Residential landlords have been busy in recent months preparing their properties so they’re safe for tenants following the COVID-19 pandemic. The preparations have included deep cleanings, installing hands free entryways, improving HVAC systems for better air filtration and more. Now with the holiday season fast approaching, landlords have another tenant accommodation to consider—package reception.
According to global automated locker solutions provider Package Concierge®, online shopping transactions and deliveries have already passed last year’s total. The online shopping spike is most likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been less willing to shop at stores when what they need can be delivered to their home in matter of days. The trend is expected to continue throughout the holiday season—e-commerce is projected to reach a record 15% of all sales in the U.S. during that timeframe.
Package Concierge makes it easier for landlords, staff to receive deliveries
Package Concierge recently announced its Room system, which will provide property owners with an alternative space for carrier pick-up of outbound and return packages. The solution operates with intuitive software, making it easier for carrier use. It can be deployed on its own or paired with Package Concierge’s smart locker solutions. Either way properties’ onsite staff members will no longer have worry about package management and can shift their priorities to other building matters and addressing tenants’ needs.
“The operational efficiencies that an automated Package Concierge® smart locker system or package room provide are a huge game-changer for property managers,” Package Concierge Head of Marketing Donna Logback told Connected Real Estate Magazine. “Right now, around 20% of residents per property receive at least one package per day. Depending on the size of a property; that could mean staff are spending on average five hours a day processing and sorting packages, instead of assisting residents. Properties who want to get out of the package business and back to running their business still have time to quickly pivot to an access-controlled package room and begin relieving the pressure on their staff just in time for the holidays.”
Additionally, Package Concierge’s solutions serve both the property manager and their tenants. Build staff members will get help handling the significant package volume increase during the holidays, while tenants will gain a contactless solution to retrieve their deliveries.
“In order to accommodate the rush, we’re seeing the popularity of Package Rooms surge because they deliver a seamless, low-contact solution that can be quickly rolled out—and can also serve as an easy entry point for automated package management, as well as support the expansion of an existing solution,” Logback said.
With software-based systems comes the need for strong connectivity
Landlords can do their building staff and tenants a big favor by using a solution like Package Concierge to create an alternate space for package pickups and returns. This is especially true during a pandemic when more people are shopping online—and that trend will only increase during the holiday season.
Given Package Concierge’s solutions are software based, it’ll be imperative for property owners to have strong in-building wireless connectivity for the system to work properly. The connectivity issue should be addressed regardless, since many of the in-building COVID-19 safety measures building owners are taking rely on wireless networks. This delivery solution just highlights the importance of connectivity because it’s so automated—once a package is delivered to the locker system, the tenant will receive a notification that it’s ready for pickup and can retrieve it with the barcode in the notification or app. The last thing a property owner wants is for a tenant to miss out on a notification that a time-sensitive package was delivered because the network was down.
“The Package Concierge® smart apartment lockers and access-controlled package rooms run on proprietary software that makes delivering and retrieving packages fast and simple; strong in-building connectivity is as essential for our systems as it is to the residents and property staff for their day-to-day lives,” Logback told Connected.
Joe Dyton can be reached at joed@fifthgenmedia.com.
