Your services do not end when the inspection does
Your services do not end when the inspection does
While seemingly insignificant, a clearly visible and well-lit house address plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and convenience for residents, emergency services, delivery personnel, and guests. With increasing reliance on online services and deliveries, proper address visibility has become essential.
During a holiday season stint as a delivery driver, I witnessed firsthand the impact of problematic addresses. Problems with, or related to, the address caused issues that wasted time, caused confusion, and even resulted in undelivered packages. Here are some specific challenges I encountered:
• Missing Addresses: New construction or exterior renovations without installed addresses, impact day and night deliveries.
• Removed Addresses: Removed address signs affect both day and night deliveries. The ghost numbers remaining after address removal may still be useful during the day, but not at night.
• Damaged Addresses: A missing or damaged number in an address may misdirect an inattentive driver, particularly on sparsely populated roads.
• Lighting Issues: Unlit or poorly lit addresses become invisible when darkness falls, hindering arrival at the destination.
• Obstructed Addresses: Vegetation, decorations, or even vehicles can hide the address and make it difficult to find a house. There is a case study in the book Guerrilla Marketing where an overgrown tree obscured a business address, leading to a drop in customers.
• Variable Addresses Locations: There is a development where the builder located the address at either the front right corner or front left corner. The address location seemed to switch locations for each house; which made locating a property frustrating.
• Private Streets: Houses visible on GPS but accessible only through unmarked or poorly mapped private roads lead to wasted time.
• Painted Curb Addresses: While initially skeptical, I discovered the value of painted curb addresses when the main house address could not be located.
While GPS and mapping apps offer valuable assistance, they are not without pitfalls. Battery issues, outdated maps, and inaccurate street data can complicate finding a destination:
• Battery or Signal Problems: A low battery or weak signal can render GPS useless, leaving drivers struggling to find a property.
• Mapping Errors: Addresses shown on the wrong side of the street, inaccessible locations, or even behind other structures, lead to frustration and wasted time.
• Private Streets: Newly built streets, private roads or ‘country’ roads may be inaccurate or missing on maps, misdirecting drivers to wrong locations.
When you're expecting a package delivery, a clearly visible address helps couriers find your home quickly and avoid delays. If there is ever an emergency at your property, seconds count. A clearly visible address on your home can direct first responders to your location quickly and potentially save lives. Maintaining a clear and well-lit address isn't just a convenience, it's a safety measure. Tonight, step outside and pretend you're unfamiliar with your location. If you can't easily find your address, it's time to make it visible!