UNHAPPY CUSTOMER

Dear Clicks Customer Service,

I am writing to express my deep disappointment regarding the ongoing service issues I have experienced with Clicks' online store. As a loyal customer who regularly purchases toiletries from Clicks on a monthly basis, I find it extremely frustrating that items available exclusively online are handled with such a lack of efficiency and care.

On two recent occasions, I placed online orders that remained in a "processing" status for over a week. Only after I personally followed up with the call centre was I informed that the invoices for my orders were not captured, despite payment being processed. No one from Clicks took the initiative to contact me and inform me of the problem. Had I not made the effort to enquire, I would have been left completely unaware that my orders were not being processed. This reflects a severe lack of internal communication and customer care, especially given that Clicks commits to delivering within 3-5 working days.

Following my first complaint, I was assured that the matter would be escalated. However, to my dismay, the exact same issue occurred with my subsequent order. During this second interaction, I was informed by a consultant that a cashback would be credited to my account as an apology for the inconvenience. To date, this has not been done.

Most recently, I experienced yet another service failure. I placed an order online but never received an email confirmation. Three days later, I received an SMS stating that my order had been delivered. Upon opening the package, I discovered that the item I had ordered (K****ell Hair Treatment) was incorrect. I immediately contacted the call centre and was advised to take the incorrect product to a Clicks store for an exchange. I specifically asked the consultant to confirm that the store I intended to visit had stock of the K****ell product, and I was assured that they did.

However, upon arriving at the store, the staff informed me that they do not stock K****ell products as these are online-exclusive items. Additionally, they required an invoice to process the return, which I had not been provided. The store attempted to contact the online department to obtain a copy of the invoice, only to be told that no invoice was available and a manual one would need to be generated. I was kept waiting for over 45 minutes while this was being arranged. Despite explaining that I had other commitments and could not afford to wait any longer, no urgency or concern was shown by the staff or the online department.

Eventually, after further delay and escalation to the Clicks ClubCard department, an invoice was manually issued, and a refund was processed. However, I needed the product, not a refund, and no alternative solutions were offered to assist me in obtaining the correct item.

This entire experience has been deeply disappointing and reflects a shocking decline in the standard of customer service at Clicks. It is alarming that a brand with a nationwide reputation fails to train its staff adequately and does not prioritize customer satisfaction. Businesses rely on customers to survive, yet my interactions with Clicks have shown a complete disregard for customer loyalty and basic service expectations.

I sincerely hope this feedback is taken seriously and prompts an internal review of your online ordering processes and customer service protocols. As a long-standing customer, I find this level of service unacceptable, and it has severely affected my trust in your brand.

Yours sincerely, Varsha