Customer Spotlight: Cortland Uses Parcel Pending to Deliver Higher Resident Satisfaction

Late last year, we shared that Cortland, a full-service multifamily real estate acquisition, development, and operating entity that owns over 44,000 apartment homes throughout the Southeast and Texas, was struggling to manage a major influx of resident packages due to the online shopping boom.
“On average, our communities were receiving between 20 to 30 packages per day, and our staff was spending about five to six minutes managing each one. That adds up quickly,” exclaimed Brian Ericson, Cortland’s Vice President of Marketing Insights. “Our property management teams were spending too much time on package management, which pulled them away from their primary responsibilities of managing the property and serving residents. We soon recognized that we needed to find a smart and savvy solution … and fast.”
As a result, Cortland tapped Parcel Pending in late 2016 to do a pilot install of its lockers at The Aspect by Cortland, a property located in Austin.
Ericson knew that he would have to show success of the Parcel Pending pilot in order to build the case to roll them out to additional properties. So, he issued a resident survey at the 2-month and 1-year marks post-install at The Aspect by Cortland. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

• Overall, 76 percent of residents strongly preferred having lockers compared to traditional office pickup
• Lockers were even more popular among renters who believe they will still be renting in 3 years – 89 percent of this group preferred lockers
• “It’s a dedicated amenity, not just a back room overflowing with boxes. Gives the whole operation a more organized feel.” – Cortland resident
• “I love that I know my packages are safe with the package lockers now. Before, sometimes my packages would be left on my doorstep and not taken to the office so I worried about them getting stolen. Now I can pick them up at my convenience and not worry and rush trying to get home” – Cortland resident

Due to the success of the pilot program, Cortland decided to roll out Parcel Pending’s lockers to additional communities throughout 2017. They continue to expand Parcel Pending to additional communities in 2018.
Click here to check out the full case study.