Well my experience is mixed. While in Portugal it was common for packages not even been trying to be delivered. Mailman leaves the letter in the box and I have to pick up next day on the post office.
If it was a delivery company as DHL, TNT or FedEx the guy would call me early on the morning and I would get an arrangement with him. If I was at home I would most of the times meet him in a place close to his delivery route if my package was the only one on that part of the city (or the city itself) or to set a time he would arrive. For me was always easier to put my company address and then it would be delivered there and someone would leave it in my desk.
Now in Hong Kong/Shenzhen it depends. In Hong Kong is the same as in Portugal, letter on the box, pick up 2 days later at the post office.
In Shenzhen is where I have the best delivery experience. All packages are left in a automated recieving station (basically a big machine with small, medium and big drawers) and as soon the door closes I receive an SMS with a code to the lock and location of the machine where it was left.
If it doesn't fit the box it is delivered at my home door or he returns later the day and deliveres personally, calling me before. If it is more than one smaller, they put all inside the biggest box available and again the code on the phone for the lock.
If it requires signature it has to be myself signing on their PDA/phone, no other way around. If it is someone else to pick up instead of me I have to go to the app and say I authorize someone to pick up on my own and write the name and phone number of that person (but most of the time just calling and telling him that someone is going to pick up other than me is enough).
If you don't pick up by the end of the day, at midnight you pay an extra fee (normally 0.5rmb per day, free during Lunar New Year and October Festival holidays) for the package being left there more than a day.
Thank god I never had packages stolen but got some lost and scammed deliveries where nothing was sent. Also had 2 cases of packages sent, didn't delivered, got refund and then they arrived later that week. Both were in Portugal during the French Tunnel Truck blockage in 2018.