A Channel 4 programme tonight showed how employees at a Yodel distribution centre have been abusing parcels as they threw them – sometimes at head height and up to six feet – into cages. There have been a large number complaints about the company and negative coverage in the Daily Mail and on Channel 4 will just highlight the issue.
The Channel 4 Dispatches programme sent undercover investigative journalists into the company who filmed the antics of Yodel’s staff. These included a game of ‘pass the parcel’ at a considerable distance between two staff members, as well as other staff using track and field games techniques to throw parcels into cages.
Yodel has had a poor delivery record in terms of lost, damaged and delayed goods over the peak season that has just passed. It has clients including Argos, Amazon and Tesco, whose goods pass through Yodel’s hands before going to online customers. It is clear that the company’s clients will be watching the programme with interest tonight and possibly making decisions as to their long term future with the company.
In November, one of the company’s delivery drivers threw a parcel onto a customer’s roof and left them a ‘Sorry We Missed You’ note telling them where to find it atop their two storey house.
In response to the allegations Yodel told the Daily Mail newspaper, ‘At the time of writing we haven’t been provided with the undercover footage captured by Dispatches.
‘However, the allegations brought to our attention indicate some unacceptable practices that we are already addressing. If further issues come to light we will take appropriate action. We are very sorry for the occasions when we have let customers down.
‘We handle over 155 million parcels every year and the vast majority of these are delivered successfully thanks to our committed and valued people.
Clearly there are still improvements to be made and we will accelerate activities which have already seen our customer satisfaction score increase from a disappointing 35% two years ago to over 80% today, which is among the best in the industry.’