Yodel

Yodel – Live Tracking, Track and Trace Service

Yodel Parcel Tracking System

Tracking parcels sent via Yodel is easy to do online and simply requires the Yodel parcel number, which can be entered on Yodel Direct, MyYodel or YODEL Tracking, depending on the service that has been used and the type of client that has sent the package. Tracking information is detailed and gives in depth information about specific dates and times of delivery, along with the precise location of the package and its delivery driver where possible. Customers will be able to see whether their parcel has been received at one of the Yodel Service Centres, whether it is currently out with a driver for delivery, or whether it has already been delivered to the recipient.

Yodel Parcel Tracking – Copyrights by Yodel

Business clients who send consignments through Yodel can make use of their special YODEL Tracking Web Tracking service, whereby packages can be tracked individually by parcel number, and where consignments are traceable as an entirety through entering the consignment number. This makes tracking consignments containing multiple parcels quick, easy and convenient, saving time manually entering each individual number.

Tracking 2 day, next day and Yodel World Economy packages can be done via Yodel Direct, where the Yodel parcel number must be entered. To track and manage any kind of Yodel delivery with a parcel reference that is 8, 13 or 16 digits in length or begins with the letters JD, MyYodel can be used. Yodel World Economy travels usually 3 to 5 days, which means that you can consider it to arrive within 72 or 120 hours, where most shipments should be delivered within 72h. The shipment of Yodel World Economy can be tracked anytime in the time it is on its ways as well as after it arrived.

If the parcel reference begins with the letters (J) JD, customers should disregard the first (J) when putting the parcel reference into the “Track Your Parcel” option that can be found throughout the website, instead inputting as JD00, followed by the remaining numbers.

Yodel – The company

Yodel came about after the acquisition of the UK division of DHL, the former logistics company that had a large customer base consisting primarily of businesses and was widely regarded in the commercial sector. What consumers now know as ‘Yodel’ was officially launched in May 2010, when investors confirmed the UK DHL’s re-branding. Despite the acquisition of the UK brand, DHL Express still exists outside of the UK and is stronger than ever.

Home Delivery Network acquired DHL’s domestic parcel division in the UK and had a long and complicated history before eventually becoming Yodel, initially operating as Shop Direct Group’s logistics division until the two companies de-merged, becoming independent, in 2008. In August 2013, the company formally changed its business name to Yodel Delivery Network Limited from Home Delivery Network Limited.

Yodel is one of the most controversial names within logistics and has become somewhat notorious in the UK after a number of instances of negative publicity from press such as the Daily Mail and Watchdog, who, between 2011-2012, highlighted the companies poor performance and the level of customer dissatisfaction that followed. Yodel responded to the criticism, stating that they were not equipped or prepared to deal with a sudden and unexpected surge in demand. Despite this press damaging its reputation and giving the company a rocky start, it has not put clients nor customers off using their services, and they have nonetheless thrived.

Its client base currently totals 1,500, with in excess of 135 million parcels being handled by the company each year. It is the second biggest parcel delivery service in the UK after Royal Mail, accounting for around a quarter of the UK’s home delivery market share. The company has an annual turnover of £650 million. Despite this, the company has recorded a series of annual losses. At the end of June 2013, it recorded a pre-taxation £98.2m loss on activities, a 46% increase on the previous year loss of £66.9m in 2011/2012. Its turnover in 2013 totalled £389m, significantly less than the 2012 figure of £539.9m.

Yodel have several sponsoring projects, including a partnership with one of the world’s biggest sporting events, The Tour of Britain, which it has committed to sponsoring for the next five years. As part of the sponsorship deal, the company provides its vehicles to transport cycling equipment and support the race infrastructure, with a fleet totalling around 30 Yodel vans in tow. It also has a sponsorship deal with Friends Life Women’s Tour, the first women’s cycling race of its kind, where it again supports the teams by sending out a fleet of vehicles loaded with all the necessary equipment.

