Evri, formerly known as Hermes, has once again been named the UK’s worst parcel delivery firm in the annual league table compiled by Citizens Advice. For the second year in a row, Evri has failed to secure even a three-star overall rating out of five after being scored against criteria including customer service and complaints handling.
With more people than ever shopping online, especially heightened during the pandemic, delivery companies like Evri are letting customers down badly when parcels routinely go missing or are delivered late. In this in-depth article, we’ll examine why Evri scored so poorly again and what urgently needs to change at the troubled company.
Evri continues to plummet in league table of parcel firms
In the latest parcel company rankings, Evri scored a pitiful 1.75 stars out of five. This is an astonishingly low score compared to competitors like Royal Mail, DPD and Amazon Logistics. In fact, according to Citizens Advice, Evri received between 5-27 times more complaints than other leading delivery firms.
For the second consecutive year, Evri finds itself languishing at the bottom of the league table as the UK’s worst parcel delivery service. This is despite handling over 700 million parcels annually nationwide.
Shocking number of parcels are going missing
When a company deals with 700 million item deliveries each year, it’s inevitable some parcels will occasionally go astray. But the number of items being reported missing or stolen is exceptionally high for Evri.
Photos and videos widely shared on social media depict piles of Evri parcels callously dumped in the street, left out in the rain or casually tossed over fences. Customers frequently complain parcels are constantly marked as “delivered” yet never actually arrive.
Some have reported entire weeks worth of online shopping orders have gone missing after being handed to Evri, costing hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Understandably, many people say they will actively avoid any retailer using Evri couriers in future.
Customers express sheer frustration over woeful service
Overall, customers are extremely unhappy with the level of service provided by Evri. Complaints dominate social media, especially Tiktok where videos about Evri, often humorous, rack up millions of views.
Citizens Advice says the company is seriously letting down people nationwide. Even Evri’s own drivers have publicly spoken out about problems with faulty scanners and inadequate IT systems hampering deliveries.
The sheer volume of complaints shows shoppers are utterly frustrated by Evri’s lack of reliability, care and basic competence in delivering people’s parcels. For many, the endless delivery problems have permanently tarnished the Evri brand.
Evri needs to acknowledge and address criticism
In response to the widespread criticism, an Evri spokesperson said they were “sorry that some customers are experiencing short delays”. However, they claimed Evri is the “UK’s leading dedicated parcel company”, offering a “fast, sustainable service”.
Such corporate claims do not tally with the actual experiences of paying customers up and down the country. The figures speak for themselves – Evri is officially ranked as the worst parcel delivery firm in the UK for the second year in a row.
Evri needs to publically acknowledge the deep discontent amongst consumers. More importantly, urgent action is required at all levels of the company to address the litany of complaints directed at their shambolic operations.
What needs to change for Evri to improve?
It’s abundantly clear Evri has so far failed to get its act together, despite simply changing its name from Hermes. People expect and deserve a reliable, efficient parcel service, especially with current delivery staff shortages and Royal Mail strikes adding to pressures.
For Evri to improve, major investment is needed in technology, training and recruitment to overhaul its processes. Customers require reassurance parcels will be delivered on time by couriers who cherish, not disregard, their parcels.
The company culture also needs to shift by placing customers, not profits, first. Evri needs to rebuild trust and promise improvements to end the torrent of complaints. If not, more customers will sensibly avoid them to ensure safe parcel delivery.
In summary, Evri must acknowledge its shortcomings and demonstrate tangible improvements after being ranked the UK’s worst delivery firm yet again. Shoppers deserve a decent, trustworthy service, not endless excuses.
