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Parcel Box for Deliveries from The Safety Letterbox Company
Parcel Box for Deliveries from The Safety Letterbox Company

Failing to deliver the goods: why do we not complain about our last mile deliveries?

According to Citizens Advice, 6 in 10 consumers ordering online in the UK have experienced at least one issue with a parcel delivery service in the last year. That is a staggering figure when you consider that 94% of all British consumers placed an online order in 2019.
The most common problems experienced include:

• late delivery, with or without paying for a premium service
• damaged goods
• missing parcels
• parcel left in an unsecured location
• being at home, but receiving a notification of a missed delivery.

In spite of this poor service, another study by Citizens Advice estimated that over half of us do not complain if a parcel is late, and a third do not seek compensation if a parcel is damaged! So, why are we not taking action on this poor service?

Because many people don’t know where to start, even when people do complain, they face so many barriers that they often end up giving up due to lack of contact details being hard to find or not receiving any communication to provide reassurance that their complaint is being handled.
To circumnavigate these obstacles, many people now use social media to complain. Although this can negatively affect the company’s image online, it is often ineffective on its own in getting the complaint through to a conclusion. The impact of these barriers on those making the complaint can be much more significant than you may think. People experience uncertainty for an extended period, and this can lead to increased levels of worry, stress and anxiety, particularly for those with existing mental health issues.

For others, the additional time needed to sort out essential deliveries can lead to loss of earnings through having to take unpaid leave. The sheer level of unexpected effort required to see the process through also leads to frustration, and many give up because it’s not worth the hassle. But it is worth the trouble. The financial impact of parcel delivery issues is estimated to have cost UK shoppers £84million in 2019. We need to stop accepting poor service when it comes to parcel delivery and take action!

In the last decade, the e-commerce market has grown by 50%, and we have seen a whole new intelligent parcel management industry emerge because of this evolution in shopping habits. Consumers need flexibility, particularly in multi-residential developments. A smarter, app-based, option with a dynamically allocated range of different sized boxes can provide users with more control over their deliveries and can accommodate a variety of different packages.
Shopping online should be quick and convenient. Intelligent parcel management ensures that it is!