Automated package management systems work incredibly well for condo communities. Regardless of size, location or demographic, this is one of the three top must-have amenities to increase resident satisfaction.
E-commerce has exploded, and there is no reason to believe people will start ordering less stuff online. Consider this: Amazon Logistics processed 5.9 billion U.S. delivery orders in 2023, equivalent to 16.16 million delivery orders per day! And that’s just one company (albeit a very large one).
Table of contents
- Why do condos get so many package deliveries?
- What’s wrong with letting concierge manage packages?
- Types of lockers
- How do automated package lockers work?
- The benefits of combining a parcel system with condo management software
- What happens when a condo installs an automated parcel locker system?
Individual condo residents might place hundreds of online orders every year. Multiply that by 600 people, and you’ve got a minimum of 60,000 parcels being delivered to your building in the span of 12 months. When you think about it this way, it’s not hard to understand why an automated package management system is essential.
Why do condos get so many package deliveries?
Condo living is all about convenience, and few things are more convenient than having something delivered to your door.
Some residents may not own vehicles since they live in an urban area with a high walkability score. That means they are far more likely to get mid-sized and heavy items like small furniture, pet food, diapers and appliances, online.
What’s wrong with letting concierge manage packages?
If your condo or apartment building doesn’t have a parcel/package locker system, it is at risk of losing good residents/candidates.
That’s because without this type of system, parcels are stolen, lost or misplaced.
Yes, concierge could probably handle this responsibility for a small community, but it is a time-consuming process and an imperfect one. What happens when they need to go on break, or handle a more urgent matter?
The courier often leaves parcels in front of the desk, or in the middle of the lobby, because they don’t have time to wait around.
Furthermore, residents aren’t always alerted when concierge receives their items. One unhappy building was looking for suggestions because its building manager refused to pay for a parcel locker.
Residents were responsible for tracking deliveries and collecting their parcels from concierge.
The packages were stored in a room, organized by floor. The residents would tell concierge their name and unit number, and the staff member would go into the room and get the package … if they could find it.
Improper tracking information leads to uncertainty and confusion
But, if tracking does not exist or the information is wrong, residents don’t know when their package will show up. They either get their items late, or ask management about it every day.
Easy for staff to miss packages
If residents have more than one package in the room, staff may miss one of the boxes.
Storage room fills up fast with no formal way to notify residents
The parcel room gets full quickly, making it even harder for staff to find packages.
Staff waste valuable time
Instead of taking care of more significant responsibilities, concierge is stuck searching for an Amazon package in a room completely full of Amazon packages.
Residents are unhappy with management
Residents continue to complain to management. Satisfaction decreases, and some good tenants move out as opportunities become available.
Management must also spend additional time addressing the complaints in some capacity, even if they do not have intentions of installing lockers.
There are many downsides to leaving package management to concierge, but the main issue is that everyone is unhappy with the existing solution.
Types of lockers
Parcel lockers keep packages safe and residents happy. Some condo communities may be apprehensive about committing to a locker due to the size or cost.
However, locker systems are highly customizable and can fit in practically any vacant space. Did you know that there are different types of lockers, too? Some companies may even let you combine different modules.
- Indoor and outdoor – Lockers could be placed outside under shelter if space is tight inside
- Outbound domestic shipping – residents can use these lockers to return items to vendors
- Key concierge and item exchange – a dog sitter can retrieve the key from a locker instead of asking the front desk
- Laundry – get dry cleaning delivered and prevent clothes from wrinkling
- Temperature controlled – store perishable groceries or even frozen items
- Oversized – even mattresses and TVs can be stored safely with oversized lockers
As for the price, lockers aren’t cheap, but in most cases, they pay for themselves by reducing costs associated with labor. Not only does concierge have more time to assist residents, but management will see a big reduction in complaints associated with parcels.
The average entry-level parcel locker system costs anywhere from $15,000 – $25,000, but that doesn’t always include installation and maintenance fees.
How do automated package lockers work?
Automated parcel lockers are effective because they “communicate” with couriers and recipients, eliminating the need for a middleman (traditionally concierge). The parcels integrate with digital systems for monitoring, authentication, and communication.
Delivering and registering packages
The master locker component has a digital screen that couriers use to open individual compartments and deliver items.
First, they enter a unique code or digital key created for their company. Then, they search for the recipient’s name using a resident directory. Management is responsible for creating and updating the directory.
Next, they scan a barcode to register the package. They may be prompted to take a photo of the parcel too if the locker system has a camera.
The system generally asks for information about the parcel to determine if it needs a small, medium or large compartment. A door will open, the courier leaves it in the locker, and closes the door. This part of the process is now complete.
Picking up packages
Residents will receive a notification as soon as the package has been registered to them in the system.
Depending on the system and the resident’s communication preferences, a text message, email or app notification will be sent to the recipient. They will also receive a QR code or passcode, and locker number to access their package.
If there were no lockers available, or the item was too large, the courier may leave a note when registering it, instructing the resident to see concierge.
The resident will come to the lockers and use this same screen to unlock the compartment and access their package.
If packages are not retrieved within a certain amount of time, usually 24 hours, a reminder will be sent to the recipient so that parcels aren’t sitting around for too long.
The benefits of combining an automated parcel system with condo management software
Automated parcel locker systems do a great job of minimizing missing packages and missed delivery problems. But it’s not a perfect solution on its own.
As mentioned earlier, management still has to upload and update resident data into the directory in order for couriers to assign parcels to the correct recipients.
Fortunately, this problem can be eliminated by integrating a parcel management system with a condo management software platform like Condo Control.
Streamline data entry
Instead of having to add every resident to the locker system’s directory, management can use the information that already exists in the condo management software system.
Plus, the one-way push synchronization of resident data from the condo management software to the parcel management system eliminates the need for management to make changes in both platforms. If you make an update in condo Control, that change automatically appears in the locker system directory. As a result, new residents never have to deal with the disappointment of missing deliveries just because their name didn’t get added to the locker system in time.
Send announcements to remind residents about peak delivery period protocols
Parcels come flooding in from Black Friday until after Christmas. This can create renewed havoc for condo communities, as locker compartments fill up and couriers end up dumping parcels beside the lockers. Suddenly, condos are facing the same problems they were experiencing before they installed parcel lockers.
Management can get ahead of the chaos by sending reminders to residents about parcel pickup protocols before the busy shopping season starts.
One community was so tired of the holiday parcel mess that the board president decided to issue fines to residents who left their packages in the lockers for more than 48 hours. While not every community has the authority to enforce fines, it is one effective way to encourage people to collect their items in a timely manner.
What happens when a condo installs an automated parcel locker system?
Automated parcel locker systems are desired by most residents. Not only do they keep expensive purchases safe, but they are also convenient and practical. Resident satisfaction goes up when automated locker systems are involved.
Furthermore, productivity increases for concierge staff who no longer have to spend half of their shift collecting, organizing, and distributing packages.
Finally, management has fewer complaints to address since parcels no longer end up in the wrong hands. Automated package management systems work, and are definitely worth purchasing.
