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THE company’s name might be attracting negative publicity across many parts of the UK, but one Evri delivery driver has been showered with praise by residents in the remote Powys communities he serves.
Evri, the courier service previously known as Hermes, has been heavily criticised over the festive period following chronic parcel delivery delays – with many customers across the UK complaining Christmas presents they sent are still yet to arrive, despite being sent well in advance.
Evri has apologised for what it has called “short, localised delays”, claiming these are down to a multitude of factors combining to cause disruptions – such as Royal Mail strikes, staff shortages and severe weather conditions.
In Powys, Evri customers in Berriew have bemoaned an “epidemic” of missing or misplaced deliveries; since October enquiries over parcels going astray have increased in the Montgomeryshire village.
One Evri courier in Radnorshire, however, is facing the issue head on. Jaiden Omelia has taken to social media to inform customers he serves in some of Powys’ most remote communities why they may not have received packages as yet – and he has received appreciation and warmth rather than a barrage of abuse.
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“Hi all, most of you all know me, I deliver for Evri/Hermes for the following areas: Crossgates, Abbeycwmhir, Llaithddu, Llanbadarn, Llanbister and Llanddewi,” Jaiden said in a post on the Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Page on Facebook on Monday evening, January 9.
“(I) have been off for a week due to no vehicle and have now bought another one. As it’s our own car/van and we have to pay all damages/maintenance and fuel/insurance etc (I) have a big backlog of parcels so please bear with me. (I’m) back in Tuesday 10th Jan.
“To get back on track I will be delivering to Crossgates (January 10),
Abbeycwmhir/Llaithddu/Llanbadarn (January 11), Llanbister (January 12), Llanddewi (January 13). Saturday should be back to normal-ish.
“Thank you for being great customers and Happy New Year. Many thanks.”
Jaiden’s post prompted a raft of positive responses, with many locals thanking him for his service.
Marianne Lewis said: “Thanks for the update and great service Jaiden”, with Karen Clarke adding: “Thanks for the update Jaiden you do a great job”, while Lorraine Allen said: “Thanks Jaiden, hope you get back to normal soon and can relax a bit”.
Corrie Meredith posted: “Love how you’re considerate enough to let people know. Glad to hear you’ll be back out soon, although I wish Evri would help towards fuel at least.”
Nerys Rogers labelled Jaiden the “best delivery driver around” and added: “You’re certainly appreciated here.”
Royal Mail strikes over the festive period led to an increase in people sending parcels with other delivery services, such as Evri, during what is always the busiest time of year for courier services.
Evri, which is said to deliver more than 3 million parcels per day in the UK, said in a statement in response to the Berriew issues earlier this week: “We apologise to anyone who has been affected by these issues in the area.
“We have clear standards about how and where parcels should be left if recipients aren’t in and we have a number of checks in place to ensure correct delivery such as safe place photos and geolocation.
“We will fully investigate these claims but in the unlikely event that a parcel hasn’t been delivered within 10 days, we would advise customers to contact their retailer/seller who will in turn contact us if necessary.”
