Terrible customer service - would not recommend

I placed a food order which processed a charge on one of my saved bank accounts, it did not land me to the page where the order is pending acceptance as usual but rather still showed my order in the cart pending checkout. In understanding transactions of this nature with Apps, this translates as an order not placed with an expected reversal of charges within a day or so.

Upon this realization, I first went to the Apps homepage to see if perhaps the order is actually placed hoping to find the yellow circle icon at the bottom of the page containing the order log but there was nothing. On this basis, I then proceeded to checkout the cart which was still pending using a different card coz funds on the first card were exhausted and wouldn’t be able to process payment.

At food delivery, after the gentleman left, I receive a second call from the gate advising it’s Mr D Food for my order. Whilst he had the delivery bag in his hand, I explain the above to him and he also advised of his confusion when he saw his colleague outside the gate that had just made the same delivery at my house. The colleague who was still waiting for him, called and the second delivery guy responded saying he is coming out shortly. I then ask him what does one do in this situation and he responded saying he doesn’t know, then he proceeded to placed the bag down and opened it for me to take the food. I have never experienced such nor do I know the required process from Mr D Food in this predicament, I took the food with the intention of calling the Customer Service because I cannot hold the delivery guy at ransom for an order he collected to deliver.

I called the Customer Centre and spoke to a Daanish H who I then requested to escalate the matter with a manager. A Team Leader by the name Ghilm Clarke returned my call in which he advised that I was not meant to accept the order and the delivery guy would contact his management to deliver the food there. My problem with the supposed action by myself, per Ghilm, is: 1. I have never experienced this issue before and therefore did not know what the preferred process is for Mr D Food. All I thought was I cannot hold the gentleman at ransom as he still need to go earn his living from other deliveries and I would call Customer Service to assist; 2. I was under the impression that the delivery staff would be adequately trained to advise customers of the above mentioned preferred process should incidents of this nature occur. Instead, when asked, the gentleman advised that he does not know, then put the bag down and unzipped it. What was left for me to do?

Ghilm Clarke further stated that there was no influx of calls today (03 Feb 2021) reporting an issue with the App and maintains that I was supposed to follow the preferred process and not accept the order (something I reiterated that I was not aware of nor did the ‘trained’ delivery guy advise as such when I asked at that time). I enquired with Ghilm whether is he also invalidating my explained issue with the App (which has now left me with a duplicated order and duplicated payment) simply because there was “no influx of calls complaining about the App” (in his exact words)? He confirm yes, also advising that no refund will be processed as this was my fault (I.e. system glitch on their App and me not knowing their preferred process, even when their trained delivery guy was there and did not advise as such when I asked). Ghilm basically imp**** that I should pick a finger. I am utterly disappointed by the extremely poor customer service that redirected their issues (System glitch and in-trained staff) to me as the customer at my full costs, even after I offered to return the food where it should be returned.

Mr D Food being a nationwide company, part of a multinational company (Takealot), finds comfort in leaving a customer out of pocket (with no remorse) due to issues embedded in its processes and rather finding ways to solely blame all to the customer. I suppose customers are not valued individually because their concern does not carry weight in isolation.