Royal Mail blames weather for 37% rise in lost mail complaints

Royal Mail saw the number of complaints received for loss of post jump by a huge 37% during the first three months of 2011. However, the operator said the sharp rise in complaints was down to “exceptionally severe winter weather” during the period in question.

Statistics on the Group’s website show that the operator received 120,884 complaints for loss of items during Q4 2010/11.

This number was significantly higher than the 88,069 complaints received of a similar nature for the same period of the previous year.

The company also revealed that a total of £2.02m was paid in compensation to customers as result of lost items during its Q4 operating period. This was up from £1.25m for the previous year.

When contacted by Post&Parcel, Royal Mail argued that the rise in complaints was down to the severe weather, and that otherwise the operator was steadily improving.

Royal Mail spokesperson Ruth Barker said: “The number of complaints regarding lost mail fell from by 19% from 2008/09 to 2009/10, and a comparison of the first three quarters of 2010/11 to the previous year’s first three quarters show a further reduction of 8% – a total decline in complaints of 24% over the two year period.”

The transport infrastructure across the UK was badly affected last winter due to heavy snow storms and prolonged icy conditions.

Barker added: “The complaints figures in the report for “lost” mail in quarter four of Financial Year 2010/11 reflect last winter’s severe weather, which was the worst in living memory.  From 22 November to 9 January, there were only three days when services were not affected by rail, air or road transport difficulties.  This resulted in significant delays to mail services in some areas, and many customers logged complaints for “lost” mail which were subsequently delivered.  We do of course apologise to customers for these delays.

“We invested £20m to keep mail moving last winter. At times Royal Mail was the sole delivery operator in parts of the country.

“We take every complaint seriously.  We handle over 62m items of mail, on average each day the overwhelming majority arrive safely, on time, at the correct destination.”

In better news, Royal Mail did see a steep decline in the number of complaints made as a result of ‘proof of delivery failure’. More than 10,000 complaints were received for the first three months of 2011, compared to more than 28,000 during the corresponding period.