There has been growing concern in multifamily properties regarding what I’ll call the “delivery dilemma” – carriers (FedEx, UPS, Amazon…) dumping packages in apartment lobbies, entry ways, mailrooms, and package rooms – hence packages are not tracked, residents are not notified and there’s increased risk of theft and damage.
Let’s unpack the options for property teams.
Thankfully, one of the strengths of good property staff is relationship building. The pragmatic approach one must take with a resident who has consistent complaints for being loud, can be similarly leveraged with delivery drivers - pleasantly addressing the individual, stating the issue, leveraging facts, and requesting compliance. If a heavier hand is required, know that: 1.) Carriers do have an obligation to ensure packages are delivered to the intended recipient, and 2.) You can deny them access to your property if they continue to dump packages (with the exception of USPS). 3.) Consider contacting their management company and filing a complaint this can be extremely effective. Processes and solutions that reduce theft and enable secure package delivery to the intended recipient literally save carrier companies thousands of dollars every year by preventing stolen, damaged, and misplaced packages, these organizations care.
Note: If you have just implemented a new package management system (package lockers or a secured package room), now is the time to implement change - be enthusiastic, it can rub off!
Any good package management solution will have a carrier relations team in place. Leverage them! These teams are charged with assisting properties with carrier challenges. Generally, they meet regularly with carrier management teams to discuss metrics, trends, new technology advancements and issues. Additionally, they will escalate individual carrier issues. Luxer One’s carrier relations team can be accessed through your Building Manager portal.
Without a package management system, property teams may end up notifying residents of their packages via email/text/call, and residents may depend more on the onsite team for support (“Did I get a package?”, “Where is my package?”, “ Has my package been stolen/misplaced?”). WITH a package management system, if carriers are not utilizing the system properly, the property team can scan dumped packages and let the process take over from there. This is easier to do with package lockers than package rooms.
Any package management system should be audited on a regular basis. With Luxer One this takes about 15-20 minutes (could be less or more depending on the property). Frequency varies. Rooms - daily. Lockers - weekly. This helps detect dumped or misplaced packages quickly and ensures a smoother operation.
Luxer One now offers a service called Luxer Liaison whereby an actual Luxer employee is staffed on site a set number of days a week to organize and audit packages, provide resident support, as well as hand deliver oversized and overflow packages.
Certainly, the struggle is real. But know that it’s a small percentage of carriers that create a level of havoc that cannot be easily addressed. Smart lockers and smart package rooms have changed the game. Before these solutions existed carriers would drop off packages with the leasing office (or wherever) and property teams were 100% responsible for ensuring they got to the right person through a series of post-it notes, emails and phone calls. If you are struggling and need assistance with carrier issues and you have a package management solution, be sure to reach out to your support team for help.
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