You have a FedEx Office / UPS Store on your property but it's closed now. This store used to handle all incoming parcel and packages but now it's your department's responsibility. You are short on staff and packages keep coming for guests, hotel departments and outlets.
PackPorter can help you handle all this workload, keep your guests happy and help you make revenue on packages.
We surveyed* 100 hotels from 32 states and found out that there are three key factors for a successful and profitable package operation:
a. Quality of service.
Your guests always expect a good service. And the expectation increases when they are paying for that service: they will want their answers & packages immediately.
You need a solid SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) and to provide your staff with data to provide what your guests want. For example, any member of the staff should easily find out where a package is located, 24x7.
b. Making it easy.
Your staff already have their plates full with responsibilities. Any new responsibility should come easy or there is a risk of frustration and failure. An easy to use, mostly automated mobile app can make this change a breeze.
c. Tracking the charges.
You will lose money if the charges are not tracked properly. For example, if a property:
- has two different rate tables for guest & event packages,
- has two more different rate tables for storage fees,
- offers first 3 packages free to guests,
- offers 15 free packages for each event,
- but anything heavy (e.g. over 30 lbs.) is never free,
- guest packages get 10 free storage days before the pick-up, and charged $1 to $5 per day after that.
- event packages get 5 free storage days before the event and 5 days after the event, and charged $5 to $50 per day before or after that.
It takes a full-time working, smart person to track this policy and charges without an error. But the right app and procedures can make this very easy for the average Joe even if he’s not full time on this.
We developed PackPorter to help you handle all these challenges and more. PackPorter can make it all: different rate tables, managing free packages, managing free storage days, multiple package rooms and automated warnings when a guest forgets to pick a package.
Please reach us on sales@packporter.com to learn more and run a no-obligations trial on your property. PackPorter is your cost-effective back up plan until the UPS Store or FedEx Office reopens.
*Please reach us if you want a copy of the survey report. It's a great benchmark for package fee policies and fees applied in luxury, upper upscale and upscale hotels with number of keys ranging from 212 to 1,850.