background
United States Postal Service offers certified mail for customers who send valuable or irreplaceable items by mail. Certified mail provides additional protection for internal mail and mail from valuable and important clients with proof of shipment and delivery.
tracking service begins from the moment the mail is presented by the sender to the postal service to the point of delivery. a responsible person must sign for the piece of certified mail each time it changes hands, and each intermediary office must prepare control records. Certified mail pieces also require specific packaging and sealing methods for their safety and protection. when not in transit, pieces of certified mail should be stored in a locked safe, room or cage, separate from other mail.
During fiscal year 2016, the postal service processed [deleted] millions of pieces of certified mail and collected revenue of about [deleted] million.
We used geographic information system mapping, insurance claims, and certified mail volume to judiciously select 15 post offices and two four-area registration sections for review.
Our goals were to review current operational controls over certified mail for effectiveness, follow up on previous recommendations from a 2012 audit, and identify potential process improvements and efficiencies.
what the oig found
Postal service operational controls over certified mail at 14 of the 15 post offices visited were not always adequate, effective, or followed. some of the post offices had multiple problems like:
- six post offices had safes to store certified mail and other accounting items that were open and unattended during business hours.
- two doors to the registration room or cage were open and unlocked when not in use and the key to the safe was not safe in one of the post offices.
- registered mail from a post office for daily bank deposit was not routinely insured while awaiting dispatch and shipment.
- six post offices left certified mail pieces unattended in an open area.
- four post offices did not maintain logs recording staff access to the search room or cage.
- fourteen post offices had employees who did not complete required training courses for certified mail acceptance, transfer, and security.
we also determined that corrective action was not completed by the postal service in the us. uu. previous. The Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General reports recommendations regarding certified mail.
specifically:
- Two of the three post offices in the South Area did not provide a step-by-step procedure toolkit to employees responsible for certified mail or complete the certified mail compliance checklist. South Area management agreed to provide a copy of the toolkit to employees in response to a previous audit recommendation.
- two of the nine post offices in the capital metropolitan area and western areas did not assess the vulnerability and risk associated with the facilities, including those related to certified mail. area management agreed to complete the assessments in response to a previous audit recommendation.
As a result of the identified issues, the postal service is at increased risk of delayed mail, theft, or loss, which could also increase insurance claims and customer dissatisfaction with the certified mail service, which could affect your brand.
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In addition, opportunities exist for Post Offices and Section Offices to improve the certified mail process and efficiencies by implementing evolving technology. These improvements should strengthen information sharing, provide more efficient services, and minimize the risks associated with unlocked cages, cabinets, or safes.
what the oig recommended
We recommend that management verify that employees responsible for certified mail complete the required training; monitor registered mail operations to ensure employees comply with policies and procedures; update the manual parts of the process; and monitoring technology to streamline the certified mail process.
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