To quit retail job and become a Hermes courier ?

[ZombieOnTheLawn]

Is anyone on here a Hermes courier and can give me the pros and cons of the job?

I know they don’t have a great rep I’m forever reading stories of them chucking fragile parcels over a wall and so on, but I’ve never had that experience when Hermes delivered our parcels, quite the opposite.

Online deliveries are through the roof thanks to Covid so business will be good for several months yet.

I have morning school runs to cover, so the flexible hours would be ideal.

Thanks for replies so far, very helpful.

“you may be liable for any losses/ claims the damaged parcels etc”

Yep, everything is your fault -because you’re the most traceable part of the chain.

Also, people will quite happily have a go at you about their missing parcel, when you never even got it to deliver to them

If you can see something is damaged you’re supposed to deliver it anyway, like even if it’s actually leaking all over you.

Oh and people will claim they didn’t get parcels even when you absolutely know they did - you handed right to them that you scanned it in and out, you have their signature, the fact that you could describe them... and tell them that it’s the house with toffee the brown mini poodle... You still got parcel listed as missing in your stats.

My neighbour did this for a while recently after losing her job and having nothing else available. Absolutely awful. Below minimum wage when everything is considered. She was working for pennies per parcel.

I’m trying to think if it had any good points at all, rofl...

Um, if you had a manageable amount of deliveries - you can sort of set your own hours a bit, your pick up time is set by them you’re supposed to stop by 9pm. So I used to go home and walk my dog sometimes because that was more useful to me than finishing at 7 instead.

Oh, you were quite often the only visitors people had that day, it does cost you time, but a wee chat was nice.

You get to listen to the radio a lot?

It’s not as much walking as you’d think, you don’t have to be super fit.

That’s about it tbh, lol

Bit late I know but I done this job for hermes for just over a month i left because they pay less then ment too theres no payroll department to getting it sorted is impossible
don't do it they treat you like rubbish your not paid for the hour every day it takes to sorted the parcels out and load them you also are outside loading them in an open car park no matter the weather so boxes get soaking wet in the rain and if any customer moans its on you they say flexible hours but once you scan parcels it puts time slots on all of them if not delivered in the time slot you get paid less.

If you get a set round you can't take a day off unless you personally find someone to do it for you.

Stay clear iv worked alot of different jobs over the years and this is by far the worst.

Our Hermes carrier is such a nice guy! That’s all I can say and not very useful I know.

Our hermes lady is ace and she has recommended it to me as a job when covid hit my business but she has built up a steady round and knows it really well so get through it quite quickly. She also works it with her hubby so they can cover each other and seems to have a network of couriers who help each other out. I think to start off it’s hard going. Sounds like it gets better when you are more established.
I did look into it but 50p a parcel put me off.

Might be an ideal job if.....

Oh hell no. I would only do this job if I was incapable of getting anything else!

Not being snobby, just that it's a hard, thankless job that doesn't pay that well, involves a lot of hours, and has no 'promised' hours (like contracted hours...)

The ones we see always seem very stressed and rushed 🤷‍♀️

I had a friend who gave up being a Hermes driver a few years ago (6?) and works as a postwoman now. (EMPLOYED, company van)

I think the tide is gradually turning on free deliveries (except Amazon), which will hopefully mean better pay.

In a way I’m sad as free deliveries are so convenient, but I really don’t see how many companies can continue to offer them, and it seems delivery drivers bear the brunt.

It's a shitty job OP. Might be OK as a stop gap if you really can't take it any more where you are.

A friends son delivers parcels for amazon but is not employed by amazon. He is classed as SE but has to pay a certain amount per week for the van. He is paid a daily rate , and given a load of parcels and the day is as long as it takes to deliver them. Even without proper breaks and lunch he is sonetimes working for less than minimum wage because it takes 10 hrs plus to deliver said number if parcels at busy times

I heard amazon is better and you can do it part time and flexibly. It's about what route you get too. An area with lots of terraced houses would be quicker for example and if there is a distribution centre close by.

My brother works for Hermes, he has a set route that he does 6 days a week which takes approximately 2 hours (1 hour loading as you have to scan all your parcels). He earns about 1200 a month for the 3 hours a day. There are extra payments for doing your deliveries in a certain time frame but you set the time you WANT to deliver when you scan them onto your vehicle. He also gets holiday pay.
It is correct that if you have a set round and you want time off you have to arrange cover but he has never had an issue and everyone helps everyone out.

There are also extra rounds, super sundays etc, he gets to pick his children up from school every day and takes them in the morning.

He also does Amazon but the Morrison’s food parcels he does about 20 hours a week so 1/2 jobs a day lasting 90 minutes to 120 minutes. He earns about £200-£300 a week from that in addition to Hermes.

Plus points - work when he wants

• built up regulars and a nice customer base

-as mentioned has the flexibility for kids and partners work

• no stress
• knows his route every day

Bad points

• grim in the harsh winter
• sometime the vans can be late and his day can get messed up, more common at Christmas with the increase in parcels
• don’t always pay “extras” and need chasing but always rectified

Hope this gives you some help and good luck

There are other nicer couriers though, dpd seem good

It’s a zombie thread people…