Switching provider
Own Snaile lockers? Find out what you can keep.
Many Canadian condos and rental buildings bought Snaile parcel lockers. If yours work, couriers use them and support answers the phone, you may not need to change anything.
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If that doesn't describe your building, read on. This page covers how to tell whether it's time to switch, what we check before we quote, and how a move to StaticMile works, step by step.
Warning signs
Signs your locker system is costing you time
When a locker system stops working, parcels go back to the front desk. Watch for these signs:
- Couriers walk past the lockers. Parcels pile up at the desk or in the lobby because check-in is slow or a carrier can't get in.
- Residents call the desk. A code arrives late, never arrives, or doesn't open the door, and staff end up doing tech support.
- Repairs wait. A jammed door or a dead screen stays broken until the vendor gets back to you.
- You can't get straight answers. Nobody will tell you when the next software update is coming, what support will cost next year, or how you'd get your resident and delivery records out.
- Fees go up and nothing improves.
If two or more of these sound familiar, get a second opinion. It costs you nothing.
Site assessment
Start with what you already have
Your lockers are steel, wiring and a lobby built around them. We don't assume they have to go. Before we quote, we visit the site and look at:
| What we check | What we're looking for |
|---|---|
| Cabinets and doors | The condition of the frame, hinges and doors, and whether the doors line up |
| Locks and lock boards | Whether our locker controller can drive them |
| Touchscreen and controller | Their condition, and whether they need replacing |
| Network and power | Where the lockers connect, and how reliable that connection is |
| How parcels arrive | Which carriers deliver, how many parcels, and where things go wrong |
Then you get one of two answers in writing:
- Reuse. Your cabinets are sound and compatible. We replace the touchscreen and software, plus the lock boards if they need it, and keep the rest.
- Replace. Reuse wouldn't be reliable or wouldn't save you money. We quote a StaticMile system sized to your building and explain why.
Either way, the assessment and quote are free, with no obligation. We won't tell you that you can keep your lockers until we've seen them.
After the switch
What changes for couriers, residents and staff
Couriers. Any courier can deliver, including Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, FedEx and Amazon Logistics. The courier selects the recipient on the touchscreen and drops off the parcel. No carrier agreements, no exclusivity.
Residents. As soon as a parcel is in, the resident gets an email or SMS with a pickup code. They can collect it at any hour with the code or a QR link. There's no app to download.
Staff and managers. The cloud dashboard shows compartment use, capacity and delivery trends. Every open, delivery and collection is logged with the time and the user. An API connects StaticMile to property management platforms and tenant portals.
Support. Our team is in Canada and knows Canadian buildings. Call 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, 7 days a week.
At one 550-resident building, StaticMile lockers handle about 600 parcels a month and have cut staff involvement in deliveries by 90%. Read the case study.
The process
How to switch in five steps
1. Check your current agreement
Before you book anything, find out where you stand:
- Do you own the hardware, or is it leased or bundled with a service plan?
- How much notice do you have to give to cancel, and are there fees?
- Can you export your resident list and delivery history? Ask for that in writing.
Your property manager or the corporation's lawyer can help with the contract. We can't give legal advice, but we can tell you what we'd need from your current system.
2. Book a site assessment
We visit, check everything in the table above, and talk to whoever handles parcels day to day.
3. Get a written plan and quote
You get the reuse-or-replace answer, a quote, an installation plan and a timeline. We can also give you a one-page summary to take to your board.
4. Plan the switchover
- Pick a date, and tell residents what's changing and when.
- Let the couriers who deliver to your building know.
- A few days before the switch, stop new deliveries to the old system so residents can collect what's inside. The front desk holds anything that's left.
- Walk your staff through the new dashboard.
5. Go live, then review
On the day, we install the new hardware, load your resident list and test every compartment. Over the first few weeks, we go over delivery volume, resident questions and compartment use with you, and adjust where needed.
Buyer's checklist
Questions to ask any locker provider
Whoever you choose, ask these questions before you sign.
| Question | Why it matters | StaticMile's answer |
|---|---|---|
| Can any courier use it without an agreement? | If one carrier can't get in, its parcels go back to the desk. | Yes. Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, FedEx, Amazon Logistics and others. |
| Do residents need an app? | Every resident who can't log in becomes a call to the desk. | No. Pickup codes arrive by email or SMS. |
| Who do we call, and when? | Doors don't only break during office hours. | Our team in Canada, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, 7 days a week. |
| Is every open recorded? | You'll need a record when a resident says a parcel went missing. | Yes. Every open, delivery and collection is logged with the time and the user. |
| Can we get our data out if we leave? | Your own records shouldn't lock you in. | Yes. Delivery records are available through reports and our API. |
| Can it grow with the building? | Parcel volume keeps rising. | Yes. Banks are modular, so you can add compartments as volume grows. |
| Does it connect to our property software? | Nobody should have to enter move-ins and move-outs twice. | StaticMile has an API for property management platforms and tenant portals. |
Frequently asked questions
Can we keep our Snaile lockers?
Possibly. It depends on the condition of the cabinets and whether our controller can drive your lock boards. We'll tell you in writing after the site assessment, and we won't promise it before.
What happens to parcels that are in the lockers on switchover day?
We plan for them. New deliveries to the old system stop a few days before the switch, so residents have time to collect. Anything left is logged and held at the front desk until it's collected. Then the new system goes live.
Do residents have to sign up for anything?
No. We load your resident list during setup, and residents start getting pickup codes by email or SMS. There's no app to download.
How much does it cost?
It depends on whether we can reuse your cabinets, how many compartments you need, and whether any of them are outdoors. The assessment and quote are free, so you'll have a real number before you decide.
We're not sure about our current provider's support. What should we do?
Ask them in writing about support hours, repair times, software updates and data export. Keep copies of your resident list and recent delivery records. And get a quote now, so you already have a plan if something stops working.
Can lockers go outdoors?
Yes. Our outdoor units are weather-sealed, with a touchscreen and lighting, for townhouse and low-rise sites with no mailroom.
Get a straight answer about your lockers
Book a free site assessment. We'll tell you what you can keep, what it costs to switch and how long it takes. If your current system is right for your building, we'll tell you that too.
Questions? Call (647) 926-5981 or email sales@staticmile.com.
Get Started
Let's design the right parcel system for your property.
Tell us about your building, delivery volume and available space. We'll help determine a suitable StaticMile configuration — at no cost and no obligation.