My Hermes, how a company can change for the best

[Guest teacupteacup]

I would complain to Hermes head office, I think ages ago I did this and got a response. I would have sent the damaged item to them for comment including the size of your letterbox. In the end they are as good as the weakest link. I understood the way their system works and bought the postage just before going to the shop, and got to the pickup point an hour before collection time. 3 days is as good as Royal Mail and at half the price as a weighty item. Still sent 3 items first class yesterday and today

Complaints were sent on the destroyed item, including photographs and dimensions of the original box (from another I have) and letterbox, Hermes failed to respond.  No where else to go.  

 

As you say though, no matter how quick and cheap they are, its the actual person who delivers that generally causes the problem.

 

I've used Hermes less than 10 times and had issues 5 times.  Thats too great a risk for me so when Im buying items I'll ask the seller to send Royal Mail if they can, and I'll pay higher postage if need be, if they cant do it (and I know some cant due to their location), I'll just go elsewhere.

 

Likewise when sending I only use Royal Mail.  They are far from perfect and have had things go missing or turn up very very late but I reckon I have a 99% success rate with them, over the years.  My nearest post office to home is 2 miles away, nearest sorting office is less than a mile!

[hayfield]

Complaints were sent on the destroyed item, including photographs and dimensions of the original box (from another I have) and letterbox, Hermes failed to respond.  No where else to go.  

 

As you say though, no matter how quick and cheap they are, its the actual person who delivers that generally causes the problem.

 

I've used Hermes less than 10 times and had issues 5 times.  Thats too great a risk for me so when Im buying items I'll ask the seller to send Royal Mail if they can, and I'll pay higher postage if need be, if they cant do it (and I know some cant due to their location), I'll just go elsewhere.

 

Likewise when sending I only use Royal Mail.  They are far from perfect and have had things go missing or turn up very very late but I reckon I have a 99% success rate with them, over the years.  My nearest post office to home is 2 miles away, nearest sorting office is less than a mile!

 

 

I had some bad experiences initially with them and I accept fully and understand your reasons for not using them. What I find unacceptable is both Hermes and from your last post eBay's replies. With Hermes I would have phoned to request why they have not replied and complained about all the problems, same with eBay I would have escalated all of their inactions. I am surprised about eBay, as in the past had nothing but praise on how they handled both lost and damaged items. With Hermes I did have an understanding customer care person look into the issues and they have in my case been acted upon

[Matt C]

We live at 18 C***********ts (bins at entrance to drive clearly marked in white paint to aid struggling delivery drivers) across a field is 18 M*****************on, another country lane. Quite often we get parcels for each other , almost always delivered by hermies. This morning took dog out to find 2 parcels dumped at the entrance to our drive, on the side of the lane, addressed to No 4 M*************on. Later when I re deliver them I must ask just where their specified safe place is !. Wonderful hermies

Edited August 17, 2018 by Mattc6911

[Matt C]

Update - Parcels delivered to neighbour who apologised and said he will update his 'safe place' info to ask that parcels be launched from the van window on to HIS drive rather than just any drive within a 2 mile radius

[Nick C]

The usual one for quite a few of the couriers here is to stick stuff behind our side gate - which is fine, as long as it's not raining. One Amazon driver left a parcel of books there in torrential rain, the box fell apart as I lifted it, but all credit to the packaging, the books were fine!

 

DPD are my preferred one at the moment as they will deliver to our local Halfords, so I can collect on my way home from work. I've also used the eBay 'click and collect' a few times recently, they simply provide the seller with a delivery address in our local Argos, so the seller sends by whichever courier to Argos, and I collect from there.

 

What annoys me is the missed delivery cards with a URL to arrange redelivery - almost invariably I can arrange for delivery at any time I like, as long as it's when I'm at work and so won't be in to receive it...

[hayfield]

I am really impressed by the way this company has improved, just had a second delivery in the past 2 weeks, both took 3 days from being posted/collected to arrive, The delivery agent has changed and thankfully the new one seems just as good. For heavier items its my carrier of choice, the Royal Mail still sets the standards for delivery and price for both small and medium size packets, with the added benefit of Post Office counters doing the work.

