Pub. 5 2020 Issue 3

14 www.ctaahq.org P ackage management has become one of the most im- portant apartment amenities to residents and one of the most frustrating to property managers today. According to the 2016 National Multi-Housing Council’s study of renter preferences, package acceptance had already become more important to residents than free WiFi. With the increase of same-day delivery by Amazon and other eCommerce sources, package acceptance, storage, and delivery is a must. If you don’t have a package management plan in your policy and procedure manual, it’s time to create one. Having the office staff accept a package for a resident was once a courtesy, but to compete in the market and satisfy residents, it is now considered a necessity. Many landlords and property management companies have tried to push back by saying they simply don’t have the physical room for the massive amount of packages or the staff to handle the constant flow of residents stopping in to collect their parcels. That’s a bit like the ostrich putting its head in the sand. It won’t make the issue go away. Online shopping is not a fad. It’s here to stay and has changed the landscape of purchasing just about anything, including animals and automobiles. Best practice is to embrace it and determine the best way for your community and staff to accept and manage it. If you don’t, you may be passed over for the community next door that has already put their plan into practice. The above mentioned 2016 study estimated that it took one hour of staff time to handle 10 packages, averaged at five to six minutes of staff time per package. For a 250-unit property, that equated to three hours of staff time to handle an average of 30 packages per day, or $2.08/package. Your package management plan should be specific to your company and your property. Be sure to consider available space for storage. For example, should an additional external storage building be installed? Is the staff able to carry out and maintain such a plan? Additionally, the plan should address seasonal buying habits related to holidays and staffing accordingly. Also, consider package lockers with “smart lock” access, USB bar code scanners on smartphones, and refrigerated storage for perishables such as flowers and food deliveries. No matter the place and space, consider whether you are going to “sign” for the packages and log them in, or not. Lost and or “stolen” packages create ill will. Many communities will accept but not be held responsible for resident packages. THEY JUST KEEP COMING … PACKAGES HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE By Elaine M Simpson