Package delivery volume skyrockets during the holiday season, and parcel carriers have their work cut out for them. Companies like USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon rise to the challenge by hiring seasonal drivers to keep up with the massive amount of deliveries.

Here are 4 tips to help make the delivery process as smooth as possible during this hectic, high-volume time of year.

 

1. Keep Extra Carrier Instruction Sheets Handy

 

Make it easy for new drivers to learn the ropes! Prepare a stack of Carrier Instruction Sheets with the carrier name and access codes already filled out—you can provide these to seasonal drivers to help them quickly learn how to deliver to the package lockers for the first time.

 

2. Increase Signage to Guide Carriers

 

Place signs around your property that direct carriers to your package delivery area. Get creative! You can match your signage to your community’s branding. Or, ask your Luxer One representative for generic Luxer-branded signs.

 

3. Manage Overflow

 

Most package management systems are sized for normal delivery volume, not the 2-week peak period right before Christmas, when package volume can nearly double. If your system fills to capacity, you may need to help out during this short period, to make it simple for carriers to keep delivering.

 

Option 1: Oversized Locker

 

If you have an Oversized locker, or have paired your Luxer Lockers with a Luxer Room, have overflow packages delivered there for worry-free overflow.

 

Option 2: Accept Extra Deliveries at Leasing Office

 

You can temporarily stray from your policy and accept the overflow in your leasing office. At the end of the day when lockers become available again, you can manually deliver them before leaving.

 

 

4. Here to Help

 

As always, we’re here to help you have a smooth experience! If you need additional assistance with the carriers, please ask for our Carrier Relations team at support@luxerone.com or 415-390-0123.

Your residents receive more packages during the winter holidays than any other time of year. Here are 5 tips to help them pick up their deliveries faster, make sure they never miss a package, and to spread the joy and excitement of the holiday season.

1. Encourage Faster Pickup

 

During this busy package time, you’ll want your residents to pick up packages quickly to open up space for more deliveries. Luxer One’s notifications already have a holiday rush reminder, but you can also ask your residents to pick up their packages as quickly as possible as a service to their fellow neighbors.

 

2. Make Contacting Support Easy

 

Make it easy for residents to contact Luxer One Support. Whenever you email residents about packages, include a link to LuxerOne.com and the contact information for our support team: support@luxerone.com and 415-390-0123. You can also add this information to your resident portal, so your residents can easily contact us directly with questions 24/7.

3. Remind Residents to Use Vacation Hold Feature

 

Are your residents going on vacation? Remind them about Luxer One’s free Vacation Hold feature. You can pull their packages out of the lockers to free up space for other deliveries, and instead of being returned to sender, your residents’ packages will be waiting for them when they come home, free of charge.

4. Text Message Notifications

 

Encourage your residents to add their cell phone numbers to their Luxer One profile. They’ll get text message alerts in addition to emails when they receive a package, speeding up package pickup and ensuring that no packages are missed due to a lost email.

 

5. Seasonal Surprises

 

Add to the joy of gift-giving season! As a special treat, you can place small knick-knacks with a “surprise” postcard in the lockers awaiting pick-up. Your residents will get a little moment of joy and encouragement to continue picking up their packages. (If you do this, make sure to open lockers using the admin portal.)

 

Barrier #1: The delivery experience is inconsistent. 

When you install automated package lockers in your apartment complex, you’re telling your residents that all the inconveniences surrounding package pickup – restrictive office hours, stolen or missing packages, waiting for staff assistance – are over. If your locker system can’t actually accept all packages, and residents can realistically only expect half of their deliveries to go to the lockers, residents can be disappointed and less motivated to support it.

Solution:

Choose a locker or room system that can truly accept 100% of packages. About 20% of packages don’t fit in standard lockers, so make sure to include an oversized locker in your locker system. Some oversized lockers can also double as overflow solutions, so you’ll be prepared if your lockers fill up – which can become a real risk when package volume spikes during the holiday season.

A house account is a key feature that brings package acceptance to 100%. It allows carriers to successfully deliver packages with misspelled or incorrect names, instead of returning them to the facility.

