ON-RAMP : Clash of the Car Coddlers

Maureen Sullivan may have proved that women are kinder, gentler drivers, but when it comes to business rivalries, forget it. When Sullivan founded the Beverly Hills-based Valettes in 1978, it was the only all-female valet service in town. She had a difficult time getting insurance until she unearthed statistics proving what she had always suspected--that females in their mid-20s had fewer accidents than men.

The Valettes began working the Beverly Hills party circuit with one event a week. But bookings quickly increased. Then, in 1982, Sullivan hired Dana Hartley as a parker. After six months, Hartley quit and created the Malibu-based Valet Girls.

Both deny any animosity, but neither described their relationship as friendly. “I’m sure she stole a few ideas after she left,” says Sullivan, 42. “I picked up a lot of pointers,” says Hartley, 40, “but I thought I could run a better business.”

The two do agree that women, especially mothers, handle cars with a lighter touch. “Mothers are great parkers--it’s almost as if they always think there’s a baby in the back seat,” says Hartley. One-quarter of Hartley’s 80-member crew are mothers; Sullivan has six among her 40 Valettes.

Both companies charge about the same (just under $20 an hour per parker with a four-hour minimum) and dole out roses to women drivers and passengers. But the similar approaches have created scores of mix-ups for clients who are oblivious to the rivalry. One of Sullivan’s clients once called Valet Girls by mistake and asked for Sullivan. “They said I was out of the office, and took the job,” says Sullivan. “I thought that was a good one.”