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Work is being done to improve an “awful” Royal Mail service in the Yeovil area as the local MP declares “we need action fast”. Residents in parts of Yeovil and the surrounding villages have become exasperated by infrequent post in recent months.
Some locals claim there have been occasions where they have not received post for two weeks. Deliveries are then completed in bulk after a long wait.
The problems are causing concern for some residents, with delays to time-sensitive mail. Royal Mail has confirmed it is working to rectify the problems, which it says are caused by high levels of vacancies, and is recruiting new staff to fill the void.
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Writing in local newspaper Western Gazette, Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh said: “One area that is less positive at the moment is the reliability of our Royal Mail service, about which I have received lots of complaints. It seems that there are problems locally and work is being done to resolve them but there are minimum service obligations that have to be met.
“I am in touch with central government to see what support can be given, and potentially other measures taken, to ensure that things are remedied swiftly. I have also written to Royal Mail and Ofcom on this issue as we need action fast.”
Local Michael Mason told BBC Radio Somerset he waited two weeks for mail. He then received a bundle of 17 letters after filing a complaint.
He said: “My regular postman has resigned. And I’ve had it from someone in the know that two-thirds of the delivery staff in this area have left.
“Prior to no post for the last two weeks, I was getting deliveries once or twice a week going back a couple of months. It’s really awful.”
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A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We are sorry that residents in Yeovil have experienced delays receiving their mail. Improving our quality of service is our top priority and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“The local service has been impacted by high levels of vacancies at Yeovil Delivery Office. This has led to delays in the area.
“However, we have new staff joining the business in the area and every effort is being made to ensure post is delivered on time. Those who do not receive their mail on the day they expect will be prioritised the following day.
“We encourage anyone with concerns about the delivery of their mail to please get in touch with Royal Mail customer service on 03457 740 740. Alternatively you can get in touch via www.royalmail.com.”
