Editor’s Note: Sanya Bandekar is a features staff writer for the Daily. Bandekar was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
This semester, Tufts Mail Services introduced a series of changes aimed at improving the reliability of package deliveries that occur outside of normal operating hours. The updates include a new overnight and weekend drop box at the loading dock, expanded multilingual signage for delivery drivers and a new whiteboard in the pickup area providing students with information about the mailroom’s operations.
The mailroom, which moved last spring from Hill Hall to its current location at the university bookstore, accepts deliveries at the loading dock behind the Mayer Campus Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Previously, mail and packages delivered after hours or over the weekend were often left outside of the bookstore, leaving them vulnerable to being stolen or destroyed in bad weather.
TCU Administration & Policy Committee Chair Spencer Kluger said senators began receiving feedback from students about these issues. Class of 2029 Senator Sanya Bandekar, who sits on the committee, began investigating possible solutions.
“Students were at a loss, because the burden didn’t fall on them, it didn’t fall on the mailroom; it’s just an unfortunate situation,” Kluger said. “[Bandekar] said that she wanted to address it, so she has been working with the mailroom and facilities.”
Throughout the fall semester, Bandekar collaborated with the university administration to come up with improvements that would ensure packages ended up in the right place.
“Working together, Sanya and the mailroom team reviewed the feedback and identified several key focus areas: delivery security (including night, weekend, and misdirected deliveries), proper addressing of mail and packages and improving general awareness of mailroom services,” Scott Rosario, director of campus business services, wrote in an email to the Daily.
The drop box is the most significant change that was implemented, as it gives drivers a place to deliver packages when the mailroom is closed. According to Kluger, many drivers are independent contractors, not employees of a major carrier. Unlike drivers who follow the same route every day, these workers may arrive at any time and may not be aware of the mailroom’s hours and procedures. The drop box allows them to complete their deliveries without leaving packages outside.
To make this system work more effectively, the mailroom also expanded its signage to include languages other than English and Spanish.
“The mailroom took [it] upon themselves to figure out the common languages that most of the delivery drivers spoke, and those include Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Chinese,” Kluger said. “Now there’s updated signage that reflects all of those languages and [that’s] had a large impact in being able to reduce the number of packages that were dropped off where they shouldn’t have been.”
Bandekar also worked with the mailroom staff to improve student awareness of the mailroom’s policies, posting relevant information both in the mailroom and online for students to view.
“Students will notice a large whiteboard in the mailroom lobby, which is used to share timely information, helpful tips, and important dates related to mail services,” Rosario wrote. “The mailroom website and FAQs were also updated to provide clearer guidance on addressing mail and packages, using online retailer delivery instructions, and taking advantage of the Amazon Locker located on the first floor of Dowling Hall.”
According to Kluger, these changes have substantially reduced the number of lost packages. “It’s been an overwhelming success,” Kluger said. “There is the occasional package that you see outside, but that’s so much better than the maybe 20 at a time that we saw earlier in the year.”
Both Kluger and Rosario said community members with feedback about these changes or the mailroom in general can reach out to TCU or Tufts Mail Services (mailroom@tufts.edu). Rosario added that students are also encouraged to take the mailroom survey which will go out later this semester.
