Royal Mail has once again failed to hit its delivery targets for first and second class post, but the company is spinning it as a win because, well, things could be worse. Between March and June, the postal service managed to deliver 85% of first class mail on time, up from 76% in the same period last year, but still shy of regulator Ofcom's 90% target. Second class mail got a slightly better showing, arriving within three days 91% of the time, up from last year but still below the 95% target.

Chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson called the results 'encouraging,' which is corporate speak for 'we're still failing, but we're failing slightly less.' He added that first class performance is 'well ahead' of expectations, while second class is 'tracking in line' with the plan. Because apparently, the plan is to gradually improve from 'terrible' to 'almost acceptable'.

Royal Mail, owned by International Distribution Services (IDS), has been battling rising competition, fewer people sending letters, and fines from Ofcom for missing targets. The company is under investigation for the second year running, and was slapped with a record £21m fine in October last year for missing targets in 2024-25.

But there's a glimmer of hope: a £500m investment plan over five years, which includes a commitment to meet Ofcom's targets by May 2027. That's right, they're aiming to meet the targets that they've been missing for years, and they're giving themselves until 2027 to do it. Talk about setting the bar low.

Meanwhile, the firm has faced years of criticism from politicians and the public over slow deliveries. In March, postal workers told the BBC they were being asked to hide mail from senior bosses to make it look like targets were being met. The company apologized to Gloucester residents where post was delayed for months, admitting the service was 'totally unacceptable.' And in Worcestershire, residents complained of weeks-long delays, with some missing hospital appointments.

Stephenson acknowledged there's 'more to do,' pointing to the £500m investment and 'significant changes' across the network. He also thanked frontline colleagues for their hard work 'including through the recent extreme heat.' Because nothing says 'we care' like thanking employees for working in a heatwave while the mail still doesn't arrive on time.

IDS was bought in 2025 by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, who presumably thought he was investing in a reliable postal service. Good luck with that.