Hi-Fi Corporation - Shocking Ecommerce experience with no end in sight

After having a certain TV on my watchlist for a number of months, Hi-Fi Corporation launched a really good price over the weekend. I used their online shop and purchased (ordered and paid for) the TV on Sunday 21 July. I received and email confirming my purchase on the same day with a link later on via SMS to track my order. So all good up to this point.

Checking on the progress using the link on Monday 22 July, the website status said "processing order" which for the Monday was pretty acceptable. Checking on the status on Tuesday and Wednesday the status was still "processing order" - a whole 3 business days later.

At this stage my patience was growing thin and i decided to use the Hi-Fi Corporation WhatsApp channel. After navigating a relatively clumsy menu structure, I eventually managed to find the correct option and had a reply from a human agent. Sadly, this reply just mentioned that my order was being processed and delivery would take place in 3 to 5 days and the courier company would phone me 1 hour before deliver. Pretty much just as helpful as their online tracking.

On the early morning of business day 5 (Friday 26 July) I used the WhatsApp channel again to quire when I would receive my order. The human on the other side was a lot more receptive and logged a complaint and I was sent a reference number. On querying when I could expect feedback on the complaint the answer was "within 24 working hours" - which equates to Tuesday 30 July. 7 days after placing and paying my order.

Not having heard anything, I called their telephonic help channel ***. The agent repeated the "24 working hours" response time for the "relevant department". For obvious reasons I was not happy with the answer and asked if she thought that this process was acceptable in today's ecommerce world where she promptly disconnected the call.

I called again and this time got to a more sympathetic agent. She also repeated the "24 business hour" response time for the "relevant department". I again asked the agent if she thought my experience to date was acceptable whereby she apologised and said she would follow up with "the relevant department". S a whole business day passed with zero action by "the relevant department".

To think that the process described above is in anyway acceptable in the highly competitive ecommerce, let alone general marketplace in South Africa is astounding. If you want to operate in this space at least provide the absolute basics and not a half ass attempt and have relatively nothing more than a online presence.

So, 16 more business hours to go for feedback (Monday and Tuesday), let alone knowing when my order will be delivered.

Shame on you Hi-Fi Corporation