 

Barrier #2: New residents fall through the cracks.

Turnover is inevitable in multifamily apartments, and new residents can’t sign up for a package management system if they don’t know how to.

Solution: 

Include information in your welcome packet or welcome email to introduce new residents to your package lockers or package room.

Make sure that your package management software integrates seamlessly with your property management software. Software integration makes it easy for your information to automatically stay up to date, and ensures that your locker system always reflects the most accurate resident information in your rent-roll.

Luxer One software intergrates with all major package management software – read more about our Yardi coverage here.

 

Barrier #3: You charge for basic use.

At first glance, charging your residents to use your lockers can seem appealing. However, most renters see the ability to receive packages at their home as a basic right, and if you start to charge for that basic right, you risk pushing residents to opt out of the system. Properties that don’t charge residents for basic use see 100% adoption rates, compared to 40-60% adoption rates at locations that charge.

 

Solution: 

The simplest solution is to not charge at all. However, if you do want to use your lockers to generate extra income, there are ways to do it strategically.

If you’re going to charge for basic use, instead of charge a recurring monthly fee, consider a one-time sign-up fee instead. You can go through your package locker vendor to handle the fees, or simply charge it through your own billing system so residents won’t need to add their credit cards to their locker accounts – which in itself can be a barrier to adoption.

 

 

More effective, though, are avoidable or optional fees. These methods are a useful way to generate extra income without inviting resident pushback. For example, you can charge a small “package hold” fee to residents who take longer than 24-48 hours to pick up their packages. Residents are more comfortable knowing they have the power to avoid a fee if they pick up their package on time, or if they put their account on hold.

The best way to charge residents and keep them happy? Offer them outbound shipping. Residents are typically more than willing to pay a small fee to ship outbound packages straight from the lockers, in the comfort of their home. You add value to their lives by helping them skip a trip to the mail center, and they’ll gladly pay a premium for that!

To learn more about charging residents for package locker use, explore our whitepaper on the topic.

 

Barrier #4: Residents don’t feel supported.

In all aspects of life and renting, residents want to know that if something goes wrong, they can get help quickly. This is especially true for a new technology. Residents are much more willing to opt into a system that guarantees customer support than one that doesn’t.

 

Solution: 

Make sure that your package management company has a reliable and accessible customer service team. Residents should be able to contact support via both phone and email, in order to meet all resident preferences. Because the locker system allows residents to pick up packages 24/7, residents should be able to reach out to support at all times as well.

 

Barrier #5: Residents are averse to new technology.

Some residents can be uncomfortable with change or with new technology, even when the tech is designed to improve their experience in apartment living.

 

Solution: 

Make sure that the user interface of your package management system is as simple and user-friendly as possible. When a resident interacts with lockers, how to use it should be self-explanatory. At the very least, it shouldn’t be a frustrating experience; ensure your software doesn’t have delays in its responsiveness. Ideally, the interface should be enjoyable to use even for residents who are initially hesitant about the new technology.

To help achieve this, Luxer One developed a straightforward interface that puts ease of use first. Luxer One uses iPads for the touchscreen component of the system, because its interface is standard and simple for consumers everywhere. Everyone from a 2-year old to a 102-year old can easily use Luxer One.

 

Conclusion

High resident adoption is one of the most important ways to optimize your package lockers. If resident adoption rates fall low enough, it can start a snowball effect that creates operational issues and frustration for you, your residents, and your carriers. However, if you take the proper steps both before and after installing lockers, it’s very easy to get 100% of residents on board. If you follow best practices and avoid putting up barriers, residents will wholeheartedly embrace your new amenity and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

One of the key benefits of an automated package management system is that your residents are going to be happier living in your apartment complex than before. Happy residents make for a successful multifamily property; boost resident satisfaction, and you improve retention rates, garner positive online reviews, and make managing your property a more enjoyable experience overall.

 

So what do residents actually think of a package locker system?

Check out this firsthand account (complete with a cameo from her pup!) from a resident at The Lofts of Merchants Row, which installed a new Luxer Lockers system in 2017.

