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The programme went undercover to investigate Royal Mail’s competitors, the first half of the programme looked at treatment of parcels and the second half investigated alternative letter carriers. Whilst it was only filmed at specific locations it does show just how parcels and letters may be being handled… James and James Fulfilment are only to aware and explain just how bad the situation is.
James and James Fulfilment acts on behalf of retailers to pack and fulfil orders. They’ve seen an increase in damages and postal issues over the last few years, despite improvements in packaging materials and technology.
“Channel 4’s Dispatches program last night brought to the public eye various issues that we’ve experienced first hand. We applaud the programme for bringing the problems we face every day to a wide audience. Unfortunately these issues, and the attitude of certain delivery staff, are common across most couriers.” James Hyde, Operations Director.
With reduced costs being demanded by more and more consumers, clearly margins are being cut resulting in less care being taken, especially at busy times. While the majority of workers employed by the couriers are hard working and honest, it only takes a few to bring service levels down.
“We work hard to offer a personal and reliable service to online retailers, taking care to package items well. This kind of irresponsible handling is disappointing as it damages everyone’s reputation.”
James and James Fulfilment believe that the industry has a lot to do to be able to offer a level of service that is suitable for home shopping.
“There are certainly couriers out there who handle goods carefully and offer excellent service, but they simply aren’t competitive for low cost home delivery.”
The main reason is that consumers are not willing to pay extra, especially when the responsibility for delivery rests firmly with the retailer. If a parcel is damaged before arrival, then under UK legislation, the retailer is generally at fault – meaning that businesses are being forced to meet the cost of damage in transit.
