UK Royal Mail improves but continutes to fail

In the first six months of 2004/05 Royal Mail have failed to achieve 14 of their 15 minimum performance targets. Compared with the same period last year services across the board have deteriorated. With only one service (Mailsort 3) showing an improvement.

During the first six months of last year the all-important 1st class mail performance was above the 92.5 per cent target at 92.7 per cent delivered next day. This year the figure has slumped to 90.4 per cent. Over 200 million 1st class letters were not delivered next day.

Peter Carr, Chairman of Postwatch commenting on the poor service levels said: “Customers are facing new price increases whilst service standards continue to fail the targets – yet Royal Mail profits are expected to double to £400 million plus.

“Customers are paying for the profits without receiving the service – Royal Mail have the penny, customers want the bun! Prices should not increase until service standards are achieved.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. 1st and 2nd class stamp prices went up by a penny in May 2003. 2nd class again in April 2004 by another penny. By the end of this financial year these increases will have cost customers around £400 million.

2. Royal Mail’s second quarter performance was much better than in the first. It is however, the cumulative position, rather than each quarter’s performance that is important.

3. Wigan (WN) is cumulatively the best performing postcode area in the UK – 93.8 per cent 1st class mail delivered next day. Sheffield (93.6) comes a close second. Oxford (OX) is the worst performing at 80.6 per cent.

4. The attached tables show the top and bottom 20 performing postcode areas.

Top 20 Postcode Areas, Quarter 2 (2004/05)

The following table contains the top 20 best performing postcode areas during the first two quarters of this year. This is based on the percentage of 1st class Stamped and Metered items posted within that area arriving the next day.

Position Postcode Area Quarter 2(Cumulative) %
1 WN Wigan 93.8
2 S Sheffield 93.6
3 CT Canterbury 93.3
4 SR Sunderland 93.3
5 AL St Albans 93.2
6 KY Kirkcaldy 93.2
7 WD Watford 93.1
8 NG Nottingham 93.0
9 DT Dorchester 92.9
10 LN Lincoln 92.9
11 ML Motherwell 92.8
12 KT Kingston upon Thames 92.8
13 PH Perth 92.7
14 DD Dundee 92.7
15 HR Hereford 92.7
16 DG Dumfries 92.4
17 CW Crewe 92.4
18 TR Truro 92.3
19 RH Redhill 92.2
20 PA Paisley 92.0

Bottom 20 Postcode Areas, Quarter 2 (2004/05)

The following table contains the bottom 20 best performing postcode areas during the first two quarters of this year. This is based on the percentage of 1st class Stamped and Metered items posted within that area arriving the next day.

Position Postcode Area Quarter 2(Cumulative) %%
1 OX Oxford 80.6
2 E London E 86.7
3 WC London West Central 87.0
4 TF Telford 87.4
5 ST Stoke-on-Trent 87.6
6 CV Coventry & Warwickshire 87.6
7 PE Peterborough 87.9
8 G Glasgow 88.0
9 NP Newport 88.0
10 BT Northern Ireland 88.1
11 L Liverpool 88.1
12 N London N 88.2
13 W London West 88.3
14 CB Cambridge 88.4
15 NN Northamptonshire 88.4
16 UB Uxbridge 88.5
17 NR Norwich 88.5
18 OL Oldham 88.7
19 SA Swansea 88.7
20 IV Inverness 88.7

KW Kirkwall (85.6), HS Hebrides (84.9) and ZE Lerwick (86.2) are not included in the National Quality of Service figure because their geographical remoteness makes next day delivery difficult. They have not been included in this list, for that same reason.

More Information

Contact Andy Frewin on 0207 259 1223 or 07900 263 004

Daryl Barrett on 0207 259 1239 or 07900 263 020

Robert Forsyth on 0207 259 1364 or 07900 263 014