[letterspider]

I am really impressed by the way this company has improved, just had a second delivery in the past 2 weeks, both took 3 days from being posted/collected to arrive, The delivery agent has changed and thankfully the new one seems just as good. For heavier items its my carrier of choice, the Royal Mail still sets the standards for delivery and price for both small and medium size packets, with the added benefit of Post Office counters doing the work.

 

My own experience

 

Lost / damaged packages

Royal Mail 3%

Hermes 1%

 

Turnaround for compensation claims

Hermes within 14 days

Royal Mail ..... on one occasion 6 weeks

 

What I find particularly worrying about Royal Mail is that you could pay a premium for a service such as Special Delivery and if you lose your receipt you cannot track your item or make a claim.

With Hermes every transaction is trackable online and all records kept for years.

 

Also I have sent items that were overlong and Hermes still delivered them, albeit I had to pay an extra fee, I don't think you would get that service with Royal Mail

Edited January 17, 2019 by letterspider

[HonestTom]

I had an issue with Hermes recently where I bought a locomotive on eBay. Tracking listed it as having been delivered to me personally, but there was no sign. Checked with the neighbours, no luck there. Couldn't get through to Hermes by phone, email was more helpful. They admitted that they had not, in fact, delivered the parcel. They were terribly apologetic, but listing a parcel as having been handed over to the recipient before it's even been delivered is extremely worrying.

 

To be fair, I've also had issues with Royal Mail, but that involved a 70kg parcel of art supplies being delivered to a neighbour three doors down with no note telling me. It was particularly vexing because I needed those supplies for a class I was teaching and so had to race around every art supply shop in the area in the meantime.

[Catkins]

I'll just add my experience of delivery companies, of which I have "been" a "customer" of Royal Mail, Parcel Force, Parcel Force International, DPD, APC, UPS and (everyones favorite) Hermes: -

 

Royal Mail - Mainly very good, but I have the (small) Post Office sticker that states "If no answer, please return to sorting office", that has not been followed 3 times, first time I mentioned the fact to the chap behind the sorting office counter, second time I asked to speak to the delivery manager, third time I went ballistic at the chap behind the sorting office counter.

Parcel Force - I've had to drive to their delivery office in Leicester (I live in Grantham), no great shakes as I used to work from Leicester.

Parcel Force International - Collected the parcels from Post Office Counters with no problems.

DPD - I was able to use the tracker to follow my delivery, when I was at home, or I was able to collect from the local collection points with no issues.
UPS - The only parcel (to date) through UPS, I had it redirected to a collection point, but I got there before the parcel - the UPS driver rang his depot to find out what happened, and I found out that I was a day early.

APC - I was not in when they attempted to deliver a parcel, I was able to go to the depot and collect the parcel, and everything was fine.

 

Hermes - I've returned from a week away to find a Hermes parcel had been left outside my back door (I did contact both the vendor and Hermes), other parcels have been left on top of waste in my wheelie bins, and some have been tucked behind the wheelie bins.

 

I'm afraid that I do not have much faith in Hermes being able to improve their standard of handling packages.

[rockershovel]

Yodel are hopeless, I have two parcels supposedly delivered but actually unaccounted for.

 

If I had the option, I would ask all sellers to use Royal Mail, because their delivery team take undelivered parcels back and you can fetch them from the Collection Office. But, the option is not normally available.

[81C]

These two-a-halfpenny parcel outfits must use tipper lorries for their inter-depot deliveries judging by the condition of the packages

that get left with me for neighbours I always take a photo just in case might have been wrecked.

[hayfield]

I think all these companies are as good as the weakest link in the chain

 

My local Post office is run by the Co oP open 7 days a week and the counter is manned whilst the shop is open. Also manned by helpful staff

 

My Hermes drop off point is in the local convenience store, just left on the floor beside the counter (not secure) the shop owner is not very knowledgeable nor helpful

 

The Royal Mail pick up at various times during the day, Hermes lunchtime only.

 

Both my local postie  and Hermes delivery man are both excellent.

