Recently an obviously irritated customer took Jumia to the cleaners in Punch newspapers. According to him, he ordered for a pair of shoes from the Jumia, which is arguably one of the most popular e-commerce sites in Nigeria where people can shop on-line and pay on delivery. He complained that the item was delivered three weeks after, as against the company’s advertised delivery period of between one to five working days.
This customer also said he could not get through to the company via telephone; a voice prompt always answered. He also hinted that the product did not match his expectation in terms of expected quality and shoe size. The decision to channel his complaint through Punch, arguably Nigeria’s most read newspaper, was aimed at warning other potential Jumia patrons on the poor quality of service, should they decide to purchase items through the firm.
Another story which appeared on Punch on-line was greeted with mostly negative comments by individuals who claimed to have patronised Jumia. It was an obvious disconnect. The story was positive as it painted Jumia as an innovative company. Majority of the comments bordered on the endless waits the customers have been subjected to while awaiting delivery of ordered items. There were also complaints about the difficulty in getting through to Jumia’s advertised telephone line(s).
My first experience with the firm was also unpalatable. The firm was then known as Sabunta before it morphed into Jumia. I ordered for a pair of slippers. After several days, I received a call to ascertain the delivery address and I was told I would be contacted on the day the item would be delivered.
That was the last I heard even when the company transformed to Jumia. I was not contacted to inform me on why the order could not be delivered or to even inform me about the new Jumia platform.
This leads me to another no-too-great experience on the DealDey platform. An office colleague ordered an edible item which arrived the same say. I also ordered for a clothing item. The waiting game began. After waiting endlessly for days, I sent an email, which was not acknowledged. I was then forced to call and was told my order would soon be delivered to the specified address. Several days passed without anyone contacting me to apologise for the delay nor information on the expected delivery date.
I was forced to call a second time and I complained bitterly about the treatment I got, expressing my utter disappointment at the service I received. I suspect the personnel that answered my call was high ranking at DealDey. Not only did she apologise, she pledged that my order would be delivered at the earliest possible time. My ordered item arrived about two to three days later.
A friend told me that Jumia is very popular as their employees are constantly seen delivering goods which customers have ordered to various offices. I admit, the company got its marketing spot-on. Jumia is in your face on the internet. Whilst the company has attained top of mind in the on-line shopping; it has obviously fallen short in customer service, judging by dissatisfied customers’ comments.
That it takes about eight times the effort to win back a dissatisfied customer when compared to acquiring a new one is a statistic often bandied in the realm of marketing. In my case and that of some Jumia customers, reaching out through a phone call, SMS or email, when it was obvious that the advertised delivery dates could not be met, would have engendered customer trust and confidence.
There are similar platforms which I cannot comment on, since I do not have any information on the depth of their service. I suspect that information may have reached the above mentioned companies that they have fallen short of customer satisfaction in some areas. It behoves the companies’ management to concentrate more on the negatives and fine-tune their services to meet up with customers’ demands.
It may take another Omojuwa a la Arik before a simple case of negligence snowballs into a full blown crisis. A word is enough for the wise!!!