As well as being heavily involved in cycling events, Yodel has been a leading sponsor of World Book Night, an event ran by volunteers with the aim of encouraging more people to read, for which it distributes books to over two thousand libraries and bookshops taking part in the event.

Yodel prices and online shop

Yodel does not have an online shop, however its services can be purchased and paid for online through their Yodel Direct website. Orders for collection and delivery are placeable by entering the full details of the package(s), including its height, length, width, weight and an indication of its precise contents. The website takes Visa, Mastercard, Visa Electron, Solo and Maestro card payments, along with the option to pay instantly by Paypal.

Yodel are not transparent about their prices, preferring to deal with customers and businesses especially on a one to one basis, providing them a tailor made and priced service, however it is possible to get a general idea, and quotes are available through the Yodel Direct website.

Parcel delivery starts at different prices depending on the service selected, and prices will change according to the parcel dimensions, weight and location it is being collected from and delivered to.

Included in the price of Yodel services is insurance coverage of up to £20. For items that are over this value, customers can choose to buy additional insurance at an extra cost. The insurance limit on any one parcel is £2,500.

By entering the correct value of the package when placing an order with Yodel, customers can see how much it would cost to cover it for the full value amount. For example, to insure a package worth £35 for its full value, Yodel charge £0.75p plus VAT.

One cost that must be noted is their fuel surcharge, which is priced according to the latest national diesel prices. Fuel surcharges are standard across courier services.

Contracts with effective date from 14th April 2014

Yodel depots / Depot finder

Unlike many courier services, Yodel do not have a depot finder, nor do they provide a comprehensive list of depots with full address details and contact information. Typically, customers will be given details of their local depot when a card is left by a driver in cases where delivery is attempted and nobody is in to sign for the package. This will include precise address, opening hours and a telephone number for contact.

Yodel currently has in excess of 60 depots all over the United Kingdom, and is constantly adding new centres due to customer demand and expansion. One of its most recent new centre openings was the Basildon, Essex permanent service centre located on the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate. The large 50,000 sq ft centre caters for 70 van drivers, who receive support from over 50 office and warehouse staff. Other centres which have undergone refurbishment and expansion include Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate, Ipswich, and the Aberdeen site which has been expanded to the Alterns Industrial Estate in Torry adjacent.

YodelDirect

Yodel Direct Service

Individual customers or business clients that have multiple packages or consignments that need to be collected and delivered via Yodel can book their collection on Yodel Direct, a website made specifically for multiple collections. An account is needed to start the booking process, and once the details have been submitted, a label is provided which must be printed and affixed the parcels, ready for the driver to collect. A collection date can be specified at the client and recipient’s convenience, and orders for next working day collection can be placed as late as 10pm the previous day.

Once on the Yodel Direct site, an approximate quote for any packages can be obtained, allowing customers to compare prices with other delivery services before going further with the order. All that is needed is the weight and dimensions of the package, along with the collection address and delivery address. There is also a bulk shipping tool to save time and hassle when sending more than one package at a time, an especially useful tool for businesses sending parcels en mass.

There are four delivery options on Yodel Direct: Yodel 48 (collection and delivery within 2 days from within UK mainland postcodes), Yodel 24 (next day delivery from within UK mainland postcodes), Yodel Northern Ireland (collection from a UK postcode and delivery to an address within Northern Island in 2-3 days), and Yodel Highlands & Islands (collection from a UK postcode and delivery to a postcode within Highlands and Islands with no time guarantee), and prices for each are clearly shown before selecting to book.

Orders made on Yodel Direct are processed by Parcel2Go.com Limited on their behalf. Yodel Direct has a refund policy setting out cases where the customer is eligible for a refund on any services purchased, the terms and conditions relating to this and any potential exemptions. If they fail to fulfil the service as specified in the services description, the customer can file a claim by emailing their reference number and the tracking number of the parcel to refunds@yodeldirect.co.uk within 28 days of the order date. For more information you can visit here.

