Postal operators must improve service or face further regulation, warns Ofcom

Postal operators must improve their customer service or face measures to protect consumers, the industry regulator has warned.Ofcom told parcel delivery companies that it is considering “additional regulation” after customer satisfaction levels fell in 2026, according to its latest research.Average customer satisfaction had held around 78% between 2023 and 2025 but slipped to 75% for the year.Evri saw the highest level of customer dissatisfaction for 2026 (Evri/PA)PA ArchiveThe watchdog’s annual survey of postal firms found that Evri and Yodel had the least happy customers, for the fourth year in a row.Evri had the highest total level of dissatisfaction at 42% for the year, followed by Yodel with a 33% reading.Amazon and FedEx were the two top performers in the latest data, with both receiving 15% for dissatisfaction.The two delivery operators both also recorded the highest satisfaction ratings from consumers, at 56%.Last year, people in the UK sent and received a record 4.6 billion parcels, up 8.6% against the previous year.Across all operators, 71% of people receiving parcels experienced a delivery issue in the past six months, rising from 68% a year early.The most common issue for consumers was delivery delays, at 32%, with 28% flagging parcels that were left in inappropriate locations.Fergal Farragher, policy director at Ofcom, said: “Parcels are a vital part of everyday life, and people rightly expect packages to arrive on time and without hassle.Read More“While some firms are delivering a good service, too many customers are still experiencing problems.“Companies need to put customers first and improve performance, or we will consider further measures to make sure consumers are properly protected.”An Evri spokesman said: “Ofcom data shows that Evri is delivering to more households than ever before as one of the UK’s largest parcel delivery companies, and this polling highlights that the vast majority of customers remain satisfied – reflected in 4.4 million 5-star reviews on Trustpilot.“Third-party data from The Despatch Company, covering 1.3 million Evri parcels, found that 99.4% were delivered within seven working days, demonstrating the reliable service we continue to provide for customers across the UK.“We handle more than a billion parcels each year – millions every day – and while Ofcom’s data is unweighted by scale of carrier, it underlines the importance of continuing to invest in delivery choice, technology and customer support.“That is exactly what we continue to do.“This year, we have invested £32.2 million in infrastructure, technology and network capacity, while also introducing new ways for customers to access support: priority assistance through the Evri app, direct email access to customer services, and an enhanced Tell Us Straight escalation route.“These improvements have been introduced since the polling was conducted.”