 

This post was originally published March 6, 2017 on The Lofts of Merchants Row Blog. You can check out the original here.

 

Luxury can have many different connotations, but it does not necessarily mean expensive or excessive. In fact, in many ways, it means the exact opposite of that—but more on that later.

For me, ‘luxury’ means the ease of living. And my Downtown Detroit Loft has just added one more luxury to its list of conveniences and amenities—and The Lofts of Merchants Row is the first in not just Detroit, but Michigan, to offer it.

While definitions of luxury include mentions of going beyond the necessities of life, the luxury of my Downtown Detroit Loft allows me to accomplish the things I need to get done more easily. And this includes the things I don’t necessarily like doing.

One of the things I least like doing is shopping.

Not buying: shopping.

I mean driving from store to store, wandering from aisle to aisle, sorting through rack after rack, and then carrying bag after bag from my car to my door.  Just describing a day spent shopping makes me shudder.

So, the ease of online shopping has been not a luxury, but a lifesaver for me.

I get my laundry detergent shipped to me (because nothing is less fun than doing chores like laundry—unless you add to that chore running to the store, buying detergent, and then lugging it home so you can do your laundry…).

I get Little Dog’s food shipped to me (because I wouldn’t call my loft home if she wasn’t here to greet me, and I wouldn’t dare step foot in the door if she hadn’t been fed).

 

 

I got a tire inflator shipped to me (avoiding a charge on my roadside assistance since I couldn’t actually drive to an auto supply parts store—shudders aside—to get the tire inflator to fix my flat).

I got my new laptop for work shipped to me (because all the above necessities would not be possible for me to purchase online and with ease without that!).

Okay, and I get books shipped to me. Books and boots.  These may not be considered necessities by some—but they are by me. And, fine, add to books and boots some biscuits for Little Dog, and these are probably my most frequent—not excessive, but frequent—purchases.

But online shopping also means shipping.

And sometimes with my work schedule does not allow me to be either be home to accept receipt of the package or to pick it up from the leasing office in the lobby after they open or before they close, even though they have early morning and evening hours.

 

 

And because books are one of my most frequent purchases (and I might also add, a necessity for my work), I am also a member of Amazon Prime—one of the benefits of which is that I get free weekend and late evening delivery.

But this doesn’t do me any good if the delivery person cannot leave it for me because there is no one to sign for it or if I cannot be here to receive the package/pick it up from my leasing agent who signed for it.

Well, always on the cutting edge of the convenience that creates luxury, my Downtown Detroit Loft, The Lofts of Merchants Row, has gone through the effort and expensive to alleviate this issue for me and the other residents of my building.

They have added a Luxer One unit to my building.

 

 

Luxer One allows delivery people to place any package I receive in a secure locker which negates the necessity of me being there to sign for it. The system then sends me a text, alerting me to the fact that I have received a package (best texts ever!) and a secure code by which I—and only I or someone I give the code to—can retrieve my package. You just punch the access code into the touch-screen monitor and the locker with your package in it pops open! (Little Dog already thinks I have magical powers, so I can’t wait for the first time I pop open a locker with biscuit treats in it for her.)

 

The lockers range in size from slightly larger than legal envelope size to large enough to house enough boots to outfit an entire rodeo.

Yep. That’s the analogy I went with, because, well, boots….

This means that when I’m not home to sign for my tire inflator that came on a Sunday (so I could get to work on Monday), I can still get my package and get to work on Monday.

Okay, maybe getting to work on Monday isn’t such a great thing.

But it’s necessary if I want to have any of the necessities of life.

Once again, The Lofts of Merchants Row Luxury Lofts has found one more way to make what I need to do easier for me to do.

And remember when I mentioned earlier that expensive need not be a part of the definition of luxury? My Downtown Detroit Loft, The Lofts of Merchants Row, does not charge me for this service.