 

For the above reasons the Royal Mail still hold the upper hand, but the gap is closing 

[Neal B]

Our local hermes driver likes to lob stuff over the garden gate and not leave a card. I talked to him about it and he couldn't care less, royal mail every time for me. Hermes is a false economy and it also pays it's employees absolute **** which could go to explain their quality issues. Meanwhile our postie is a cheerful and decent soul who i'd trust to deliver more than parcels.

[rockershovel]

Our local hermes driver likes to lob stuff over the garden gate and not leave a card. I talked to him about it and he couldn't care less, royal mail every time for me. Hermes is a false economy and it also pays it's employees absolute **** which could go to explain their quality issues. Meanwhile our postie is a cheerful and decent soul who i'd trust to deliver more than parcels.

Indeed. It was never any secret at all that an important function of state-run, or local authority run services was to provide a “floor” to pay and conditions in various employment sectors, and minimum standards of service. The essential function of Royal Mail was to provide a national service at a fixed cost.

[Bucoops]

Hermes. We get 3 or 4 a week delivered at work. Countless times we have just found them dumped outside - with some random scribble on their system as signed for. We have all updated our "safe place" as find someone inside the building to sign for it", doesn't work (there is someone there from around 06:00 to 19:00 5 days a week. Reported to Hermes countless times.

 

Yodel - actually not too bad but rarely delivers.

 

Amazon logistics seem to think that putting parcels in a dustbin is acceptable (twice!).

 

DPD - great, knows us all by name, hunts us out in the building.

 

Parcelforce - same

 

Royal Mail - not too bad, but the poor chap stinks!

 

UKMail - miserable sod who insists on hammering on a firedoor instead of going in the main door

 

UPS - sticks to his training of running around looking rushed.

[Stormbringer]

My Hermes are about as much use as a handbrake on a canoe. I once had 2 parcels left in my recycling bin that got recycled before I got to them! In that case the courier was "retrained" . One got left in my cupboard, unfortunately it was a neighbours cupboard. As for having parcels delivered to work, if a parcel is scheduled for Friday or Saturday delivery it invariably won't turn up til Monday despite the office being manned 24/7. I've now taken to using click and collect where I can.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Stormbringer

[rockershovel]

Hermes. We get 3 or 4 a week delivered at work. Countless times we have just found them dumped outside - with some random scribble on their system as signed for. We have all updated our "safe place" as find someone inside the building to sign for it", doesn't work (there is someone there from around 06:00 to 19:00 5 days a week. Reported to Hermes countless times.

 

Yodel - actually not too bad but rarely delivers.

 

Amazon logistics seem to think that putting parcels in a dustbin is acceptable (twice!).

 

DPD - great, knows us all by name, hunts us out in the building.

 

Parcelforce - same

 

Royal Mail - not too bad, but the poor chap stinks!

 

UKMail - miserable sod who insists on hammering on a firedoor instead of going in the main door

 

UPS - sticks to his training of running around looking rushed.

I’ve had the “random scribble” with Yodel and Hermes. It’s simple economics; there is no way of effectively seeking compensation from these outfits, and they know it. They also know that it is more trouble than it is worth to have a parcel returned to the depot (I don’t know what their actual profit is on a parcel, but it can’t be much) and they need to give their drivers a sufficient incentive to make SOME effort to deliver the MAJORITY of their load, whilst avoiding leaving the driver with a load at the end of the round.

[letterspider]

Our local hermes driver likes to lob stuff over the garden gate and not leave a card. I talked to him about it and he couldn't care less, royal mail every time for me. Hermes is a false economy and it also pays it's employees absolute **** which could go to explain their quality issues. Meanwhile our postie is a cheerful and decent soul who i'd trust to deliver more than parcels.

 

I came home to find my car badly damaged and a note left on my windscreen - the name and number were false.

Fortunately my local postman saw the incident and photgraphed the car and number plate and I was able to claim directly from the 3rd party insurer. Just had the car back from the workshop and £1700 for repairs. We have a whip around every Christmas for his excellent service.

[hayfield]

Hermes. We get 3 or 4 a week delivered at work. Countless times we have just found them dumped outside - with some random scribble on their system as signed for. We have all updated our "safe place" as find someone inside the building to sign for it", doesn't work (there is someone there from around 06:00 to 19:00 5 days a week. Reported to Hermes countless times.

