Moray MSP Richard Lochhead speaks out over the Hermes delayed delivery times leaving many residents frustrated

MORAY MSP Richard Lochhead has commented on the delivery delays that have frustrated many of his constituents over the last four weeks.

People throughout Moray have been reporting lengthy delivery times from parcel delivery company Hermes, with many local customers waiting up to four weeks for their packages.

David Brands, from Forres, is just one of many disappointed local customers. Mr Brands was informed by Hermes that his delivery would arrive through the courier just before Christmas on December 23, however almost a month later, his parcel has still not arrived. He was originally informed by Hermes that a delivery problem would cause his package to be a few days delayed but weeks later has still not received his delivery.

Mr Brands explained that a large part of his frustration has been caused by the lack of communication from the company, he said: "I find the inability to talk to someone is the most annoying part of the problem." Mr Brands further added: "I know absolutely nothing about how delivery company logistics work and it would appear that Hermes are with me on that."

Hermes has claimed that the surge of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant has had a huge impact on their operations in Scotland throughout December and into the new year. With higher staff absences due to the pandemic causing the delivery service to become overwhelmed during the typically busy festive season.

A representative for Hermes said: "This is something our customer service team are looking at to ensure our communications can be up to date and clear for consumers."

The company also apologised for the delays in Moray and said: "Delayed parcels are frustrating at the best of time but more so at Christmas when trying to send and receive gifts. We are very aware at the importance of parcel delivery in rural communities and the fact this has become even more vital during the pandemic. My operations and customer service colleagues are working hard to clear the backlog of parcels in Scotland and ensure we are fully staffed across all our sites."

Mr Lochhead said:“I welcome the quick response from Hermes regarding parcel delivery delays here in Moray."

“It is helpful to understand the root of the problem and Hermes have offered assurances to people in Moray affected that teams are working hard to clear the backlog."

“However, I’ve sought further clarity from Hermes as to timescales for returning to normal service, given that some people have been waiting around four weeks for parcels to be delivered. I’ve also urged the company to look at how they can better communicate with customers affected – people will understand that the pandemic has impacted services but they do need to know what is happening with their orders.”

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