A doorman is typically defined as a person who is employed to attend the doors at a residential building to welcome residents and their guests, oversee deliveries and provide security for the building. Today the average cost of employing a traditional doorman around the clock is $375,000 a year. While the need for a doorman at many buildings is essential, the cost of employing a traditional doorman is not something that many buildings can justify these days. As building budgets get tighter and the need for security and added amenities increases, remote doorman services are gaining popularity as a cost effective alternative to a physical doorman. Remote doormen are a true alternative to an on-site doorman or concierge and provide the same services as a traditional doorman, but at a fraction of the cost!

A remote doorman is actually a building-wide system that integrates surveillance and access control to remotely grant access to visitors, delivery personnel, and even the occasional resident who is locked out of their building. Operators from a Command Center use digital CCTV, cameras, intercom, and access control devices to make this happen. With the use of a video intercom unit at a building’s entrance, operators can interact with a visitor through a two-way audio and video unit, then grant access using a network of doors that are controlled remotely. With video surveillance that has been strategically placed within the building, they can then monitor a visitors movement once granted access. All of these systems working together provide visitors with access to the premises while monitoring building security because only those approved to be granted access by building management or residents are permitted in.

One of the most popular benefits of a remote doorman is the ability to accept and safely handle package deliveries. With the rise in popularity of online shopping, meal and other delivery services, particularly in urban areas, merely leaving packages at the front doorstep of a building or outside of a resident’s apartment is just not an option if someone is not there to accept it. There is no guarantee that a package will still be there when a resident returns home for the day. Even with a physical doorman, there is no guarantee that he/she will always be at the front door to accept a package. After all, they are only human and take lunch breaks and bathroom breaks, or may get called away to assist someone within the building. With a remote doorman, somebody is always there to answer the call. Delivery personnel simply use the two-way intercom to inform the remote doorman of the delivery. The remote doorman verifies the delivery, grants access and monitors the package being delivered to a safe location within the building, and then notifies the resident via email or text that they have received a package. A delivery is never missed and a package is always accepted for a resident.

The same goes for an expected guest — or even an unexpected one — that has arrived to a building. They are verified as someone the resident is expecting and provided access according to the resident’s instructions. If the guest wasn’t expected, the remote doorman will contact the resident to determine whether or not it is OK to grant access to that visitor. In either case, the resident receives an email or text notification about their guest arrival. The remote doorman even assists in the event that a tenant is locked out. Once their identity is verified, the resident is given access and sent a notification of their own arrival to insure it was them that was granted access.

In addition to providing around-the-clock service, day and night, remote doorman also provide a number of other services that help streamline building operations, including:

-Providing access to emergency personnel (police, fire, EMS) and approved companies that have arrived to service the building
-Alerting management of any issues with doors, equipment, or other problems that may have been noticed by the remote doormen or one of the building’s residents

What used to be a high-end amenity is now a must-have service that no residential building can afford to be without! Buildings with remote doormen enjoy comparable marketability to those with live doormen because they are able to provide the same security and convenience but at a much lower cost which is a win for residents and property managers alike!