Resident ID and elevator technology question

I’ve moved into my new HOA (a large condo building) and love it; it’s heaven. I have a question about building technology:

When I walk into the lobby and walk towards the elevator, the button suddenly lights up. Then when I walk into the elevator, the button for my floor is lit. And when I’ve sometimes pressed the button for another floor, the staff calls over the intercom into the elevator, asking if I’m OK.

There are almost 200 units in the building, and this started on the day that I moved in.

First, how in the world does the staff know who I am that well? I’ve seen them glance at something as I walk in the lobby; is there maybe facial ID technology that the building has that allows it to identify residents?

Second, are elevators that are controlled remotely common?

This new HOA is really wonderful: the staff is amazing and everything is so professional. The building is beautiful, too.

Thanks.

I have a regular door key. I don’t use the key until I am opening my apartment door though. It’s the building staff who remotely handles the elevators.

Thanks, I am intrigued by this. The building was built in the 1990s and perhaps the elevators are newer. Maybe the staff just has amazing memory--literally every time I've walked into the elevator my floor it lit. It's never been wrong.

Good idea, thanks.

The HOA has a complete ban on outside visitors now due to virus restrictions.

If your key don't have an RFID tag inside, then it is your front desk staff that operates the elevator from the computer.

Thanks, that all makes sense.

I haven't had a photo taken and I don't have a card or anything that I show; I just have a set of metal door keys (straight out of 1850) that I use to open my apartment door.

So I guess the staff must really be that skilled to remember me and always get my floor right. Impressive.

Curiosity, on my part anyway, would push me to simply ask them how its all works.

Paul,
That makes it impossible for a minimum wage guard to have everyone memorized. Nothing wrong with technology and if it makes everyone's life easier it can be a real asset to any HOA. I would imagine it would be explained in your CC&Rs our your Bylaws or Good Neighbor guidelines. I have read enough of your previous posts to wonder why you have not already asked this question.

I checked when I bought (I read the governing documents in detail)- they were written in the 1990s and didn't cover this.

The staff aren't "minimum wage guards"- they are very nice and professional, upstanding professionals.

They've never gotten the floor wrong and if they did, I'd, I guess, deal with enormous aggravation of having to actually push the elevator button myself.

Paul,
Good service is worth the price you pay for it 100% of the time. I agree your new HOA must be hiring good staff and paying for them too be doing the job they are doing for you. They should be acknowledged for the work they do during Christmas time when they are gifted for this service.

Paul,
I am not sure all Mark$ are the $ame. In this case I am the only one responding to your Post. It appears like you have found the right HOA finally. If I am right you have kissed a few Frogs on this site meaning you have had a few Bad HOAs that you have been a part of in my memory serves me. I am glad you are in your perfect HOA now. Congrats

And even the property manager seems very professional- I looked on its website and it kind of brags about being a high-end property manager but when I checked out building records (as diligence prior to buying) they were in very good shape and I was treated very professionally, and the resident manager has been very professional, responsive, etc.

So there are some wonderful HOAs out there. I won't be filing a lawsuit against this one. Going up against a board consisting of the people I've noticed are on it, that would be tough, anyway.

I don't want to insult them and I'd rather know in advance anyway, if these elevators are common.

I wasn't allowed to make copies of the documents but there was an assessment for the elevators a few years ago. They're newer than the building itself. I'm not going to get involved in the details of a HOA this time- the elevators work, they're newish and the HOA dues are low (particularly given how nice the building is). That's enough to make me happy.

Paul,

I would expect that there are elevator systems with face recognition and floor selection.
Sounds like your development has one of those.

Even if it's only face recognition and the "doorman" is selecting the floor, this can be a great security measure.

For others, it can seem a little creepy.

Hope you like your new place.

Tim

I just have to boast about the amazing staff in my new HOA:

One day recently when I was walking into the elevator, like clockwork, the "up" button lit up (without me pressing it) and then the button inside the elevator lit up...for the wrong floor.

I was actually delighted. It shows that there is no face-recognition software that the wonderful staff uses to identify residents and which floors they go to. They just know their residents so well that they know which button inside the elevator to press, remotely, to get the residents to their correct floors. And when they got it wrong, they were just a few floors off. I find it really impressive that they remember residents that well!

You're quite right, they're not!