Customer Signature Service COVID-19 Response and Prevention

A number of cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have recently been confirmed across the country.

The safety and well-being of our employees & customers is our highest priority. To help ensure the health of our employees & customers, we are continuing to follow recommended guidance and strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments, and are implementing additional measures to help maintain social distancing.

One significant measure being implemented is a temporary modification to mail handling procedures for mail that requires customer signatures. We recognize the close proximity and additional handling that occurs when employees must ask customers for a signature and government issued identification when required. To reduce health risks, we are temporarily modifying customer signature capture procedures. Effective immediately and until further notice, our employees will follow the temporary process below for signature service items. This process applies to all letter carriers:

· Avoid ringing the doorbell when possible. Knock on the customer’s door. Avoid areas that may be frequently touched when knocking.
· While maintaining a safe, appropriate distance, employees will request the customer’s first initial and last name.
· For increased safety, employees will ask the customer to step back a safe distance or close the screen door/door so that they may leave the item in the mail receptacle or appropriate location by the customer door.
· If there is no response, employees will follow the normal Notice Left process.
· If there are delivery points on the route where social distancing recommendations are difficult to follow, alternative delivery methods can be explored.

Industry and commercial customers can email questions or concerns about COVID-19 and the mail to industryfeedback@usps.gov with COVID-19 in the subject line. Mailers can also sign up for Industry Alerts at industryalert@usps.gov.

For more information, see the USPS Coronavirus Statement at about.usps.com/newsroom.

Attention All Rural Carriers: Special Provisions and Instructions for Handling Signature Capture Items During the COVID-19 Crisis