MyYodel- Missed your delivery check here

Yodel Sorry we missed you – Copyrights by Yodel

To track a parcel, all the customer needs to do is enter their personal reference code along with the postcode of the address to which the package has been delivered. MyYodel will then bring up detailed information as to its whereabouts, for example the precise date and time it was passed over to the courier for delivery, its current location and details of any previous delivery attempts.

Customers will usually be directed to MyYodel via a ‘Sorry we missed you’ card left at their address when delivery has been attempted but nobody was there to sign for the package. Using the number on the card, redelivery or collection of the package can be arranged with Yodel’s drivers. If an orange card is left, this can be arranged on the MyYodel site, however if a green card is left, the recipient must call the number of the driver left on the card.

Yodel jobs and careers

Yodel are constantly growing and obtaining more big clients by the day, which means they are often recruiting and job opportunities within the company are rife, some of which could lead to more secure, long term careers. The innovative company thrives on having a quick thinking, technologically savvy workforce that are bubbling with ambition and always striving for betterment of themselves and the company, and it is these kinds of enterprising go-getters that they are searching for to fill the many positions available.

There are many different behind the scenes teams that make up the Yodel brand and who are responsible for the smooth running of all its operations and deliveries, and the varied skill sets required for each role means there are opportunities to be had for a vast array of talented, dedicated workers, qualified graduates and bright minds.

The Human Resources team at Yodel are perhaps the most integral part of the company as a whole, and as such it is one of the most challenging and testing roles available, though also the most rewarding. With 10,000 staff and 10 different sites dotted around the UK, there is never a dull moment in the life of member of the Yodel HR staff who must work tirelessly each day to make sure that everyone is fully trained and that motivation is running high at all times, enabling the company to maintain their status as parcel delivery leaders.

The IT technicians at Yodel are responsible for coming up with innovative technological ideas, keeping the company fresh and up to date with the ever advancing world of computer technology and the non-stop developing world wide web. Ahead of the game technology that meets the desires and constantly changing needs of businesses and clients is one of the primary things that keeps people coming back to Yodel, so roles within IT are highly important, and with a strong team of creative techs that are buzzing with ideas, working in the department is always exciting.

Getting Yodel’s name out there and ensuring that the brand is visible by the public and potential business clients is the main job of the Yodel PR and Marketing team, and it is one of the many departments that comes with lengthy career and promotion opportunities.

Other integral Yodel teams which have jobs and potential careers available are the sales team, support services and finance team, as well as administration, customer experience, operations management, drivers, service centre roles and general operation.

The most commonly advertised position is that of the neighbourhood courier. Many neighbourhood couriers are technically self-employed, with the purpose of the role being that it is highly flexible, with staff being able to take charge of their own hours and work around their every day commitments, e.g. child care. Using their own vehicle with the support of Yodel’s economical and fuel saving routing software to help them, neighbourhood couriers deliver packages within their local area, Monday to Saturday, at times that are convenient to them that fit in with Yodel’s large delivery window of 7am – 9pm.

Specific jobs that are currently being advertised can be found by searching on the careers section of the Yodel website, where interested parties can narrow down their search according to salary, department and location, or even search for a particular job title if there is something specific they have in mind. Salaries at the company start at £10,000, with the top management positions receiving over £70,000 a year. Location options include the Midlands, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the South East and South West.

Yodel contact

There are several ways through which people can get in touch with Yodel, whether for general customer services enquiries, to get more information on how businesses can become clients of the company, or to simply send feedback or complaints about the service they have provided.

• Their customer service number is 0844 453 7443. To submit a client interest enquiry form or to send some feedback, go to the Contact Us page on their website and click on the relevant topic to be taken straight to a form which you can fill in and submit online.
• Yodel’s customer service centre is open from Monday to Friday 8am – 9pm, and Saturday 9am – 1pm.