Oh. And I guess I should mention that Luxer One also allows residents to arrange for the pick-up of packages. (Though, I have no idea when I’ll ever use this. Because, I mean, who returns boots?!?! )

And, in the literally 30 seconds it took me to set up my account, I immediately noticed that Luxer One has thought about ease, convenience, and necessity to the degree that they make sure users can set up their profiles to specify lower-down handicap-accessible lockers. While I am grateful that this isn’t a concern for me, I love the thoughtfulness of that…

…Maybe even more than I love boots.

Package lockers are a big investment. If you’re considering getting a locker system, it’s important to ask these six questions during your due diligence. You’ll set your property up to make the most out of your lockers, and also avoid several potential headaches down the road. Know what to prepare for now, and you’ll prime your property for years of simple, easy-to-use automated package acceptance.

If you’re looking for hard data on the package problem, check out this infographic.

1. How will I handle extra-large packages?

Of all the packages that are delivered to multifamily complexes, 13-20% are “extra-large”. Extra-large packages don’t fit into normal lockers, and if you don’t have a plan for them, carriers end up delivering them to the front desk. That’s almost a fifth of all packages that you and your staff will personally have to deal with—and it’s exactly the kind of boxes (huge and heavy) that are the most difficult to handle.

If you don’t want to accept oversized packages at the front office, solutions like the Luxer One Oversized Locker are specifically designed to accommodate extra-large packages.

 

You can choose whether to make the Luxer One Oversized Locker a shared resource, or a single-package locker like the rest of the lockers. We recommend using it as a shared resource, as that’s how we designed it to work; the Oversized locker can accept several extra-large packages at once. Using it as a shared space is significantly more space-efficient and cost-efficient than installing multiple Oversized Lockers.

 

Keeping a shared locker secure.

If you do decide to use the Oversized Locker as a shared resource, the locker system has extensive measures in place to ensure security and accountability. Only residents with a single-use access code can access the locker. The system logs each time a resident or carrier opens a locker, and the code means that we know exactly who accessed the locker and when. Plus, 24/7 video surveillance ensures that in the event of a misplaced package, our support team can review the footage to see exactly what happened.

 

2. What’s my overflow solution?

When you order your locker system, your vendor will help determine how many lockers your property needs, and in what sizes. This balances locker availability with package volume, but sometimes – especially around the holidays – even an extensive locker system can be filled to capacity.

The simplest solution is to have your Oversized Locker double as an overflow locker to accept any extra packages delivered. Since it’s already designed to allow for multiple deliveries, it can easily take in overflow. This allows you to automate 100% of your package volume, rather than having to go back to accepting overflow packages manually. Your residents stay happy, packages are secure, and you keep a hands-off approach to package acceptance!

 

 

You can also look into options like the Luxer Room, which are far less sensitive to spikes of package overflow.

 

3. How important is video surveillance?

The “automate” in automated package management system means that you and your staff don’t need to babysit package delivery and pickup. But it’s incredibly useful to keep tabs on your locker system in a different way – through video surveillance.

Locker-integrated video surveillance has many benefits, and is a simple but vital feature that keeps your package management system working as smoothly as possible. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and archived footage makes clearing up potential issues fast and straightforward. Find a package locker option that offers fully integrated video surveillance and support together; look for wall-mounted video cameras that can “see” the entire locker area (not just a face at the touchscreen), as well as a 24/7 support team that handles all video monitoring. It will make your life – and your residents’ lives – easier for years to come.

 

4. How do I ensure all current residents can receive packages?

There are several steps you can take to make sure all your residents can receive packages:

 

Package notifications

Simple, but important: make sure your residents have a way to get their package notifications! They can receive their one-time access codes by email, text message, or both. At minimum, residents will need a working email address to set up an account. Be sure to cover this when onboarding residents to your locker system.

House account

Sometimes packages arrived with misspelled names, or don’t match up to a specific resident. Make sure your locker system has a house account that will accept these packages, which would otherwise fall through the cracks.

Software integration

Make sure your locker company’s software integrates with your current property management software. Reliable integration will automatically keep resident status up to date, and keep the system functioning smoothly. Luxer One’s native integrations keeps your resident list synced with your property management software automatically. Move-ins, move-outs, and any other resident updates are seamlessly kept updated in both your property and package management systems.

