Hyve initially struggled to persuade delivery drivers to use it, but regular use by FedEx, UPS, and Amazon eventually made the package locker a reliable part of the delivery routine. The experience also exposed its limited capacity: frequent deliveries could fill the bin within a day or two. The company suggests adhesive signs to guide carriers, and its CEO later proposed stocking the locker with free snacks to encourage drivers to use it.
The next day, I met the FedEx driver in person—but only because he rang the bell for a delivery that required a signature. When I asked whether he had seen the delivery instructions in my FedEx account, he looked confused and said he “thought I heard something” when he pulled up to my house.
It turned out that the FedEx driver’s device provides verbal instructions about where to leave the package, in addition to the rather garbled instructions he showed me. However, he had turned down the device’s volume. I put on my bathrobe, demonstrated Hyve for him personally, and got his buy-in.
The next day, I was excited to receive a push notification from the Hyve app saying that FedEx had safely left my box. The driver rang the bell again, then simply smiled and showed me the successful delivery. It felt like Christmas morning for both of us when we opened the hatch and found my belongings inside.
Sadly, on the third day, another FedEx delivery appeared on our porch. My regular driver was traveling a different route.
But then…
I was about to give up on the whole project when something suddenly clicked. FedEx, UPS, and Amazon all began using the Hyve locker regularly. I quickly got used to receiving notifications about multiple deliveries in the box each day, and estimated that my usage rate was closer to 75 percent. I now have to empty the Hyve several times a day, so my front door is no longer obscured by cardboard.
On some days, however, usage levels revealed entirely new problems. A single UPS delivery containing a few boxes could fill the locker and leave no room for anything else. My hopes of leaving for a week or so without worrying about my packages were dashed. Given the delivery pace at my house, the bin does not have enough space for more than a day or two of packages at most.
Early in my testing, I contacted Hyve about a usage problem I was experiencing. The CEO clearly acknowledged that it affects many homeowners. To address it, the company offers adhesive signs that direct carriers to use the box. These can help increase utilization, but they are not a complete solution—and they are not particularly attractive.
Photo: Christopher Null
Later, during a Zoom call, the CEO showed me another innovation that he said was producing even better results. The idea was to attach a placard reading “Snack Stop” to the top of the lockbox and stock it with potato chips, meat sticks, and other snacks for hungry drivers. The sign would encourage them to open the box and take a bite while on patrol. What delivery driver could say no to a free Slim Gym?
Source: www.wired.com