Video Doorman

A friend of mine had a "virtual" (i.e video) doorman in his last building. The service provides remote doorman service to multiple buildings from one location. From this location, the "doorman" can screen guests before letting them into the building (they control the "buzzer" for the front door) and can "accept" packages by allowing the deliveryman into the building and then remotely unlocking the package room.

For some definition of "doorman". It won't hold the door open for you when you arrive with packages in the pouring rain. It won't say hi to your kids when they go in or out. It won't give menacing looks to shady characters who may be lurking about the entrance. It won't clean up little spills in the lobby (or tell the porter to do it).

It's essentially a remotely operated door buzzer, and is a poor substitute for a real live doorman.

It also doesn't get paid at union scale either, with benefits, and doesn't need to be tipped at holiday time. You get what you pay for.

Its better than a buzzer, but worse than a doorman. Also, since any tenant or (buzzed in) deliver person can get into the package room, its possible I would imagine to get things stolen before you ever actually get them. Imagine you have an iPod delivered in a small box...anyone could swipe that from the room with their back to the camera.

Also, I have had the front desk guys let furniture delivery people into my apt as they watch, or put frozen grocery deliveries in the front desk refrigerator for me. Not the kind of thing a virtual could do.

The place I saw with one was deep, deep into East Harlem and it seemed sketchy not to have a real person at the front desk.

Its not for me, but its like I said better than having a buzzer alone. At least there is a camera and a person on the other side of the camera.

I had it in a new condo that I owned about five years ago. The service was horrid. It wouldn't stop me from buying in a building that had it, but I would look on it as a negative. I would certainly never install the service in an already existing building I was in.

"deep, deep into East Harlem and it seemed sketchy not to have a real person at the front desk"

... more overt racism from Jason10006

> or put frozen grocery deliveries in the front desk refrigerator for me.

So lazy.
Who else does this? Oh the woman who returns the banana she doesn't like.

This is a way for buildings to say they have a doorman, when they don't. I imagine that most buildings that have it get rid of it after a few years as it is probably pretty useless but still costs quite a bit.

Where are the people who monitor the camera? Williamsburg? C0lumbia C0unty? Tacoma? Ottawa? Pakistan?

HB: I could see why you have the interest. You seem to be pretty adept at monitoring things and being overly interested in anything and everything. You suggesting the ISS is involved?

And who are you? Edward Snowden?

can Video Doorman see inside your apartment? I read that they can let dry cleaner in your apartment.

For the service provided it is grossly overpriced.

Technology has grow leaps and bounds with the ability to install computer/cellphone access by owner into buildings/apartments.
I was going to dive deeper into the systems for my building but got busy and have put it off.

My friend lives in a building where they have a camera trained on the front entry, and everyone can see who is there on a dedicated TV channel. She keeps the "front door channel" on all the time. It's better than reality TV, and really freaks out visitors when they're greeted before they even ring the bell!

But lots o buildings have this kind of stuff. In mine you can also wathc the doorman, in the elavotrs and outisde.

"Its better than a buzzer, but worse than a doorman. ... Its not for me, but its like I said better than having a buzzer alone. At least there is a camera and a person on the other side of the camera."

Well-put.

As for the package room, that sounds to me like it's more trouble than it's worth. Missing deliveries is one thing -- at least your package is still in the custody of UPS/Federal Express/USPS. Once it's delivered to your "package room", however, it's YOUR responsibility if it gets stolen.

Seems to me that it's much safer to either:

-- have valuable packages delivered to your office
-- pick them up from UPS/Federal Express/USPS yourself
-- open up a box at a UPS or Mail Boxes Etc. (do they even still have these?) for future deliveries)
-- Arrange to be home to accept the delivery for really big important items

Yes, it's a pain in the ass. But if it's that much of a problem, spend the extra $$$ and just move into a doorman building. Or hire a full-time housekeeper who'll be home to accept any and all deliveries for you.

Or quit your job and just stay home all day.

Any updates on this subject? Thank you.