On August 29, 2016, the Office of the Inspector General (IG) for the United States Postal Service (USPS) released an audit report on USPS facilities in the Capital Metro Area.  The Capital Metro Area, which includes Atlanta, Baltimore, Greensboro, Richmond, and surrounding areas, is home to 2,600 postal facilities (USPS leases and owns more than 30,000 nationwide).  Of the 20 buildings audited, the IG found that many had roof and lighting problems, security issues, and possible Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations. 

The audit, the first of a nationwide series, revealed that deficiencies of facilities were a result of landlords failing to perform repairs and local management neglecting cleaning and general maintenance.  Further, local customer complaints were not logged.  Of the 20 audited facilities, 18 were found to have deficiencies for customer complaint log maintenance.

The IG recommends that an action plan be developed to address issues with building maintenance, safety, and security.  In addition, further training is recommended to reinforce USPS policies on cleaning standards, security standards, and tracking customer complaints.

USPS continues to clamor for their ability to expand their services, but when offices cannot maintain simple standards for cleanliness and customer service, it’s alarming to consider what banking or other non-postal services might be like at such a facility.