User experience

As for the package system’s software itself, choose one with an inuitive, well-designed interface that makes using your system simple for both you and your residents. A user interface and experience that residents and carriers love to use is one that they’ll gladly come back to again and again.

5. How can I customize lockers to my brand?  

Package lockers are an amenity that residents will associate with convenience and ease of living. Make the most out of that! Put your signature colors and branding on your locker system. To take it a step further, ask about integrating your branding into the actual user interface of the touchscreen to strengthen the connection your residents feel between the convenience of the locker system, and your community.

 

 

Color options for lockers are incredibly flexible. For the best results, choose a color that goes well with your community’s decor and is consistent with your apartment’s signature colors. You can even go bold with a complex wrap that speaks to your community’s unique characteristics. Your residents interact with the lockers on a daily basis, so it’s a great place to show your true colors.

6. Should I charge residents for package acceptance?

Package lockers can be a simple way to generate a little extra income. In some cases, charging residents even improves the package management process. However, it’s not the right fit for every property.

If you want to charge residents for locker use, there are several different options to consider. It’s a decision that’s best made before you set the system live, in order to have the smoothest adoption period possible. You can read this whitepaper to learn more about the pros and cons, and decide if charging is right for your property.

Automated package acceptance is a game-changer. You don’t need to babysit every delivery, you don’t need to micromanage every pickup, and your residents don’t need to worry about packages sitting, unsecure, on their doorsteps.

 

 

While 24/7 automated pickup takes a huge amount of work and worry off your plate, it does raise a concern: people are interacting with a valuable part of your property unsupervised. What happens if something goes wrong?

That’s where video surveillance comes in. Proper video security that captures the entire package acceptance area – either a full shot of your lockers or package room – is crucial to getting a complete package management solution. If something goes wrong in that final mile of package delivery, you should know that someone behind the scenes has your back.

 

1. Accountability

Is a package missing? Is there damage to your locker or package room area? A good video surveillance system clears up any confusion, so there are no mysteries – it’s always crystal clear exactly what happened.

If a package is missing, video surveillance will clear up why it’s missing, and in many cases, can help locate the package. The Luxer One video surveillance system is tied to Luxer One’s management software, allowing the support team to identify exactly which resident or carrier code was used at what time and day. Support can pinpoint who should be contacted in order to solve any issues, whether it’s the resident in unit 302 who used her access code at 4:09pm, or the FedEx carrier who accidentally put two packages in one locker at 12:46pm. Video surveillance adds an important layer of accountability.

Luxer One archives security footage for 10 days, so if you or your residents have questions about a delivery, pickup, or even a certain timeframe, our support team can easily access the requested footage. With this information, it’s easy to follow up on the issue in question.

2. Security 

When video footage needs to be reviewed, the vast majority of the time it’s to clear up a simple misunderstanding, or to fix an honest mistake by a carrier or resident. However, not all issues are innocent; security is an ongoing concern for property managers and residents alike.

 

 

Video surveillance adds an extra layer of protection. On one hand, the mere presence of a visible security camera can deter unwanted behavior. If something does happen, the video footage enables you to follow up on the incident well-informed and well-prepared.

Some package management solutions have only one camera – the one built into the touchscreen. Unless the incident that you need to review happened exactly in the navel-high rectangle in the touchscreen’s view, you’re out of luck. To ensure full area surveillance, Luxer One installs a NestCam in a strategic location, usually mounted on the wall opposite your lockers or your Luxer Room entrance. With a panoramic view of the area, you’ll get the best possible surveillance capabilities.

 

3. Peace of Mind

Video surveillance goes a long way toward giving you a benefit that’s hard to overvalue: a worry-free night’s sleep. Knowing that you’re covered in terms accountability and security takes a weight off your shoulders. It’s a huge reassurance to your residents as well. They know they’ll be taken care of, and appreciate the effort you put into doing so.

