Cortland

Cortland Uses Parcel Pending to Deliver Higher Resident Satisfaction

After a successful pilot program, Cortland rolls out Parcel Pending lockers to multiple communities.

When you pair the positive resident feedback from our pilot install with the fact that resident packages are growing at a staggering rate of 3040% annually, it really is a nobrainer for us to expand the use of Parcel Pending lockers at more of our communities.”
Brian Ericsson, Vice President of Marketing Insights, Cortland

The Problem

Back in 2016, Atlantabased Cortland, a fullservice multifamily real estate acquisition, development, and operating entity, turned to Parcel Pending to alleviate its package management issues. Like most multifamily companies across the U.S., Cortland, which owns just over 44,000 apartment homes primarily in the Southeast and Texas, was struggling to manage the major influx of resident packages due to the rise in online shopping. “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.”

Cortland is currently ranked seventh on the list of Atlanta’s “2018 Top 25 Large Workplaces” and is also a National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Top 50 Owner and Manager (2018). The company decided to tap Parcel Pending to do a pilot install at its property, The Aspect by Cortland, located in Austin. Ericson knew that he would have to show the success of the Parcel Pending lockers in order to build the case to roll them out to additional properties. So, he issued a resident survey at the 2month and 1year marks postinstall. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. “When you pair the positive resident feedback from the pilot install with the fact that resident packages are growing at a staggering rate of 3040% annually, it really is a nobrainer for us to expand the use of Parcel Pending lockers at more of our properties.”

The Results

Because of the pilot program’s success, Cortland rolled out Parcel Pending electronic package lockers to nine additional communities across five cities in 2017 and the early part of 2018. The company will continue to roll out Parcel Pending lockers to 13 additional properties throughout 2018.

Below are the results from a resident survey that Cortland issued two months postinstallation at three properties: Viridian located in Decatur, GA; Cortland North Druid Hills located in Atlanta and Preserve at Rolling Oaks located in Austin. Not surprisingly, the feedback continued to be extremely positive:

  • Overall, 76% of residents strongly preferred having lockers compared to traditional office pickup
  • 80% of Viridian residents rated the parcel lockers as “very good” or “excellent”, which is more than double the satisfaction of office pickup
  • 40% of residents said that they were more likely to renew their leases due to the added amenity of the parcel lockers
  • Lockers were even more popular among renters who believe they will still be renting in 3 years 89% of this group preferred lockers
  • 88% of Cortland North Druid Hills residents, 81% of Viridian residents, and 80% of Preserve at Rolling Oaks residents preferred having the lockers
  • 69% of Cortland North Druid Hills residents and 64% of Preserve at Rolling Oaks residents rated the parcel lockers as “excellent”

Cortland Resident Feedback

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

Conclusion

“I think it’s important to point out a misconception in the industry that parcel lockers are very expensive when in reality Parcel Pending is very reasonably priced. We’re also confident that they offer the most technologically advanced products and best customer service in the industry,” continued Ericson.

“At Cortland, we pride ourselves on our residentcentric service so it made sense for us to partner with a customercentric company like Parcel Pending. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Parcel Pending.”


Parcel Pending, the leading provider of innovative package management solutions for multifamily communities, was founded with a simple goal in mind: to make package delivery easy and intuitive for everyone. With nearly 4 million packages delivered monthly, we offer a wide range of solutions that ensure convenient, secure, contact-free resident package retrieval.