First class as Royal Mail hits delivery target

More than 90 per cent of first class mail in the Midlands was delivered the next working day, according to new figures. Royal Mail exceeded its first class delivery targets in most parts of the region.

But an exception was the ST postcode area, covering Stafford, which fell below the target. The Birmingham and Sandwell area, covered by the B postcode, had the highest percentage of first class mail arriving the next day during 2011/2012 – with a delivery rate of 93.5 per cent.

This beats the minimum standard of 91.5 per cent and the national annual average target of 93 per cent.

But the ST postcode had the lowest at 90.2 per cent.

In the WV postcode, which covers Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth, the delivery rate was 93.3 per cent. It was also the same for the DY postcode, which covers Dudley and Kidderminster.

In the WS postcode area, covering Walsall, Lichfield and Cannock, 93.2 per cent of first class mail arrived the next day.

Royal Mail said today that new technology and better equipment has been introduced nationwide which was helping them beat targets.

Regional operations director Paul Jobling said: "Royal Mail's target for next-day delivery of first class mail is one of the highest and most challenging next-day performance targets in Europe.

"In the ST postcode area, where we failed to meet the national annual target of 93 per cent, with a result of 90.2 per cent for next-day delivery of first class mail, we have put a robust improvement plan in place."

The results were published in the latest Royal Mail quality of service report.

Independent measurement of the performance of more than 950,000 sample letters, packets and parcels posted to nearly 5,600 addresses across the UK was used to compile the report.

It showed that the majority of items of mail handled by Royal Mail – which delivers 59 million letters, packets and parcels in an average day to nearly 29 million addresses – arrived on time.