24/7 automated package acceptance has many inherent benefits, and saves you time and stress on a day-to-day basis. However, if you want to protect your property with improved accountability, security, and peace of mind, make sure your system also comes with a comprehensive video surveillance solution with cameras pointed at the system.

Technology plays a crucial part in the development of new multifamily amenities. When Luxer One was founded, we made it our mission to always pursue new and creative ways to solve the package problem for our customers. This year, we’re pleased to be the first vendor in multifamily to offer The Smart Package Room®, a new addition to our suite of locker & package room offerings.

 

This addition is thanks to our recent partnership with Position Imaging, whose specialty is creating highly accurate 3D tracking technology. Our CEO, Arik Levy explains, “as a technology company, we are always searching for innovative partners that think like we do.”

The reason we’re so focused on innovation is because we’re committed to providing the absolute best options for our customers. Now, multifamily communities can consider an even wider variety of package delivery solutions through Luxer One. Here’s more on our full suite of solutions for properties big and small:

1. The Bread & Butter: Luxer Lockers 

With our flagship Luxer Lockers, both package delivery and pick-up are automated; carriers deliver directly to the lockers, and residents can pick up their packages at any time. The usual time-sink of package management bypasses the property and its staff entirely. If you’re like most property managers, this means you’ll get a huge chunk of time back and boost your productivity.

 

 

 

High Tech Security & Privacy

In general, package lockers are highly secure and private. When a carrier makes a delivery, the system sends the resident a unique, one-time-use access code via text or email. The resident can pick up their package at their convenience, knowing it’s been kept safe, secure, and private. Luxer One also provides video surveillance of the complete locker area, which records and archives every time anyone accesses the lockers, along with the specific codes used. Between video security and these detailed logs, we always know who accessed the lockers and when.

100% Package Acceptance

Luxer Lockers are equipped to handle 100% of the packages that come through your door. The oversized locker was designed to accept the largest size parcel that FedEx, UPS, and other carriers are willing to ship. If it ships, it fits. And if all the private lockers are full when a carrier attempts to make a delivery, the Luxer oversized locker can handle the overflow of additional packages. We don’t believe in undeliverable packages!

 

Quality Steel for Maximum Durability

We make our lockers with cold-rolled steel (CRS) that’s specially manufactured to be stronger and tougher than basic or hot-rolled steel. We vary the gauge of material to create lockers that are efficient, sturdy and full of integrity. CRS alone has a nice surface finish and grade, and we build on that by coating the steel in a corrosion-resistant layer that keeps the surface free of scuffing. This gives our lockers their glossy, polished appearance (and keeps them long-lasting!). Our actual locks are made with zinc-plated steel, designed to be tamper-proof and theft-proof. They’re durable enough to last well beyond ten years of daily use, so they’ll be with you for the long run.

2. The Simple Solution: Luxer Room

Locker systems are highly customizable, but for some properties, they aren’t the right fit. We talked to many property managers who were interested in the automation and security that Luxer Lockers provide, but needed a more flexible solution. So we created Luxer Room, a solution that was more adaptable, and still preserved the most important benefits of an automated system. Like with Luxer Lockers, the carrier enters their unique code to make deliveries, and residents receive a single-use code to unlock the door and pick up their packages from the room. As always, our video surveillance and activity logs keep a watchful eye against theft.

Like Luxer Lockers, Luxer Room is automated and designed to accept 100% of packages. It also comes with trade-off benefits that can be an excellent fit for properties.

Space-friendly

If you currently have a package room or closet — or any other room that you’d like to turn into one — Luxer One technology easily integrates with your existing room. Almost any size room can be used—if it has a door, it’s compatible. This makes Luxer Room a very popular option for properties that don’t have the space to devote to lockers.

Turnkey

Luxer Room is incredibly easy and fast to set up. A general contractor can get you up and running in no time. If you’re handy and feel comfortable with a DIY project, you can even set the system up yourself.

Highly Affordable

Locker materials make up a significant portion of Luxer Locker costs. Because the Luxer Room involves less hardware, it’s a very affordable investment. This has made it an incredibly popular package management choice for properties all over the country.

