Citizens Advice: we’ve seen very little commitment from Royal Mail or Ofcom to tackle these persistent failings
Royal Mail has issued its Universal Service Obligation (USO) Quality of Service report for First and Second Class mail for Q1 2024-25.
Over the quarter from 1st April to 30th June 2024, Royal Mail delivered 94.1% of Second Class mail within three working days and 79.1% of First Class mail within one working day.
Year-on-year, First Class quality of service increased by 4.5%. In Q1 93.5% of First Class letters arrived within two days, compared to 91.6% during the same period in 2023.
Tom MacInnes, Interim Director of Policy at Citizens Advice, commented on the results saying: “Royal Mail has yet again failed to meet its delivery targets this quarter, with consumers now bearing the brunt of poor service for half a decade.
“The current review of Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation (USO) will be a touchstone moment for the future of our postal service. But we’ve seen very little commitment from either Royal Mail or Ofcom to tackle these persistent failings properly.
“Options currently on the table all pave the way for a slower and more expensive postal service, at the point millions of us are already feeling the impact of ongoing letter delays. Ofcom and the new government must spell out how the revised USO will deliver for the millions who rely on it, not just for Royal Mail’s bottom line.”
Royal Mail Chief Operating Officer, Alistair Cochrane, said: “Delivering a high quality of service continues to be our top priority and I am pleased this ongoing focus has ensured improvements across the quarter.
“We know there is more to do and will continue on this path, enacting steady changes to our operational model to bring long-term improvements to our quality of service.”
Royal Mail said “considerable action” has been taken to continue to improve quality of service for First and Second class letters and parcels. Increased recruitment of permanent employees, new initiatives to reduce sick absence and improve retention, and the deployment of a Quality Control Centre to manage disruption are all contributing to improvements in reliability and quality of service.
