Parcel delivery firms Evri and Yodel have been named as the worst for customer service, while Amazon and DHL top the list, according to a report by Ofcom.
Despite 78% of parcel recipients expressing satisfaction with delivery companies, two-thirds (67%) reported experiencing issues in the past six months, the annual Post Monitoring Report revealed.
The most frequent problems included delivery delays (27%), parcels left in unsuitable locations (23%), delivery drivers not knocking loudly enough (20%), and insufficient time given to answer the door (19%). Meanwhile, addressed letter volumes dropped by 9% to 6.6 billion items in 2023-24, the regulator disclosed.
However, around 64% of people still consider post as an important means of staying connected with loved ones, and 82% believe they will always need to send items by post. Royal Mail managed to regain some of the parcel volumes and revenues it lost the previous year due to industrial action, Ofcom noted.
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Yet, the company continued to operate at a loss and its productivity improvements fell short of expectations. “We continue to have concerns about the longer-term sustainability of the universal service, and we are progressing work on the future of the service, as well as an investigation into Royal Mail’s delivery performance.”
Ofcom stated.
- The number of parcels sent by delivery firms across the UK rose by 8.3% to 3.9 billion items in 2023-24, nearing the 4 billion pandemic peak in 2020-21, the report indicated.
- Amazon and DHL topped the list for customer satisfaction in handling complaints, boasting scores of 56% and 55% respectively, while FedEx came in third with a 52% satisfaction rate. With “below average” performance in certain aspects of its customer service, Yodel managed only a 38% satisfaction score, as discovered by Ofcom.
- Evri, although showing improvement from its 2023 benchmark, still scored the lowest in customer satisfaction, at 32% for the past year. According to Ofcom, which has seen “early signs of improvement” thanks to tougher regulations aimed at ensuring fair treatment of customers, the percentage of customers complaining about delayed parcels dropped to 19% from the previous year’s figure of 23%.
The regulatory body stated: “We expect further, sustained and continued improvement.”
Notably, Ofcom expressed particular concern over the fact that “disabled consumers and those with limiting conditions are still more likely to encounter difficulties with the delivery process (71%) compared to other people (63%).”
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