 

3. The Latest: Smart Package Room®

We’re obsessed with solving the package problem. This year, we’ll be working with Position Imaging to resell their Smart Package Room® solution. It’ll be available for apartments for the first time this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing it “wow” residents nationwide.

Cool Technology

The Smart Package Room® is similar in function to the Luxer Room, but it uses Position Imaging’s tracking technology to pinpoint exactly where the carrier has placed a package inside the room. When the resident arrives, the room literally guides them to their package. Laser light guidance points to the correct package, and lets out an alert if a resident picks up the wrong package. The room recognizes where the resident is in the room, and can verbally as well as visually guide them to their package.

 

Stand Out (with Lasers)

These days, a high-quality package solution is one of the most sought after amenities, ranking just after on-site gyms in desirability. The Smart Package Room® creates a customized and fun experience for your residents every time they pick up a package. Touting that your system uses lasers is a Jetsons-level way to stand out from the crowd.

Increased Security & Convenience

With conventional package delivery, packages end up sitting in front of doors, taking up space in the leasing office, or laying around in an unsecured room. Both Luxer Room and the Smart Package Room® add a layer of convenience and security where there otherwise would be none. These are some of the most important factors when considering any new amenity, and we know your residents will appreciate their community taking a smart approach to package acceptance.

If you commit to just one resolution this new year, shoot for the grandmaster of them all: increasing productivity. When you increase your productivity, you save time and can greatly improve your entire community.

If you’re a property manager looking to start off the new year with a time-saving bang, use these three productivity tips to get started on a fresh, efficient new year.

1. Schedule with Time Blocks

“Time Blocking” is a strategy inspired by Parkinson’s Law, which suggests that work is “elastic” and expands to fill the time available for its completion. This phenomenon can waste massive amounts of time and kill efficiency. To increase productivity and save time – instead of watching it trickle away into the bottomless pit of Parkinson’s Law– try using the Time Block strategy.

 

 

How to do it:

Devote 15-20 minutes at the end of your day to planning very specific, rigid Time Blocks for the next day. We’re talking as specific as: “reply to emails between 11:00am to 11:20am.” This specificity will help you focus on the task assigned to each specific block. The frequent quasi-deadlines will help drive your productivity, keep you more organized, and save you time!

2. Use S.M.A.R.T. Goals

“S.M.A.R.T. goals” – the acronym designed to help you reach your goals, and save you time along the way! If you have well-intentioned but vague ideas of how to improve your property, career, or life in general, setting S.M.A.R.T. goals will give you a time-saving, productivity-boosting roadmap to realizing those ideas.

The breakdown:

S – “Specific”.
Now is not the time to be vague. Nail down exactly what your goal is – it should be something tangible, that you can confidently cross off your to-do list when it’s complete.

 

M – “Measurable”
If you can’t measure your progress toward your goal, how will you know you’re getting closer to it? Embrace your inner scientist and find a metric to apply to your goal. Real, hard numbers are what you’re looking for.

 

A – “Actionable”
Your goal should have a clear-cut path of specific actions you will take to reach it. This step combined with the “measurable” step is what transforms your goals from vague to crystal clear.

 

R – “Realistic”
Pick a goal you have a realistic chance of achieving. It can be tricky to hit the balance between giving yourself enough of a challenge to grow, and still making it achievable, so feel free to tweak your goal to make it more realistic.

 

T – “Time-bound”
Give yourself specific deadlines. If you don’t create a timeline for your goals, they stay in the wishy-washy purgatory of “someday” forever. Deadlines kick-start you into action.

It’s useful to apply S.M.A.R.T. goals to every step of your process – short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Give every step of your project the “S.M.A.R.T.” treatment to create a plan that’s truly actionable.

 

3. Automate with Technology

Tech innovations are the biggest time-saver of the modern world, and they can be the heavy-lifters in your quest to increase your productivity this new year. There’s plenty of tech and software out there that makes the life of a property manager easier.

