USPS has 'Hold for Pickup' option- Never used it.
Stamps.com Hold for Pickup Primer
Fed Ex and UPS have something similar- Where you pickup at a facility. I've used it a few times, you can alter delivery from their web link- or app.
Have had very few troubles with literally thousands of USPS packages. One would keep coming back to our facility, be sent out, then come back. The inspector pulled up a photo of the package- I was pretty amazed- And it somehow got straightened out.
Periodically, USPS tracking won't show until package is at destination- I've learned to just not look at it- LoL!
Overall it's sooo EZ to use post office; there's one always nearby, you can drop prelabelled items in a box, leave them at your mailbox, or even hunt down a postman- Done that multiple x's. Counter service can be slow and - Grouchy.
Downtown Mpls they postmark until 8PM M-F counter, 8PM Saturday mailbox! Airport is 24/7 365.
UPS I've had about the same number of problems, but for only a couple hundred packages shipped.
Their main facility is closed from 11AM- 3PM for some crazy reason.
Never ship with Fed-Ex, eBay didn't offer, so just never used it.
I hear you on Smart Post. Yikes!
So I would suggest using 'Hold for pickup' or whatever UPS/FedEx calls their facility pickup.