By: Shelly Peterson
The Evolution of University Mail Centers – and Why They Fall Short Today
When students attended university in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mail delivery in student housing was rarely a concern. Campus life centered around cultural moments like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s historic home run chase, blockbuster films such as The Matrix, hit shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and the looming Y2K scare.
When supplies were needed—from textbooks and apartment furnishings to basic school essentials—students simply drove to local retailers and made purchases the traditional way, often with their parents’ credit cards.
For mail delivery, the highlight was an occasional care package from home, arriving just a few times per year. These boxes, typically filled with candy, clothing, or a book that often went unread, represented the extent of college package management during that time.
Today, however, the landscape has changed dramatically. As that generation now sends their students off to college, student housing package management solutions have become a critical necessity. Yet many off-campus housing communities continue to operate with outdated mailrooms, stuck in the era of boy bands and dot-com collapses.
The shift stems from the rise of smartphones, widespread internet adoption, and Amazon’s dominance as the go-to online retailer, capable of delivering almost anything at nearly any time. Meanwhile, major big-box stores such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Home Depot have transformed from brick-and-mortar only to full omnichannel retail leaders, offering online shopping, in-store pickup, and direct-to-door deliveries.
As a result, today’s digitally native college students are far more comfortable ordering online than shopping in-store. For parents, this evolution is equally beneficial. It’s faster, easier, and more reliable to order school supplies, snacks, and apartment essentials with the click of a button than to shop, pack, and ship items manually.
The effect is seen in the decade-over-decade rising influx of package volume that many student housing properties have not directly dealt with. We notice this clearly with the many traditional package delivery systems that weren’t designed for today’s students. In this post we will explore how to improve student satisfaction with mail delivery using technology, and most importantly, meeting students where they are at.
Legacy Systems Built for Letters, not Packages
Most current off campus student housing properties feature legacy delivery systems for university housing that were designed to hold envelopes, not the array of online orders that are arriving today, from mattress toppers to bulky furniture. Once, the family car was the primary delivery system for these larger items. Today, students rely on delivery drivers from Amazon, or in the case of specialty retailers who offer delivery services, stores like IKEA, Walmart, Target and more.
Limited Notification and Pickup Option
Traditionally, students receive no real-time alerts when a package arrives. The front desk staff has to spend time receiving, processing and finding a location for the package. The process is cumbersome, manual and staff-dependent, often leading to delays. After the package is stored, staff will reach out to the students via text, email or phone to alert the student that they have a package ready for pickup.
In today’s world of push notifications, delivery tracking capabilities and real-time alerts, students expect to be notified the moment that their deliveries arrive. Without these real-time notifications, university package solutions are too slow and inconvenient for modern students.
Restricted Pickup Windows
Student housing mailrooms are often only open during office hours, when front desk staff can attend to them, which is a huge inconvenience for students, who are often up late and attending class at all hours. With Amazon overnight and same-day delivery, the ability to pick up orders at all hours becomes even more vital, especially in the case of students ordering vital school project-related items, and hot meals, for quick delivery.
Why Student Mail Delivery Matters More Than Ever
In today’s eCommerce-driven campus life, reliable student mail delivery and package management systems are no longer optional. With students expectations evolving with the digital age, package management solutions are essential for enhancing student housing satisfaction and boosting property reputation.
Student Expectations Have Changed
Today’s college students have grown up with the Internet, smartphones and infinite options from app stores. As a result, they are more comfortable with digital devices than older generations. And they were less likely to frequent big box retail stores and shopping malls than their parents’ generation.
When they purchase items online, which they collectively prefer over in-store shopping, they expect fast delivery—overnight or even same day. They also expect to be able to track both the status of their order—from processing to picking to delivery—and receive real-time updates along the shipping path.
This is why modern package delivery systems need to align with the demands of these students’ digital lifestyle.
Impact on Student Housing Satisfaction
Of the numerous amenities offered to students by student housing properties, mail delivery is one that can directly affect their satisfaction on a daily basis. By allowing students to seamlessly pick up their mail, packages and food orders in a secure manner, at any time of day or night, student housing properties are providing peace of mind. Students can order items without worrying about whether they will arrive safely.
Any frustrations with lost or delayed packages will likely end up housing reviews that paint the property in a negative light. In contrast, a streamlined package delivery system can influence online housing reviews and word-of-mouth. That’s why a package management system that improves mail operations will directly impact student satisfaction with mail delivery and the overall housing experience.
Recruitment, Retention and Reputation
Reliable student housing package management, which once was a nice-to-have amenity, is now considered a must-have necessity. It’s in the same category as Wi-Fi, parking spaces and laundry facilities. When considering their student housing rental options, parents and students alike view it as part of the overall housing value.
Practical Ways to Improve Mail Delivery for Students
The following tips can help improve mail delivery and the overall student experience:
- Upgrade Communication and Notifications: Automated alerts and QR codes are now common in advanced package management solutions.
- Extend Pickup Flexibility: An automated package room that employs controlled-access at the door ensures students can access their deliveries on their own schedule.
- Organize and Digitize Mailroom Operations: Digital logging tools support efficient university package delivery solutions that benefit staff and students.
- Leverage Modern Package Management Solutions: Technology-driven systems create efficiency for staff, ease of delivery for couriers and convenience for residents.
The Smart Package Room System
Ultimately, the best answer to how to improve student satisfaction with mail delivery is to implement a purpose-built system such as the Smart Package Room® solution. The Smart Package Room system combines automation, security and student convenience with the ability to securely store almost three times as many packages as a locker system in the same footprint.
Here’s what sets the Smart Package Room system apart from other mail delivery systems:
- Maximum Capacity: The open shelving system allows standard packages to be stored efficiently, while there is a specialized zone for oversized packages, labeled bins for flat packages, and even room for refrigeration units for cold storage.
- Ultimate Security: All deliveries are secured behind an access-controlled door, presence sensors monitor packages 24/7, and there is a digital bread crumb trail of all packages that are delivered into the room.
- All-Day Convenience: Students receive an automatic notification via text or email with a QR code to conveniently enter the room 24/7, regardless of whether staff is on-site.
- High Tech for Fast Pickup: Light, laser and audio guidance direct students to their package for a frictionless pickup in seconds.
These are just a few reasons why the Smart Package Room system offers students peace of mind when it comes to their precious deliveries. Ready to invest in a smarter package management solution for your student housing property? Contact us today to talk to our team and learn how.