Royal Mail misses delivery targets again — but improvement alone is not enough

Royal Mail is once again facing scrutiny after missing Ofcom's delivery targets for both first and second class post.

There is, however, an important distinction to make. The latest figures do show improvement, and Royal Mail is right to point to that progress. But for customers who depend on the postal service to deliver important letters, appointments, documents and personal correspondence on time, improvement is only meaningful if it ultimately results in a reliable service.

Between March and June, 85% of first class letters were delivered the next day, up from 76% during the same period last year. That is a substantial improvement, but it remains below Ofcom's 90% target.

Second class performance also improved, with 91% of mail delivered within three days compared with the previous year. Again, however, Royal Mail fell short of the regulator's 95% target.

So while the direction of travel may be positive, the basic fact remains: Royal Mail has missed the targets it is expected to meet.

Customers cannot measure service in percentages alone

For Royal Mail executives, an improvement from 76% to 85% is understandably encouraging.

For a customer waiting for an important letter, however, the experience is rather different.

If a hospital appointment letter, legal document, financial correspondence or other important piece of post is among the 15% that does not arrive the following day, the fact that overall performance has improved does not necessarily make the delay any less significant.

This is why Royal Mail must be careful about celebrating improvement while customers continue to experience serious delays.

The postal service has faced complaints from communities across the UK, including reports of letters taking weeks or even months to arrive.

Those experiences undermine confidence in the service and raise legitimate questions about whether Royal Mail's improvement is being felt consistently across the country.

A £500m turnaround plan

Royal Mail says it is investing £500m over five years to improve its network and intends to meet Ofcom's delivery targets by May 2027.

That investment is welcome.

The company clearly needs to modernise its operations, improve reliability and address longstanding problems across its network.

But investment must translate into results that customers can actually see.

The public does not send letters because Royal Mail has an improvement plan. People send letters because they expect them to arrive.

The challenge for Royal Mail is therefore not simply to produce better quarterly statistics. It is to rebuild public confidence in the postal service.

A difficult legacy

Royal Mail has been dealing with declining letter volumes, increasing competition in the wider delivery market, financial pressures and regulatory action.

Ofcom fined the company a record £21m last year for missing delivery targets during 2024-25, and the regulator is investigating Royal Mail again over its performance.

There have also been deeply concerning allegations about operational practices, including claims that some postal workers were asked to move or hide mail so that delivery performance could appear better to senior management.

Royal Mail has apologised for serious service failures in some parts of the country, while customers in other areas have reported lengthy delays affecting important correspondence.

These issues demonstrate why the latest figures cannot be viewed in isolation.

Credit where it is due — but no complacency

Royal Mail's chief operating officer says first class performance is ahead of where the company expected it to be at this stage of its improvement plan, while second class is progressing in line with expectations.

That is encouraging.

Frontline postal workers also deserve recognition. They continue to work in challenging circumstances, including during periods of extreme heat, and they are ultimately the people delivering the service customers rely upon.

But Royal Mail itself acknowledges that there is "more to do".

We agree.

The real test will come in the months ahead. Can Royal Mail turn an improvement from 76% to 85% into performance that consistently meets or exceeds the regulator's target?

Can it ensure that customers in rural communities and areas experiencing particular problems receive the same reliable service as everyone else?

And can it rebuild trust among people who have become accustomed to delays?

The deadline is May 2027

Royal Mail has effectively set itself a deadline.

By May 2027, it says it intends to meet Ofcom's delivery targets.

That gives the company time to implement its £500m investment programme and make changes across its network. But it also gives customers and the regulator a clear benchmark against which to judge the turnaround.

For now, the message from Royal Mail is one of cautious optimism.

The figures are better. The targets are still being missed.

Our view is simple: Royal Mail should absolutely be recognised for improvement, but it should not confuse improvement with success.

The public deserves a postal service that delivers reliably, consistently and on time — not simply one that is gradually becoming less unreliable.

The real victory will come when customers no longer have to wonder whether an important letter will arrive when it is supposed to.