Royal Mail’s reliability improves – two per cent up on previous year

Royal Mail’s First Class service is at its most reliable for seven years.

Announcing quality of service results for the 02/03 financial year, the company said the performance of the First Class service improved cumulatively by nearly two per cent over the previous year.

For the full year 2002/3 91.8 per cent of First Class letters were delivered next day compared with 89.9 per cent the year before.

The licence issued by the regulator, Postcomm, sets a year-end target for the month of February and March. Performance in February and March was 91.7 per cent against a target of 92.5 per cent.

Jerry Cope, Royal Mail’s Managing Director for the UK, said: “We are disappointed to have failed the licence target by a small margin but we are encouraged that the improvement over last year demonstrates that the efforts of our people to drive up performance are working. In particular our employees coped magnificently with the unprecedented severe weather experienced at the beginning of February which undoubtedly affected our ability to deliver the performance required in the licence.

“Year on year this is a good performance but we are determined to do better for our customers and meet the licence targets in the current year.”

Second Class mail achieved 98.2 per cent in February and March against a target of 98.5 per cent and the Standard Parcel service achieved 91.6 per cent, exceeding its 90 per cent target.

Mr Cope added: “We were disappointed with the results for our PPI and Response Services, but there has been improvement in these two services which will continue this year.”

The number of postcode areas consistently meeting targets has improved from 60 per cent in 2001/02 to 92 per cent in the year ending April 2003.

“There has been a marked improvement in geographical performance particularly in London where the gap in performance between the capital and the rest of the country is closing, “ said Mr Cope.

“We still have much to do but Royal Mail has become a more stable business. Continuing this effort should ensure that our licence targets are met this year and that our customers benefit from consistently good and reliable service.”

Ends

Issued by Royal Mail: 020 7250 2468 (24 hours)
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NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Royal Mail achieved 3 of 15 of its regulatory performance exit targets for 02/03.

2. The exit targets for 02/ 03 is for performance in February and March 03. The licence target for the current financial year is full year cumulative.