Winther Investment Inc.

Parcel Lockers Outperform Fetch Package at Winther Properties

Winther Investment, Inc. is an upscale multifamily lifestyle development company headquartered in Houston, Texas. It operates 12 communities in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Ohio, Arkansas, and Missouri. Nestled in prestigious neighborhoods throughout the US, their careful site selection process allows the management company to offer locations and amenities frequently only available in custom-built homes.

Challenge	Solution	Results
Residents’ online shopping habits were straining the on-site teams at Winther-managed properties – then, the pandemic happened. The company selected an off-site delivery service to alleviate record delivery volumes at its properties. Unfortunately, resident complaints of late, lost, and stolen packages prompted a re-evaluation of the parcel management strategy across the community portfolio to deliver an amenity that matched the expectations and service levels Winther is known for.	After three years and hundreds of resident complaints, Winther was ready for a secure, convenient, and reliable package management system. Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers were chosen as the solution to meet the growing needs of Winther’s community managers and frustrated residents. Given Parcel Pending’s experience within multifamily, Winther ordered locker systems for 11 of its properties, with all locker systems operational by Q3 2023.	Parcel Pending has transformed the package delivery experience for Winther’s communities. Residents can receive packages in a way that’s secure, convenient, and reliable. Community managers are out of the package management business, are no longer handling resident complaints and questions about late or lost packages, and are able to highlight this amenity on their websites and marketing materials.

Package deliveries take up on-site teams’ and residents’ time

When Winther Investment, Inc. opened its luxury rental building at 2111 Austin in Houston on March 1, 2020, there was no way to know its opening was at a very inauspicious time. Within 15 days, U.S. residents were forced to shelter in place and simultaneously, the rise of online shopping began. Despite planning for concierge services and package storage closets, management struggled to keep pace with the onslaught of packages arriving daily. Package management was stealing leasing agents’ time at every single development. And, on-site deliveries weren’t just for essentials, but also for newly required, oversized home office items such as desks, chairs, workstations, and rugs. Winther needed a solution immediately.

The lifestyle development company chose Fetch Package, an off-site package delivery service, as the solution for six of its communities, believing it would instantaneously help community managers get “out of the parcel management service” while also satisfying residents. The reality never met these objectives.

Late, lost and stolen packages lead to hundreds of resident complaints

Like many other property management groups using Fetch, Winther discovered that residents did not want to wait for or reschedule the delivery of a package they ordered and expected on a certain date. Nor did residents want to be forced to use an app to contact Fetch support for help tracking down undelivered or missing packages. Residents expected on-demand access to their packages – and Fetch wasn’t delivering.

Whereas Winther could pass on the $10 per resident fee to recoup most of the package service fee charged, Fetch Package was now doubling its fees, requiring the company known for its resident-centric management style to re-evaluate its entire package management system.

Parcel Pending smart lockers: a reliable solution to Winther’s package woes

Fast forward three years and hundreds of complaints later, management was now ready to embrace a reliable, convenient, and secure package delivery system. Winther also wanted to know its residents would be able to contact a dedicated, live resident support team for help with packages (if needed). Given Parcel Pending’s experience within the multifamily industry and its ability to delivery 24/7, on-demand access to packages, the company ordered 12 smart locker systems across 11 properties, with all locker systems complete and operational in Q3 2023.

With the benefit of Parcel Pending’s innovative subscription model, Winther implemented a smart locker system for a flat monthly fee that was lower than the previous fee charged by Fetch. In short, management would pay a lower fee than its current off-site delivery service while exponentially making residents’ lives easier and happier.

“Switching to Parcel Pending was about making our residents happy and renewing their leases at our communities. We are resident-centric and the lockers make our resident experience more convenient and secure.”
Christopher Young, Regional Supervisor, Winther Investments

A competitive advantage that makes residents happy

Even in this post-pandemic era, Winther’s busy residents haven’t reduced their online ordering and resultant deliveries. In fact, every month the number of packages has been increasing, with December 2023 ushering in approximately 13,000 packages across all communities!

Thankfully, the Parcel Pending lockers have transformed the package delivery experience for both leasing agents and residents. As Christopher Young, Regional Supervisor for Winther Investments, explains, making the switch, “truly got us out of the package business; we are literally making our residents happier with this amenity.”

Winther sees its package management solutions as a competitive advantage and is highlighting the lockers on its websites and in its marketing materials. With the positive feedback and support received from both on-site teams and residents for what has become an extremely sought-after amenity, the company is looking to install lockers at two additional properties in 2024.

Quadient, the leading provider of innovative parcel management solutions for multifamily communities, was founded with a simple goal in mind: to make parcel delivery easy and intuitive for everyone. With more than 100 years’ experience supporting clients’ mail and parcel needs, Parcel Pending by Quadient offers a wide range of solutions that ensure safe, secure, and on-demand resident package retrieval.

Ready to learn more about how Parcel Pending can help you deliver reliable, on-demand package access for your residents? Speak to one of our package management experts today.