Beleaguered courier company Hermes is changing its name, in a bid to put the past behind it.
The German-owned company, which has has gained a reputation over the years for poor customer service when delivering parcels to customers, will now be known as Evri, it has announced. According to chief executive officer Martijn de Lange, the rebrand is more than just a name change.
"This is more than just a name change – it is a statement of intent of our commitment to leading the way in creating responsible delivery experiences for 'Evri one', 'Evri where'," he said. "It heralds a new culture and an even better way of doing things in an ever-evolving world, building on our achievements and successes."
Read more: Woman livid as Hermes ruin her brand-new trainers by abandoning them in bin
Hermes, which conducts deliveries for retailers such as John Lewis, Next and Marks and Spencer, has sent an email to customers explaining the change, saying: " Whoever and wherever you are, we’ll get your parcels from A to everywhere, treating each one with the care it deserves."
However, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis was more sceptical, when he Tweeted: "Interesting to see Hermes (that came 2nd bottom in our poll of 17 delivery firms) is rebranding itself Evri. Lets (charitably) hope this is because it believes it can be a better firm, and does indeed do a better job, and therefore wants to draw a line under past reputation."
The German owned group was founded in 1972. It is known for offering cheap parcel delivery and courier service and picking up returns for free.
In 2019, the group offered its network of around 10,500 self-employed couriers the chance to move to 'self-employed plus' status, in a move described by the GMB union as 'ground-breaking'. Under the deal, couriers can get up to 28 days paid holiday a year if they follow routes set out by Hermes.
In a statement about the name change, Hermes said it will invest £7m a year in employee pensions, as well as introduce rights to maternity and paternity leave for the self-employed plus (SE+) couriers.
Hermes hit the headlines last last year, when it was ranked the worst large delivery company in the UK in the first-ever league table of its kind carried out by Citizens Advice. In the survey, it scored 1.5 out of five stars in ratings for quality of service, accessibility, customer service and trust.
