I'm a USPS letter carrier (aka: mailman) who has been lurking this sub for a little while. I don't order from the DNM myself but I'm always curious if/how many DNM packages I am delivering unbeknownst to me. I see some of the same questions regarding delivery keep coming up and hopefully I can shed a little light on them. Bear in mind that I'm only familiar with the delivery aspect of USPS, I have never worked as a clerk, mail handler, etc. Here goes:
CD If you see your regular carrier trying to deliver a package it is NOT a CD. We do not get paid enough nor have the training to deal with that! Your regular carrier will not even know that anything is up with your address until it has all gone down and the whole neighborhood/town knows. I have known carriers who ran into the postal inspectors out on their route and that was their first indication that anything was out of the ordinary.
Notice Left Slip (little pink/peach colored paper) If the package needs a signature, won't fit in your mailbox/parcel locker, or there is no secure location to leave it then you will get one of these slips. It should be filled out with when/where to pick up the package, tracking number, etc. but we carriers are usually under tremendous pressure to get done on time to make management look good so don't freak out if it's not completely filled out. You can take the slip to the post office the next day or fill out the back to schedule for a redelivery and leave it where you leave your outgoing mail. DO NOT just tape it to your door if your box is not right by your door as chances are we won't see it. If the package is marked "Carrier--Leave if no response" like the amazon packages are then we are supposed to leave them even if no one answers the door.
Fake name/Vacant house Okay, here's the truth. If you have a regular carrier and he/she has been on the route more than a couple months (and you don't live in an area where people are moving in and out of houses all the time) then they absolutely know which names belong to which houses and which ones are vacant. When you see the same names and addresses every single day you learn them without even trying. So, if you see the same carrier nearly every day you can be pretty sure that he/she knows what names get mail to which houses. I do not like getting chewed out by management for delivering a package for someone who doesn't live in that house. For that reason, if I don't recognize the name and no one answers the door then I am going to leave one of those pink slips. Likewise if I have the house marked as vacant and a package randomly shows up for that address.
To save yourself and your carrier time and trouble: Please, please, please..for the love of god..take 2 minutes and place inside your mailbox a list of all the names authorized to receive mail at your address!
Also, being nice to your carrier and making their job easier (clear path to mailbox, names in box, keeping your dogs secured and away from us, etc.) can go a loooong way towards good service.
I'm tired of typing now but if you have any questions regarding the delivery side of things just let me know. I don't claim to know everything but I've been a carrier for a few years now.
I give my mail dude a gatorade when I can and a cig when he asks. I appreciate his service