.

We’re heartened that just three weeks after launching, Luxe is quickly becoming a habit here in San Francisco. In that short time, over two thirds of our first time customers have parked again with Luxe, and over 30 percent of them use our additional services, like filling up the tank and getting a car washed - saving even more of their time.

That’s why we’re excited to bring Luxe to a city that needs a parking solution just as much, if not more, than San Francisco. We’re announcing today that Luxe LA will be available next month.

Why LA next? Known best for its traffic, parking in LA is not for the faint of heart. With a total of four million daily commuters, a whopping three million of them drive - and the amount of parking tickets in 2012 — $153M — gives you a hint of the pain LA residents face when it comes to parking.

Luxe LA will change all that. We’ll begin with two of the city’s toughest areas to park, Venice and Santa Monica. We’ll be rolling service out to LA residents and kicking off partnerships with local businesses and building our on-demand valet fleet over the next several weeks. You can sign up here to be one of the first ones to park Luxe LA - the first in will get a free park.

Happy parking, soon in LA!

Nov 05 2014
8

A Day in the Life of a Luxe Valet: Meet Josh

By Curtis Lee | Luxe Team, Meet Luxe | No Comments

Asked about the most unique parking experience he’s ever had, Luxe Valet Manager Josh smiles and shares a recent story: “We had a customer request a pick-up via the app and just a few seconds later he called our Customer Service number. He let us know that his car only turns on by lifting the hood, jiggling a wire that’s duct taped to the engine, and only then could you turn the key in the ignition to get it to start. He wanted to know if we could still park his car.” Josh let him know that wouldn’t be a problem and upon meeting the customer at his requested destination, he made sure that he videotaped the process with his phone to ensure he knew exactly how to turn it on and off. He safely parked — and then successfully restarted — the customer’s car.

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Prior to joining Luxe earlier this year, Josh had worked as a valet for seven years in Nashville, Tennessee. He recently moved to San Francisco to pursue his music career: he’s a saxophonist and has also sang back-up for Taylor Swift. To help support his music passion, he looked to get back into valeting cars. He was connected with Luxe where he was quickly promoted to Shift Captain. In his current role, he does everything from valet cars to manage shift schedules to recruit and train new valets.

Many of Luxe’s customers may have already met Josh, but given his unique role with the company, we thought it would be fun to give a peek into what goes into becoming a Luxe Valet, how these valets get around at lightning speed, as well as Josh’s own tips and tricks for unique ways to use the service.

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Oct 23 2014
5

Meet Luxe: The new way to park.

By Curtis Lee | Luxe News | No Comments

18 months ago, we began working on a problem every major city in the U.S. shares: parking. Here in San Francisco, the numbers illustrate the issue well - last year alone, 70,000 cars were towed; the median price to park in a city lot reached $29 (that’s nearly $400/month), 30 percent of traffic was caused by parking, and perhaps worst of all, the average time it took to park was 27 minutes. But none of us that live or work here in SF need those stats to understand the problem — just try to drive downtown from the peninsula and find parking on a Giants game day, or attempt to find a spot in time for your dinner reservation in the Mission on a Friday night. At best it’s brutal, at worst it’s impossible.

Well, it was impossible, but not anymore! Our team is excited to introduce you to Luxe, a new way to park — quickly, conveniently, and affordably. Luxe changes absolutely everything about parking, beginning with one simple innovation: we do the parking for you.

Simply download our free iPhone app to join our quickly moving waitlist, tell us where you’re headed in San Francisco and one of our pre-screened trained valets will meet you there the moment you arrive, grab the keys, and park your car in one of our secured lots. You head off to work, an appointment, or dinner, on time and relaxed. We’ll even fuel up your tank or get you a car wash while your car is with Luxe. Once you’re ready to go, we’ll bring your car to you, even if you’re in a different neighborhood. All of this for a max of $15 a day and $5/hour.
We’re also excited to be partnering with three amazing San Francisco restaurants, AQ, Stones Throw, and Alta CA who will be offering their customers the ability to bypass the Luxe wait list and get a complimentary first park with Luxe.

We are grateful to our investors, Redpoint Ventures, Google Ventures, Sherpa Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Upfront Ventures, Foundation Capital, BoxGroup, Slow Ventures, Data Collective, Eniac Ventures, Rothenberg Ventures, as well as others, who have given us the support we needed as we’ve developed our core technology, grown our team of veterans from Google, Zynga, Tesla, Yahoo!, and Groupon, and recruited the city’s best and brightest valets to serve our customers. We’re at the very beginning of a new adventure in transforming parking from a necessary nightmare to a delightful part of city life, and we can’t wait to help more people get to the good part of their days faster - and of course bring Luxe’s on demand parking service to more cities.

Happy parking,

Curtis Lee

Luxe CEO

@curtislee