Great business models often solve a simple problem. Logistics startup Doorman aims to solve the problem of packages arriving when you’re not at home. The startup has a smartphone app downloadable for iPhone and Android.
If you’re expecting a package delivery and know you won’t be home when it arrives, you can use Doorman to arrange for a special delivery later that day. Doorman gives its users an address where they can direct packages. That address is a local depot operated by the company. Once a package is received at the depot, users can arrange a convenient time for home delivery.
CEO Zander Adelle told Fox Business Network recently that for many residents living in apartment buildings with no doorman, the service fills a vital need. FedEx and UPS are likely to leave a sticker telling these residents to arrange for another delivery time anyway. Usually, the only other available times are when recipients are at work.
Adelle said one solution open to many recipients is to have packages delivered at the office. But this means they have to lug the packages home with them in the evening.
Doorman charges $7 per package delivery. It makes deliveries between 6 p.m. and midnight. That’s a time when the major carriers are done for the day. Users currently can earn a free delivery from Doorman if they post a positive review of the company on Facebook or Twitter. Doorman will even sign for packages that require it, the company’s website says.
Doorman is currently only operating in San Francisco but has plans to expand to other metropolitan areas in the future. The company notes on its site that it works with all the major shipping carriers, including the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx.
Image: Doorman
Aira Bongco
What a really nice idea. It helps people who are not at home to still receive their packages. If the package is important, I think the $7 is a small price to pay.