Hermes undercover: Parcels manhandled and customers mocked | Times Investigation

Couriers working for one of Britain’s largest delivery companies mishandle parcels, routinely fail to complete next-day orders and are encouraged to lie to customers, an investigation by The Times has found.
This month an undercover reporter worked for Hermes, which delivers online orders for retailers including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next, amid a surge in complaints about packages being late, damaged or lost.
Managers watched as workers threw parcels across a depot to save time while sorting them, sending many of them clattering into hard cages, against walls or on the floor. One manager admitted that in the chaotic run-up to Christmas shoppers were paying for next-day deliveries with no chance of these being fulfilled. Couriers were encouraged to mislead customers and “act stupid” if faced with complaints.
Hermes has begun a “full investigation”. Retailers that use the company for their deliveries said they were “alarmed” at the findings and have asked it for urgent explanations.
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