 

Accounting software

 

Check out accounting software like Rent Manager that’s tailor-made for multifamily properties. It’ll help you stay organized and take work off your plate.

 

Auto-pay for residents

Give residents the option to automatically pay their rent. You’ll save the time spent collecting and depositing checks manually, and it can de-stress the rent collection process for both you and your residents.

 

Automated package system

Get package lockers or a package room that’s custom-fitted for your property. Automated package management systems allow residents to pick up their packages 24/7, eliminating the need to spend time accepting, storing, or signing for packages anymore.

 

Maintenance request software

Software like Property Meld processes and streamlines maintenance requests for you. Good maintenance software can shift the bulk of the work and conversation between your residents and your vendors.

These automation solutions not only take work off your plate, they keep it from taking up valuable headspace and mental energy. With the 1-2-3 combo of time blocks, S.M.A.R.T. goals, and automation, you’ll be able to crush your productivity-increasing resolution and enjoy a new year filled with newfound efficiency and time!

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The holidays are a crazy time for package delivery. With the rush to order presents for friends and family, it’s no surprise that the amount of deliveries increases.

This year, “increase” is putting it lightly.

2016’s numbers blow last year’s completely out of the water. Check out these five holiday package statistics that put this year’s massive package volume surge into perspective.

 

1. Package volume has skyrocketed—an 80% increase in just one week. 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are famous for sparking huge spikes in shopping, and rightly so; consumers spent $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday alone, making it the biggest online shopping day in US history.

 

 

In the following week, apartment complexes all over the world felt the aftermath—according to Luxer One‘s package locker activity data, the amount of packages shipped and delivered to lockers increased by over 80%. In just one week, package volume almost doubled.

 

2. As December continues, package volume is increasing, not decreasing.

The record-breaking package delivery numbers aren’t going back down. They’re going up.

Instead of slowly settling back down after the Black Friday & Cyber Monday spike, package volume is continually increasing as the holiday season progresses. In the week of December 4^th to 10^th, we saw nearly 4,000 more deliveries to Luxer One lockers nationwide than the previous week (and the previous week was the big post-Black Friday surge)! And last week – December 12^th to 18^th – saw even more package volume than the week prior, with no signs of slowing.

3. Properties saw 50% more post-Black-Friday packages delivered to their Luxer One lockers than last year.

If you’ve been a property manager even once during December, you know to expect the holiday package surge. When you have dozens to hundreds of residents ordering gifts simultaneously, the package rush is inevitable.

Not only is 2016 seeing the expected holiday spike, but the spike is significantly larger than properties experienced last year. This year, 3 million more shoppers made Black Friday purchases than they did last year, and more of these purchases than ever are being delivered. Properties who had Luxer One lockers during Black Friday last year saw 50% more packages delivered this year during the same time period.

 

4. Residents are picking up their packages 25% faster.

Residents are especially eager to pick up their packages this time of year. On average, residents take about 6 hours to pick up a package from their Luxer One system. During this holiday season, this average has decreased to 4.5 hours.

This is good news for anyone with automated package systems. The sooner residents pick up their packages from a locker, the sooner the locker becomes available for the next delivery. This helps balance the higher package volume around the holidays, and you’ll want as much free space as possible for the holiday rush!

5. Packages delivered to the Luxer One Oversized Locker increased by 110%.

If you’re ever going to run out of locker space, the holidays are when it’s going to happen. It’s not a pretty picture if lockers hit capacity without an overflow solution, as you’ll find extra packages littering hallways and the leasing office.

The Luxer One oversized locker actually offers a built-in overflow solution: if the all the small, medium, or large lockers fill to capacity, the oversized locker can be used to accept any overflow, since it is capable of securely accepting more than one package at a time. It essentially acts as a mini-package room that only select package recipients can access (while surveilled by video cameras, of course!). This holiday season, the oversized lockers saw 110% more packages delivered than usual.

 

 

This enormous spike began just after Black Friday. While some of these deliveries are actually oversized items – such as furniture, skis, or other bulky items – much of this increase is from holiday overflow. Thank goodness for the oversized (and overflow) locker!

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