Smiths News has narrowly beaten Menzies to win the title of ‘worst customer service’, according to a survey conducted by Retail Express and RN.

Asked to rate their customer service out of 10, Smiths News was given a rating of 4.19, whereas Menzies was rated 4.24 by retailers. While Smiths News was found to be the more punctual wholesaler, it was also the most prone to errors. 

In each month, the average Smiths News customer has 8.6 days with late deliveries, whereas the average Menzies customer has 9.7. Deliveries are either short or missing supplements for 11.7 days per month at Smiths News and 8.5 days per month for Menzies.

However, Stuart McClymont, from Mac’s Newsagents in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, said the blame also lies with publishers. He told Retail Express that the sharing of lorries into wholesalers by publishers and poor adherence to standard arrival times was adding pressure on the wholesalers.

Read more: News UK extends distribution contract with Smiths News until 2024