At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, online retail sales rose to about 74% during March 2020, which is much higher for a year-year increase. The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards online shopping. And by 2026, parcel deliveries are set to reach about 200 million, which is almost double the volume of parcels seen today. The digital transformation of shopping online was particularly seen among the new shoppers, young buyers, and elderly population due to the growth of e-commerce. Moreover, the current e-commerce shoppers are also fuelling the share of online shopping compared to retail. Property managers were already dealing with a high volume of parcel deliveries before covid, and now it has only made the problem difficult to manage. However, the rise of new challenges to handle parcel deliveries gives innovative ideas for landlords to provide a better experience for tenants. Therefore, with parcels surging in residential properties, a digital solution like mailroom management software is needed to handle parcel deliveries and provide excellent services to the tenants.

Why tenant experience is super important?

According to a survey conducted by the Ballymore Group, parcel management was on the top of favourite amenities provided to the tenants, above free cinemas and pools. Whenever a parcel is successfully delivered to the tenant, it increases their happiness and is unconsciously linked to the person and the company handing over the parcel. It’s like the effect of capturing happiness during Christmas. Organising deliveries can allow the reception staff to form a better relationship with the tenant and increase tenant retention.

Uncertain circumstances

The Covid-19 lockdown forced people to stay home, making online shopping more convenient. Tenants were present to collect the deliveries while working from home. This led to a growth of e-commerce with a high volume of parcel deliveries to the home. So, even if the residential buildings were overwhelmed with parcels during Covid-19 restrictions, the increase in the number of deliveries that arrived at the property could have been unclear due to tenants receiving them during lockdowns. And now since many people are returning to the office, the number of deliveries will be handled by property managers, and it is likely to increase even further. Online shopping is expected to grow higher, and the behaviours of digital shoppers can probably have a lasting effect as the economy continually grows.

According to a survey by UNCTAD, many responders stated how their online purchasing habits are now more frequent than before. Besides, more people expect their parcels to deliver to their homes while being away in the office. Therefore, it is important to establish a parcel management system that can avoid the loss of parcels and reduce parcel holding time. Mailroom services have not been the main priority on the list for tenant improvements. The positive experience and happiness while receiving a parcel should not be made into a negative one due to insufficient management of parcels.

Enforce a solution

To solve the issue of rising parcel deliveries and find a way to manage them, a mailroom/ parcel management system is required. These are available in all shapes and sizes. The conventional method of using a paper logbook and excel spreadsheets are a great start. But nowadays digital solution like mailroom management software is much more efficient to organise the high volume of parcel deliveries at residential units.

Mailroom management software can provide the benefits of sending out notifications to tenants when their packages have arrived and are available to collect. This could improve the user experience of the tenants and provide a convenient way to easily access their parcels during their own time.  

To improve the experience of the tenants and stand distinct from the competitors, optimizing a management facility using mailroom management software for parcels allows better communication, access control and tenant satisfaction platforms. The software also enables an excellent experience for the tenants in terms of convenience, security, and privacy and helps to retain more tenants in the property.