After a viral video showing delivery drivers launching packages around a depot, frustrated Christmas shoppers took to Twitter to criticize Hermes’ services. 

UK customers complained about delayed deliveries and missing parcels. 

A customer lamented the absence of transparency regarding the delivery status and suggested that their tracking app should win a prize for the best fiction writing. 

Others slammed companies like ASOS, Mango and H&M for using the courier service, saying it almost guaranteed poor customer satisfaction and vowing to boycott their brands as a result. 

Next, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Chilly’s water bottles also use the service.

Frustrated Christmas shoppers have taken to Twitter to blast delivery firm Hermes for its 'terrible' service over the festive season

Twitter users vented their frustration at Hermes’ delivery service during Christmas.

One tweeted: ‘It’s so annoying and the fact that company’s will charge you for delivery and use hermes is such a p**s take and form of bad customer service. I’m genuinely p****d off.’

Another posted: ‘Hermes currently lost a package, firm resent it express delivery, Hermes said it was out for delivery but now have decided it’s lost again. You can give these people a dead body if ever you want it.

The third said: “I am trying to stay away from online purchases made by companies using Hermes courier services.” I’ve used their “next day delivery” half a dozen times now and the stuff has *never* actually arrived the next day.’

Another unhappy customer said, “Any company that uses Hermes for delivery couriers I will never purchase from again!” Hermes is the worst company! #hermes.’ 

MailOnline reached out for comments to Hermes  

Dozens of customers have complained of delayed deliveries, missing parcels and packages left at the wrong address, with one saying: 'All I want for Christmas is an on time Hermes delivery'

Customers have reported missing packages, delayed delivery, and package left at wrong address to dozens of companies. One customer said, “All I want for Christmas, is a Hermes delivery on-time.”

The footage was taken days after it emerged that Hermes couriers were launching packages around a depot to save time. In addition, a manager told an undercover reporter to “act stupid” if customers complain.

Christmas Delivery Lotto: Four out of ten customers report missing items or damage.

With four out of ten Christmas delivery customers reporting missing items or damage, it is becoming an increasingly popular lottery.

Shopping for pandemic supplies has become a lucrative business. They are now spending billions of dollars online, hoping that the items will turn up in time.

Consumer champion Which? conducted a survey. A survey by Which?, a consumer champion, found that 43% of online shoppers had experienced at least 1 problem during Christmas.

This group accounted for one in five (19%) of all deliveries. 11 percent of these were delivered without their consent and 7 percent went missing.

Parcels arrived broken after being thrown over fences – including a crate of wine hurled over a gate – some were left in the snow and rain, and others were put in the bin as a ‘safe space’, only to be taken away by binmen.

Which? said: ‘Don’t be afraid to make a complaint if you are having problems.’

Another survey evaluated courier companies on their overall satisfaction, communication and condition, as well as the ease of rearranging delivery arrangements.

Yodel was at the bottom and did the least well in terms of communication and punctuality. Almost one in ten (8 per cent) customers rated the company’s punctuality as poor and one in seven (14 per cent) said communication was poor.

Top of the list were Royal Mail and Amazon Logistics.

In the video, a Hermes employee is seen chucking deliveries against cages, walls and onto the floor in the video secretly filmed at the site in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, earlier this month by The Times. 

Mark, the depot manager admitted at one time that Christmas orders have risen so fast that next-day delivery deadlines are not met every day. This despite the fact that customers paid for this service.

It’s hard this time of the year, he says. Volumes rise. It is expected that this depot will be clean every day. This depot is supposed to remain empty. This never happens.

The manager offers advice about how to handle customer complaints. He says: “All you can do it is act completely stupid. Say: I really apologize.”  

Shopping giants that deliver items through the company – namely Next, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and H&M – have expressed their ‘alarm’ at the footage and urged the firm to ‘urgently’ investigate.

The newspaper’s investigation further found that couriers joke about throwing deliveries over fences, refer to customers as ‘c***s’ and leave parcels in the rain.

