Now that Halloween is behind us and the holidays are on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about something that’s even more frightening than creepy clowns and the walking dead — and that’s the impending onslaught of parcels being delivered to your properties.
Due to increased adoption of online shopping over the past few years, the bottlenecks and issues created by a plethora of parcels arriving at the front desks of condos and apartment buildings has been getting a fair amount of attention in our industry, with some major property management players going so far as refusing the delivery of parcels at their properties.
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During the holiday season, the number of packages coming through your doors is likely to at least double, as residents seek the convenience of finding the perfect gifts for friends and family online. No doubt this will create extra work for your staff, as they have to sign for packages and then notify the corresponding residents of their availability for pick up. Residents also sometimes contribute to the extra workload, as they contact your office to inquire if their expected package(s) has arrived yet.
But quite honestly, at this point the only thing you can do to address the problem in time for this holiday shopping season is to help your staff to be prepared for it. Depending on the size of the property being considered, the solution might be to allocate a staff member to sign for packages at peak delivery hours, and then notify residents of their arrival. This could also be used as an opportunity for the assigned team member to “check in” with the residents that they come in contact with, to get a sense of their overall satisfaction and discover if there are any issues about the property that they are not satisfied with.
Related Post: How Property Managers Can Avoid the Pitfalls of Parcels
However, looking to the future, we can say with some degree of certainty that the popularity of shopping online is only going to increase over time — regardless of the time of year. That being said, here are two viable permanent solutions to the problem:
Parcel Lockers
Parcel lockers installed at your properties facilitate the storage of packages until residents are able to pick them up at their own convenience. The delivery person simply leaves the package in a locker — which requires zero staff involvement — and then sends the corresponding resident a retrieval code via text, email or voicemail. Using the code, the resident is able to pick up their package any time 24/7 that is convenient for them. This solution requires the installation of lockers in a location that is easily accessible, while not negatively impacting traffic flow or the aesthetic appeal of a common area.
Parcel Delivery Tracking
Integrated property management portals can also organize and simplify the process of receiving packages and notifying residents. When a package is signed for, the staff member enters it into the management portal (which can be done remotely from any device) and a pick up notice is automatically sent to the recipient via the resident portal. On the intended recipient side, they no longer have to contact the front desk or office to inquire about their package. They can simply check the current status and pick up location on the portal.
As with many changes that come along, the popularity of online shopping does present some challenges for your property management organization. However with the right approach, those challenges can be turned into opportunities to better serve your customers while protecting your bottom line.
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Get your free copy of The Property Manager’s Guide to Proactive Management — and make the time necessary to plan for an extraordinary future.
