You knock twice, wait, ring if there's a doorbell, wait again. Nobody answers. The package in your hands is marked signature required. Now what?
This is one of the most common friction points in final mile delivery, and it's important to handle it exactly right — because both leaving it and not leaving it create potential problems if your process isn't clean.
First: Confirm It Actually Requires Signature
Check your delivery app before assuming. "Signature required" should be flagged clearly — either in the stop notes or in the package details. Some packages look like they should require a signature but don't. Confirm before you spend time on a process you didn't need to run.
Also check: does your company or the shipper allow "signature at neighbor" or "leave with building management"? Some signature-required packages have authorized alternative delivery options in the instructions. Read all notes before deciding your approach.
If No Alternative Is Authorized: Do Not Leave the Package
A package that requires a signature cannot be left at a door without one. Period. If no one answers and no alternative is authorized, the correct process is:
- Attempt delivery — knock, wait, knock again.
- Leave a door tag (physical or in-app) informing the customer a delivery was attempted and providing the redelivery or pickup options.
- Mark the stop as "attempted — no signature obtained."
- Return the package to your depot at end of day.
Do not leave a signature-required package unattended in hopes the customer won't notice or won't complain. If it goes missing after an unauthorized drop, the liability lands on you.
The Door Tag Matters
The door tag is the customer's first notification that an attempt was made. It should include: the date and approximate time, the package count, and how they can reschedule or pick up. Your app may generate this automatically or you may need to print/write one. Either way, place it where it's visible — on the door itself, not in a mailbox or under a mat.
When the Customer Is Home But Won't Sign
Occasionally a customer won't sign — they're suspicious, they claim they didn't order anything, they're just difficult. In this case, document it as "refused — customer present, declined to sign." Note the interaction briefly (time, what was said). Return the package.
Never forge or fabricate a signature. This is grounds for immediate termination at every logistics company — and it's fraud.
At JWA Logistics, we'd rather process a redelivery than have a driver handle a signature-required stop incorrectly. The process exists for a reason, and following it protects you, the customer, and the company.