An additional claim was made that Hermes is being sued by hundreds of customers for lost and damaged orders.

The reporter said he earned £8.08 per hour on average – in addition to a £25 new-starter earning – while the national living wage is £8.91 for those aged 23 and above.

Company said that it was conducting an extensive investigation. Senior members of the delivery team are currently undergoing an urgent review. However, they added that the site has been performing well and there have not been any problems relating to service. 

It also strongly refuted the claims regarding minimum wage payment, saying the average courier is paid £14.88 per hour after expenses.

Hermes released the following statement: “We don’t pretend to be perfect. We are conscious that an operation as large will have individual problems that we must improve. 

“We’re determined to accomplish this, and we’re confident that many of these claims are false and not true to our business and standards. 

It comes days after footage emerged showing Hermes couriers launching parcels around a depot in a bid to save time and a manager telling an undercover reporter posing as a member of staff to 'act stupid' if customers complain. Above, at a High Wycombe depot

This comes just days after video of Hermes couriers dropping parcels at a depot was released. A manager told an undercover reporter that he would ‘act stupid’ when customers complained. Above at High Wycombe depot 

“We’ve acted quickly and initiated an investigation. The Delivery Unit is currently being inspected by our senior staff. They have also mentioned that they are conducting an immediate review. 

“This unit performs well, and there aren’t any issues with service or damage.

We strongly reject his claim regarding minimum wage payments. All courier rounds pay above National Living Wage and the average courier pay is £14.88 per hour after expenses.’

Responding to the investigation, John Lewis told the newspaper it was ‘alarmed’ and had asked Hermes to ‘investigate urgently’, while Next and H&M said they were discussing the footage and Marks & Spencer took the claims ‘very seriously’.

The revelations follow Hermes and Yodel performing the worst in a league table (pictured above) released by Citizens Advice last month

These revelations come after Yodel and Hermes perform the worst in a League Table (pictured above), released last month by Citizens Advice.

The Hermes fat cats: Dutch-born CEO who studied business at Warwick University went on to amass a net worth of £71.7million

Martijn de Lange, CEO of Hermes UK

Martijn de Lange, CEO of Hermes UK

Martijn de Lange was born in Holland and moved to the UK to establish TNT Port North LTD. He later became Operations Director.

After being promoted to the COO and managing Director, he moved to Hermes where he worked as an Operations Director.

He previously completed a 3-year executive management program at Warwick University. 

According to Company Check, the combined cash at bank value for all businesses where Mr de Lange holds a current appointment equals a total current net worth of £71.7million.

Stephen Schiller CEO Hermes International 

Stephan Schiller, division manager sales and key client management at Otto Group, was transferred to Hermes Transportation Logistics GmbH in April 2010. 

He was previously the managing director of DAL Deutsche Afrika Linien/John T. Essberger’s group of companies. 

HTL was launched at the same time as his joining. 

He was the head of operations sea and aviation division in September 2010. This included all air and sea freight activities. 

Stephan Schiller is a member since July 2014. He’s responsible for the supply chain. 

Kevin Kufs CEO Hermes Fulfilment, Managing Director Hermes Europe 

Kevin Kufs, CEO Hermes Fulfillment GmbH since April 1, 2020 and Managing director of Hermes Europe GmbH GmbH depuis avril 1, 2021. 

After a banking apprenticeship and a master’s degree, he made a career at an early stage in international retail and e-commerce companies. 

Kevin Kufs spent more than 4 years as a manager at Trade Global Asia Holding in Hong Kong. He was most recently a Member of Board and CEO for Asia Pacific. 

He moved to Singapore in November 2015 as the CEO of 360shoes.com.

He joined the Otto Group in 2017. For two years, he was Hermes Fulfillment’s Head of Operations. 

Kevin Kufs, Group Vice President Supply Chain Management has been involved in the transformation and coordination of Otto Group Holding’s logistic network, as well as the execution of several strategy projects, since January 2019. 

After being named CEO of Hermes Fulfillment LLC on April 1, 20,21, he returned to Hermes as the COO.

Hermes