One of my favorite things in college (for there were many) was receiving a package. A care package from my sister, something I bought on Amazon (because #treatyoself), whatever. It was exciting, something to look forward to between study sessions and Netflix binges (who am I kidding it was mostly between Netflix binges). What was also terribly convenient was not having to check the mail center every day for my packages; we would always get an email notification when a package had arrived.

Flash forward to the two months I lived with my sister and her husband in Florida after graduation. Their complex never gave notifications. No notifications for packages meant whenever one of us ordered something, we were frequently checking with the front desk to see if anything had arrived (77% of package carriers try the front door first, but if a resident isn’t home, which is usually the case during the day, they then deliver it to the front desk without any notice). Had they had some sort of package tracking system in place, not only would we as the residents have benefited, but they as a property would have as well.

However, keeping track of packages is figuratively the worst. There’s a never-ending flow pouring into apartment complexes. On a daily basis some apartment communities can receive 150 packages. That number can almost double during the holidays. And then there’s the time it takes to sort through it all-- 78% of communities claim on-site staff takes between 1-5 hours to sort through these packages. One to five hours. One hour might not sound too bad, but once you hit three, you realize that’s time that could be better spent elsewhere. Another 14% of communities claim staff spends 6-10 hours managing packages, and 8% spend more than 11 hours. But with a package tracking system, the task of sorting through it all isn’t nearly as troublesome.

A package tracking system would also add in some needed security. There was one situation at my sister’s apartment where the delivery person left the package at my sister’s door instead of taking it to the front desk. My sister is usually at work from as early as eight to as late as six, her husband working similar hours, and they rarely go home for lunch. This left a lot of time where the package was just sitting there… in the open… and somebody ended up swiping it. And even when the package is left at the front desk, that doesn’t always stop theft from occurring.

Finally, according to a study¹ done by the National Multifamily Housing Council, after fitness centers, package delivery rooms/holding areas are the second most common sought-after community amenity by residents and prospects. (Which is understandable—I’d much rather simply walk to my apartment after a workout to shower than use a public shower, otherwise the package holding room would be my #1. Sadly my place has neither.)

Have some package delivery horror tales? I’d love to hear them. No, really; the schadenfreude will cheer me up at my current lack of the top two most sought after amenities.

By: Mika McIntosh

¹http://www.nmhc.org/Packages/