Key takeaways:
- Buzzer bombing occurs when visitors, especially delivery drivers, buzz all residents in a building to gain access quickly.
- This practice annoys residents and creates significant security risks as unknown individuals enter the building.
- Modern video intercoms with mobile apps, like ButterflyMX, can prevent buzzer bombing by preventing visitors from buzzing every resident.
- Additional features such as virtual keys and delivery PINs offer secure and convenient building entry without relying on buzzers.
Apartment building residents everywhere are sick of hearing their apartment buzzer ring at all hours of the day when the person on the other end isn’t there for them. Delivery drivers and guests often approach a building and press every button until someone lets them in. They’re in a hurry, and speed is more important than who opens the door. But buzzer bombing is hurting your resident experience and has serious security implications.
This guide will help you end bombing fast with a few simple steps.
Read this post to put a stop to buzzer bombing at your property and learn:
- What is buzzer bombing?
- Who is bombing your apartment buzzer and why
- How buzzer bombing is hurting your property
- The best way to fix buzzer bombing fast
What is buzzer bombing?
Buzzer bombing is a common practice at apartment buildings. Visitors press every button on the intercom system until someone lets them in, which is annoying for residents and poses a safety risk for the building.
As a result, your residents get many buzzes every day for deliveries and visitors who aren’t theirs. So, they open the door without knowing who is on the other end.
Watch how ButterflyMX works:
Who is bombing your apartment buzzer and why
The majority of buzzer bombings are caused by busy delivery carriers. Couriers make so many deliveries daily that they feel delayed by buzzing just one person and waiting to see if they answer.
So, instead, they buzz every resident in the building. After all, as long as they can get in and make their delivery, they don’t care who buzzes open the door for them.
Other visitors, like friends of residents, will often do the same if they’re locked out and cannot get in.
How buzzer bombing is hurting your property
Your apartment intercom buzzer will help residents let in their deliveries and guests. But your property is no longer secure when anyone off the street can claim to be a “delivery” and get into the building.
Some of the negative effects of buzzer bombing include:
- Noise: The buzzer sound often irritates residents who don’t want to be interrupted unless the call is actually for them.
- Security: If you have an apartment intercom system with door release, your residents may unlock the door without knowing who’s on the other side, making your building less safe.
- Missing packages: When delivery drivers are confused by an apartment building buzzer system, they may leave the packages outside. Lost or stolen packages are inconvenient for your residents and make them less likely to renew their leases.
- Broken buzzers: Confused guests and delivery drivers aren’t always sure how to use an apartment buzzer correctly. As the property manager, pressing every button is expensive because your device will wear out faster. Replacing your apartment buzzer system is inconvenient and costly.
Listen to the annoying sound an apartment buzzer makes:
The best way to fix buzzer bombing fast
Investing in a wireless video intercom system with a mobile app for multiple-unit buildings is the fastest way to fix buzzer bombing. Wireless door buzzers are cheaper and easier to install and include secure and convenient features that encourage correct buzzer usage.
Additionally, the video component empowers residents to see who’s requesting access before they buzz someone in. This ensures that unwelcome buzzer bombers won’t be let in accidentally.
Finally, having an intercom with a mobile app means that residents can unlock the door from anywhere. This helps prevent buzzer bombing by increasing the chances that the intended resident can grant access — without the visitor resorting to buzzing everyone in the building.
For example, say you have an old buzzer system, and a delivery carrier buzzes your resident, Jane. But Jane isn’t home, so she can’t unlock the door for the carrier. As a result, the carrier buzzes the rest of the building, hoping someone will let them in so they can complete their delivery.
This wouldn’t happen if you had a smart video intercom like ButterflyMX.
How ButterflyMX prevents buzzer bombing
As a property technology innovator, ButterflyMX introduced the smart video intercom system in 2015. Since then, our video intercoms have been installed in more than 15,000 buildings and more than 1,500,000 units.
Key features of ButterflyMX that prevent buzzer bombing are:
- Two-way video calling: With ButterflyMX, visitors can only choose to call one resident at a time from the directory. Not only will this prevent unnecessary buzzing, but the camera ensures your residents see who they let into the building before opening the door.
- Smartphone-based access with a powerful mobile app: With the ButterflyMX app, residents don’t have to be home to answer calls from visitors. That means no more missed deliveries or locked-out guests. Not to mention, ButterflyMX has the most customer reviews in the industry, with more than 40,000 five-star reviews.
- Multiple access options, including delivery PINs: Our smart video intercom includes convenient delivery and guest entry features. Your residents can send virtual keys and delivery PINs to their visitors and ensure authorized people can enter the building without needing a buzzer.
- Audit trail with time—and date-stamped photos of every door entry: As the property owner or manager, your security is paramount. Buzzer bombing can let unauthorized strangers into your building, which isn’t safe for your residents or property. With ButterflyMX, every door entry event is recorded, and you can review the records from anywhere on our cloud-based platform.
