ComReg demand explanation for further fall in An Post performance

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) today published a report which shows a further deterioration the performance in Ireland’s postal service.

It prompted the statutory body went on to ask An Post to explain the continuing downward trend in delivery times.

The results of ComReg’s first quarterly report on the Quality of Service performance of An Post highlighted the service’s continuing failure to meet delivery targets.

The report shows that 74% of single piece priority mail (standard correspondence) was delivered within one working day throughout the State against a target of 94%. This represents a 2% drop in service quality over the first quarter performance in 2005.

Mail posted outside of Dublin for next day delivery in Dublin is only experiencing a 71% success rate, while mail posted outside of Dublin for local delivery recorded a success rate of 80%.

96% of all mail was delivered within three working days, a decrease of 2% over the first Quarter 2005 results. It also continues to fall short of the 99.5% target set by ComReg.

This is the third consecutive quarter in which performance of mail posted nationwide for delivery anywhere in the country within three days of posting did not perform beyond 96%.

“ComReg continues to be concerned with the quality of service being afforded to postal consumers and the service decline recorded in the past three quarters - particularly in light of An Post’s public commitment to quality of service improvement,” said ComReg Commissioner Mr Mike Byrne.

“ComReg is currently awaiting an update from An Post in relation to the implementation of its Quality of Service Improvement Programme, approved by the Board of An Post last year, which An Post claims is specifically geared towards the achievement of the Quality of Service targets set by ComReg.

“The speedy implementation of this programme 2 ComReg PR200606 must ultimately benefit business and residential consumers who demand a high quality and dependable postal service - something which is not currently being delivered.”

The survey, which was conducted by TNS mrbi, is based on the statistical methods set out by the European Standards Institute (CEN) and is mandated by the European Commission.

In accordance with the standard, bulk mail, which frequently receives a lower delivery standard in return for price discounts, is not included.