Going Postal And Remote Possibility

By Author: Doorman 24 is an affordable remote doorman service offering security to buildings throughout the Uni
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And then there’s the mailroom itself. In some remote doorman system buildings, there are storage racks and slots for each individual apartment. But at this particular building, which has more than 40 units, it’s just a small, windowless room with boxes stacked haphazardly by the door. The building manager told me he’s been meaning to get shelves in, but the biggest amenity is currently a refrigerator in the back corner for perishables that’s still too small for most food deliveries.

The room is locked by a "remote doorman" stationed in India or by the tenant’s electronic key fob (though Thomas said he was never given a fob and thus, has to use the doorman system). But I was shocked to see that there was no actual video confirmation that Thomas was who he said he was after he gave his name and apartment number—a possible security risk for someone looking to get inside the package room without actually breaking in, though there was a camera stationed out in the hall.

Thomas struggled for about half a minute trying to find his package amid the 20 or so boxes from Jack Threads, Amazon, and Birchbox. There ...
... were several larger, heavier boxes already on their side, and it was unclear whether a careless delivery person or tenant was responsible. After finally finding his parcel (a coat rack), he closed the door and it clicked behind him.

REMOTE POSSIBILITY

For those with traditional doormen, small talk often feels like a necessary evil. But with the virtual ones, it's unlikely the people on the other end of the line would want to engage in small talk, either—a pro for both parties, especially for antisocial New Yorkers.

Thomas says he keeps up on building news by chatting with his super.

Remote doorman services first showed up in the city about 15 years ago, according to the New York Times, and have become more advanced and inexpensive as technology has become better. A brief sweep on StreetEasy found around 200 rentals with remote doorman systems touting how luxurious and safe the buildings were.

And, in a building the size of this one, it’s simply more cost-effective to have a digital doorman instead of a flesh-and-bone one, saving tens of thousands of dollars annually.