Citizens Advice: Time and time again we have called on Ofcom to clamp down on Royal Mail’s poor performance
Over the quarter from 1 July to 29 September 2024, Royal Mail delivered 76.3% of First Class mail within one working day, 92.1% arriving within two days and 99.1% within five days.
For Second Class mail, 92.6% arrived within three working days and 98.6% within five days.
Today Royal Mail has published its Universal Service Obligation (USO) Quality of Service report for First and Second Class mail for Q2 2024-25.
Quality of service has continued to improve over the past 12 months with First Class deliveries improving 2.2% year-on-year and Second Class deliveries improving 1.3% year-on-year.
Royal Mail Chief Operating Officer, Alistair Cochrane, said: “Delivering a high quality service to our customers remains our top priority. We are continuously evolving our operational model to bring about long-term improvements to our quality of service.
“With Christmas around the corner, we are doing all we can to build on last year’s success when we delivered our best Christmas for customers in four years.
“When letter volumes have declined from 20 billion a year at their peak to just 6.7 billion a year now, it is vital that the Universal Service is reformed to ensure a sustainable and reliable service for many years to come. We look forward to continuing to engage with stakeholders in the lead up to Ofcom’s consultation.”
Responding to the figures, Tom MacInnes, Director of Policy at Citizens Advice said: “Half a decade has gone by, yet poor service and delays have become business as usual at Royal Mail. Quarter-on-quarter, year-on-year, consumers are being failed by our country’s postal service.
“Quality of service targets under the Universal Service Obligation (USO) should be there to protect consumers. But our research shows the real-life consequences when they’re routinely missed, with people left waiting for urgent medical appointment letters, legal documents and benefit decisions.
“Time and time again we have called on Ofcom to clamp down on Royal Mail’s poor performance. With the future of the USO at stake, we need Ofcom to step up and make sure any changes prioritise consumers’ needs, not just Royal Mail’s bottom line.”
