Ofcom launches investigation into Royal Mail's 2021-22 delivery performance

[POSTMAN]

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/la ... estigation

Ofcom launches investigation into Royal Mail’s 2021-22 delivery performance

Ofcom has today opened an investigation into Royal Mail’s failure to meet its delivery targets during 2021-22.

Royal Mail is required by Ofcom to deliver 93% of First Class mail within one working day of collection and 98.5% of Second Class mail within three working days of collection.

However, across 2021-22, the company announced that only 81.8% of First Class mail was delivered within one working day and 95.4% of Second Class mail was delivered within three working days.

In addition, Royal Mail is set a target of completing 99.9% of delivery routes on each day that a delivery is required; but completed 94.09% of routes over this period.

Royal Mail is also required to deliver 91.5% of First Class stamped and metered mail products delivered within one working day in 118 postcode areas of the UK, but it did not meet the target in any of these postcode areas.

Performance against these targets is measured as an average performance level on an annual basis excluding the Christmas period.

Ofcom takes compliance with quality of service targets very seriously. Our investigation, on behalf of postal users, will gather evidence to understand the reasons behind this substantial lapse in performance, and determine whether Royal Mail has breached its requirements.

Ofcom has today opened an own-initiative investigation into Royal Mail’s compliance with its quality of service performance targets during 2021-22.

Our rules require Royal Mail to meet specified quality of service performance targets in the provision of universal service products. Among other targets, Royal Mail must:

• complete 99.9% of delivery routes on each day that a delivery is required;
  deliver 93% of First Class mail within one working day of collection;
  deliver 98.5% of Second Class mail within three working days of collection; and
  in respect of stamped and metered mail, deliver 91.5% of First Class products within one working day in each postcode area of the UK (apart from three excluded postcode areas).

Performance against these targets is measured as an average performance level on an annual basis excluding the Christmas period.

On 10 May 2022, Royal Mail announced that it did not meet the above performance targets in 2021-22, as it:

• completed 94.09% of delivery routes for each day in which a delivery was required;
  delivered 81.8% of First Class mail within one working day;
  delivered 95.4% of Second Class mail within three working days; and
  did not meet the postcode area target in any of the 118 postcode areas.

Ofcom takes compliance with quality of service targets very seriously. In light of Royal Mail’s reported performance, Ofcom’s investigation will examine whether there are reasonable grounds for believing that Royal Mail has failed to comply with its obligations under DUSP condition 1.9.1 in respect of the year 2021-22.

[norris9]

Not much to investigate. Two main reasons for this are....

1. Staff have been leaving the company in high numbers.

2. Royal Mail have been terrible at recruiting new staff and I once heard that they put a freeze on recruitment when we were understaffed.


For me personally, approximately 90% of the time I come back from my day off I have had 2 days mail to deliver, this has gone on for 2 years straight.

Ofcom, please kick RM into gear so us Posties don't have to come into work having to deliver yesterday's mail as well as todays. Our customers will be happier too.

[antcpfc]

Could they look into the performance of most of the country sitting on their arses while we worked our nuts off during the pandemic?

[citypostie]

Good news day all round then for super si, this investigation and unite balloting the managers. He's doing a great job, hell have the hat trick when we are balloted and get a near enough 100% yes for strike vote

[fb1969]

Real reason = RM don't give a s**t about letters.

Company reason = posties are lazy or off sick, or both.

If it isn't Tracked, it isn't remotely important.

[matthew68]

They couldn’t care less about letters, we’ve failed walks like everyone but our dom just says get tracked parcels done and leave letters despite having volunteers to do walks that our failing on overtime! He basically said he won’t pay overtime for letters but they will for tracked parcels! I’m sure our customers would be delighted to know the real truth but Royal Mail couldn’t care less about them it’s all about saving money and now even the most loyal posties have had enough of constant lies from management, the
Lack of new staff is beyond a joke and there seems no end to constant failures and it appears to be only getting worse and staff morale is at to lowest ever

[noggin1969]

I'm sure the staff will be all too willing to tell Ofcom what was going on, but will we get the chance?

[priority102]

Good news day all round then for super si, this investigation and unite balloting the managers. He's doing a great job, hell have the hat trick when we are balloted and get a near enough 100% yes for strike vote

It's all about building trust

[norris9]

I'm sure the staff will be all too willing to tell Ofcom what was going on, but will we get the chance?

Posties will surely reply to Ofcom's twitter post about opening an investigation. Posties have had enough of the double or even triple mail that we have to take out weekly due to RM failing to employ enough staff. We are all seeing that RM are trying to cut costs as much as possible. The amount saved from failing walks and having the rest of us clear 2 days mail the following day must be ridiculous.

Us Posties are also customers ourselves and know we don't get our post when we should, nor do our customers.

[SpacePhoenix]

It wouldn't surprise me if OFCOM read these forums