More and more customers are complaining about the post
Where is the letter and why is the package in a different place than expected? Those who complain about the quality of the postal service can contact the Federal Network Agency. The agency received significantly more complaints than in the previous year's period. Citizen dissatisfaction is growing.
In the first half of 2024, there were significantly more complaints about the German Post Office than before. A total of 20,184 postal complaints were reported, which is a quarter more than in the previous year.
Two-thirds of the complaints were about letters, and one-third were about packages. 88% of the critical comments were directed at market leader DHL and its mail division Deutsche Post, while the rest referred to competitors. If the complaint level remains high in the second half of the year, there will be more postal complaints than ever before at the Bonn regulatory authority by the end of 2024.
Fines will soon be possible
The Federal Network Agency can currently do little about this - ultimately, it can only hold up a warning finger and urge the Yellow Giant to improve. However, as part of the postal reform, the agency will soon have a sharper sword in hand. It could then impose fines and coercive fines and thus increase the pressure on the Bonn logistics conglomerate.
However, the aforementioned reform also provides that the Post has less pressure when transporting mail. Currently, 80% of today's mail must be there by the next working day after being thrown in, but the first obligation only takes effect at the third working day after disposal - then 95% must be there. This means that consumers will have to be a little more patient than before.
Few complaints in relation to post volume
The number of complaints increased significantly in the second half of 2022, as the Post had to deal with personnel shortages in some places. However, this is not decisive, as the Bundesnetzagentur reports.
However, the proportion of complaints in relation to the total volume - a total of 15 billion parcels and letters from DHL in 2023 - is negligible.
Furthermore, it is likely that the complaintability has become better known over the years - the higher numbers may therefore partly be due to the fact that some people did not turn to the Bundesnetzagentur before because they did not know about the complaint channel.
Reaction from DHL
In response to the half-year figures, a DHL spokesperson states that the statistics from the company's perspective are not representative. "Many of the complaints attributed to us have nothing to do with the performance of the German Post."
Many delays were caused, for example, by business customers who had fed mail deliveries from our competitors into the postal network with considerable delay. "Nevertheless, every complaint is one too many, and we regret that customers are not satisfied with our performance."
Consumers can also contact DHL directly with their complaints. The company spokesperson reports that his company received more reclamations in May and June than before. There were unexpectedly many parcel shipments and the letter volumes were high during the European elections, leading to delays. In some places, there were also a large number of employees who were ill, which temporarily slowed down the processes.
The Federal Network Agency, in response to the rising complaints, is planning to have the authority to impose fines on companies like German Post and DHL's mail division, as part of the postal reform. Despite the surge in complaints, the number of complaints in relation to the total volume of parcels and letters delivered by DHL is relatively low. Consumers, dissatisfied with the delivery service, can directly contact DHL and file their complaints with the company.
