OGDEN — Folks don’t usually complain when a service is free. But Margaret James isn’t happy that one group won’t — or can’t — take her money anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, the 77-year-old Ogden woman was at McKay-Dee Hospital for a medical test. As usual, she used the valet parking at the hospital. But when she went to tip the valet parking attendants, they told her they couldn’t accept her money.

She couldn’t believe it, and immediately contacted the Standard-Examiner.

“They’re so helpful. They’ll bring a wheelchair out, and even help you into it,” James said. “And that particular day the wind was blowing, and it was colder than blue blazes out.”

James said she likes having the option to tip the valet for services rendered.

“I like to show appreciation for good people when they help me out,” she said. “And these guys work really hard.”

A spokeswoman for McKay-Dee Hospital confirmed that valet parking attendants couldn’t accept tips.

“Our valet program is a complementary service,” Melissa Oveson said. “Our policy is that we don’t accept tips for that service.”

The idea behind the no-tipping policy was to make sure the service is available to all, according to Oveson. When patients who clearly would benefit from valet parking are asked why they don’t avail themselves of the service, they often reply, “Because I can’t afford to tip them.”

“It sounds like the change was made to make the service available to everybody,” Oveson said.

The spokeswoman said the no-tipping policy has been around for a couple of years, but James — who has to have medical tests done every couple of months at the hospital — said she was able to tip on her last visit in October.

“Up until about a month ago, they could,” James said of accepting tips.

Jennifer Jensen, human resources manager at McKay-Dee, couldn’t speak about specific salaries, but said the valets are employees of the hospital, and that — unlike a server at a restaurant — they’re compensated adequately without the tips.

“I can tell you they make more than minimum wage,” Jensen said.

Oveson said the valets at McKay-Dee park between 75 and 95 cars a day, although that number drops on the weekends.

Over at Ogden Regional Medical Center in Washington Terrace, the hospital contracts with Valet Parking Services out of Salt Lake City.

“It’s a free service we offer,” said Craig Bielik, director of marketing and public relations for the hospital. “As such, we don’t allow tipping.”

Bielik said hospital administrators never want someone who needs a little extra assistance to avoid the valet parking because they couldn’t afford it.

“It’s a completely free service,” Bielik stressed. “Like the drinking fountain.”

Bielik said Ogden Regional Medical Center has offered valet parking for six or seven years.

“We have a lot of patients with mobility issues,” Bielik said. “Valet parking is a good service, and we realize a lot of folks are on a fixed income. So we did away with tipping years ago.”

Oveson did say the McKay-Dee Hospital valets are allowed to accept “non-monetary tips.”

“They can’t take money, but if you’d like to bring in a plate of cookies or a holiday treat..” Oveson suggested.

Explained James: “I can’t bake.”

Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272, or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SEMarkSaal.