Ofcom has warned parcel delivery companies that they must improve customer service or face additional regulation, after satisfaction levels fell for the first time in three years. The regulator's annual survey found that average customer satisfaction slipped to 75 per cent in 2026, down from around 78 per cent between 2023 and 2025. Fergal Farragher, policy director at Ofcom, said the industry needed to "put customers first and improve performance, or we will consider further measures to make sure consumers are properly protected."
Evri and Yodel performed worst in the research, continuing a pattern from the previous four years. Evri recorded the highest dissatisfaction level at 42 per cent, while Yodel scored 33 per cent. By contrast, Amazon and FedEx were the top performers, each with a 15 per cent dissatisfaction rating and the highest satisfaction scores at 56 per cent. Across all operators, 71 per cent of people who received parcels experienced a delivery issue in the past six months, up from 68 per cent a year earlier, according to Ofcom's findings.
The underlying problems are widespread. Delivery delays were the most common complaint from consumers at 32 per cent, with another 28 per cent reporting parcels left in unsuitable locations. This comes as demand for parcel services surged: people in the UK sent and received a record 4.6 billion parcels last year, representing an 8.6 per cent increase on the previous year.
Evri disputed the findings, saying the Ofcom data was "unweighted by scale of carrier" and noting that 99.4 per cent of its parcels were delivered within seven working days according to third-party research covering 1.3 million deliveries. The company said it handles over a billion parcels annually and has invested £32.2 million this year in infrastructure, technology and network capacity. It also highlighted the introduction of new customer support options including priority assistance through its app and direct email access to customer services.
For UK consumers and businesses relying on parcel delivery, the regulator's warning signals that service standards may improve through either industry action or imposed regulation if voluntary improvements fail to materialise.