Mail Delivery Procedures in White Plains, New York

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the U.S. Postal Service's procedures for delivering mail in White Plains, New York, after a financial services firm complained that constantly late mail deliveries were harming its business.

GAO found that the letter carrier who delivers the firm's mail is usually late leaving the post office by more than 30 minutes. This occurs because he now must prepare much more mail for delivery than he did before the firm moved to White Plains. Between 1983 and 1984, delivery on the firm's route was usually 15 to 75 minutes late. In 1984, the post office pushed back the workday starting time for all of its letter carriers by 30 to 60 minutes to reduce late carrier departures; however, the mail was still delivered 15 to 60 minutes later than it would have arrived had the carrier left the post office on schedule. The post office plans to take further action during fiscal year 1985 on this problem. However, even if the carrier leaves the post office on schedule, the firm will not receive its mail at the time that it wants it because the carrier takes at least 2 hours to reach the firm after he leaves the post office.