Evri and Yodel customers are the least satisfied with their experience when it comes to contacting parcel firms for help, according to Ofcom.

In a new report examining data and trends in the postal sector, the regulator – which oversees the postal market as well as broadcasting and telecoms – said Amazon and DHL are the best performers when it comes to customer satisfaction.

When comparing individual parcel companies’ performance in handling contacts and complaints from parcel recipients, Ofcom found that Amazon had the highest satisfaction score of 56 per cent, followed by DHL at 55 per cent.

Yodel performed below average on some aspects of its customer contact processes, contributing to a satisfaction score of 38 per cent.

Ofcom said that while Evri customers had the lowest level of satisfaction, the company has improved on its 2023 performance with its satisfaction score increasing from 26 per cent to 32 per cent over the past 12 months.

The regulator said that growing demand for e-commerce has increased parcel volumes and driven new competition in the UK parcel delivery market.

The watchdog found that the number of parcels delivered across the UK increased by 8.3 per cent to 3.9 billion items in 2023-24, close to the four billion pandemic peak in 2020-21.

The regulator found that while overall an average eight in 10 parcel recipients are satisfied with parcel firms, 67 per cent of them have had a delivery issue in the past six months.

Around a quarter experienced delivery delays, while 23 per cent experienced parcels being left in an inappropriate location.

A fifth of those surveyed said the delivery driver did knock loudly enough and 19 per cent were not given adequate time to answer the door.

Commenting on the report Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said that the watchdog had received complaints from customers who had had their parcels thrown over fences, lost in the post or eaten by foxes.

“Delivery firms are one of the most complained about sectors for poor customer service,” she added. “Any companies falling short need to up their game and ensure that people's parcels arrive on time and in good condition.

“It's important for consumers to remember that if something goes wrong with their delivery, it's the retailer and not the courier that they need to ask to fix the problem. If their parcel goes missing or is damaged, they should speak to the retailer to help them track down their delivery or send a replacement."

Speaking to Retail systems, a spokesperson for Yodel said:

“The overwhelming majority of the 200 million parcels we handled over the last 12 months were delivered correctly on the first attempt. While we welcome feedback and work tirelessly to make improvements to our service, this report does not reflect our real-world parcel data.

“Our ‘Have Your Say’ feedback survey encourages all customers to review their delivery – in the last 12 months we have received over 5.5 million responses and 86% of our customers have had a positive experience.”


A spokesperson for Evri told Retail systems:

"2024 has been a year of significant investment and listening to our customers to improve our service. Our ambition is that every customer’s experience with Evri is a positive one. We recognise there remains more to do, but Ofcom found that we are making year-on-year improvements and our rising parcel volumes are proof that customers and retail clients are voting with their feet and trust us with their deliveries.

“Evri handles 730 million parcels a year with 99% successfully delivered on time – and is committed to instilling a culture where every parcel matters. We have invested £32m to develop our customer service options and improve the customer experience at the doorstep.”

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