A test of Austrian parcel firms by local consumer association VKI has revealed many deficits inhome delivery performances while Austrian Post achieved the highest score.
A rising number of consumer complaints concerning parcel deliveries have reached Austrianconsumer association VKI accompanying increasing e-commerce sales. This prompted the association toconduct a test which involved sending a total of 17 parcels per carrier.
The delivery check focused primarily on how the parcel firms handled their deliveries whenrecipients were not at home, and it produced generally unsatisfactory results, VKI reported.
Testers encountered the whole range of common delivery failures – with deliverers not ringing atthe door but instead leaving a pickup note right away, parcels being dropped off at publiclyaccessible locations as well as unnecessary returns and damaged shipments.
However, Austria’s national postal operator came out ahead against the five other testedcarriers – DPD Austria, GLS, Hermes, DHL and UPS – with the shortest average delivery time (1.4days) at the lowest prices. Austrian Post’s dense network of access points with more than 1,900post offices and Post Partners was also positively highlighted by the testers.
“Here, an independent test has shown that we have the right strategy: we excel in performance atan unmatched price. Because our deliverers know our customers, they are able to deliver nine out often parcels directly. And if that fails, a post office is always nearby,” said Austrian Post Memberof the Board Peter Umundum, responsible for parcels and logistics.
Although DHL and UPS were tested as well, VKI said it chose not to rate their performances sincethey focus primarily on business customers.