 

Yodel - actually not too bad but rarely delivers.

 

Amazon logistics seem to think that putting parcels in a dustbin is acceptable (twice!).

 

DPD - great, knows us all by name, hunts us out in the building.

 

Parcelforce - same

 

Royal Mail - not too bad, but the poor chap stinks!

 

UKMail - miserable sod who insists on hammering on a firedoor instead of going in the main door

 

UPS - sticks to his training of running around looking rushed.

 

 

A clear illustration of a company is as good as its weakest link

[hayfield]

My Hermes are about as much use as a handbrake on a canoe. I once had 2 parcels left in my recycling bin that got recycled before I got to them! In that case the courier was "retrained" . One got left in my cupboard, unfortunately it was a neighbours cupboard. As for having parcels delivered to work, if a parcel is scheduled for Friday or Saturday delivery it invariably won't turn up til Monday despite the office being manned 24/7. I've now taken to using click and collect where I can.

 

At my previous address I would have agreed with you, thankfully the new operative and his predecessor as far as delivery is concerned are excellent. I do have reservations about our local drop off point

 

I’ve had the “random scribble” with Yodel and Hermes. It’s simple economics; there is no way of effectively seeking compensation from these outfits, and they know it. They also know that it is more trouble than it is worth to have a parcel returned to the depot (I don’t know what their actual profit is on a parcel, but it can’t be much) and they need to give their drivers a sufficient incentive to make SOME effort to deliver the MAJORITY of their load, whilst avoiding leaving the driver with a load at the end of the round.

 

 

Thankfully the new operative and his predecessor take this franchise opportunity as a good business venture and seem to realise you have to put something into it to reap the rewards, also I seem to get notifications when the items are due to arrive and confirmation that it has been delivered.

 

The reason they get paid so little (like the Royal Mail) for each delivery is that us the consumers demand a cheap service. However providing the volumes are there a good living can be had. Look how much the Royal Mail (including the Post Office) has improved over the past 10 years. My experience of Hermes is the same, good progress but still work to do

[jbqfc]

just had a my Hermes delivery no attempt to knock at the door just card pushed through  saying left in a safe place 

that safe place a bush buy the front door in full view of the path and road 

the driver must of made a quick get away as no sign of him when i went out 

John 

[Bucoops]

also I seem to get notifications when the items are due to arrive and confirmation that it has been delivered.

 

This is usually the only clue that we have to go and play hunt the parcel, otherwise we would be none the wiser!

 

Like you said above, the weak link is the issue, it's just unfortunate that the weak link is so weak for some couriers when others manage just fine.

 

Usually DPD deliveries are from a supplier that offers free delivery. The various suppliers that use Hermes, I think only one does this.

[rockershovel]

I have a neighbour(ish, a few doors down) whose son signed a truly invidious contract with one of the couriers. Dad became involved and they have now organised a couple of other disgruntled drivers, recruited a couple of part-timers and they are making a go of it with three vans and five drivers/loaders in all.

 

He reckons it sort-of pays, although the risks are excessive and the margins and returns, totally inadequate for the turn-over and outlay for the vans. The contract is carefully worded so that they are deemed to be a subcontractor but cannot grow the business (no provision for VAT payment, for one thing). They are wholly dependent on the goodwill of the local dispatchers, because it simply isn’t possible to make a “go” of some categories of work, with no security or redress.

 

He doesn’t intend to extend the contract when it expires. The son has learnt a “life lesson”, I think.

 

It all reminds me of contract agency work in the civil engineering sector, which goes through periods when there are just too many people pursuing the available work, rates are collapsed and people who really don’t understand the actual economics of what they are doing, flood the market.

Edited January 18, 2019 by rockershovel

[crompton 33]

Hermes delivered a parcel to be signed for . No knock at the door as the dog will bark every time . Note saying left by back gate .No parcel there got on to them waste of time just as well talk to the back wall. two day's later they had put it under one of the car's on the drive

[hayfield]

Note to self, when using them use the signed for service !!!