Shopping the "E" way

Lately, I've been shopping online quite frequently. The e-bug finally bit me! I used to shop for big ticket electronic items earlier as well, but this time, I bought clothes, FMCG items & fresh fruits online. Various reasons for this.

• The sweltering heat forbade me from stepping outside except for office.
• I'm always lazy to shop & wait till the need becomes super urgent
• No time- though this item appears repeatedly on my list throughout the year 

So, I forced myself to buy a memory card & some groceries & fruits- both off different sites, I wouldn't want to name.

The whole experience left a bitter taste behind & I've taken a silent vow to do as much shopping offline & stay off online purchases.

So, here's what happened.

1.  I placed the order on the grocer website & asked for a late night delivery slot assuming I'll be late from work, hence shouldn't keep the delivery guy waiting outside my door. Turned out-mine was the last delivery (at around 11:20pm).
2. There was neither an email nor an sms saying what time or who would be doing the delivery. On calling the customer care number, there was no response. Finally after repeatedly calling for 10 minutes, someone answered the line & told me, the delivery guy was on his way. Shouldn't this be a simple hygiene factor for e-commerce sites to result in customer experience?  Resulted in a cranky me who usually sleeps early on weekdays.
3. Some time the same evening, before the goods were delivered; I received a message saying some items could not be sent as they were out of stock. Couldn't this be informed 2 days prior when I actually placed the order on the website. Is stock checked only when items are being sent out to customers? There was no email informing me which item wasn't being sent. I had ordered around 13 items. Again, called customer care to ask- they tell me, "Ma'am, this is a policy. If an item is not available, we will refund the money." But I wasn't interested in a refund 2 days later, I wanted the damn item.
4. The day after the original delivery, a second guy turns up at home with the item which wasn't sent the previous day. I had absolutely no clue that this was being sent so had by that time already purchased it. Anyway, a wrong product was sent & because I did not want to get into the turmoil associated with returning the item, I still have it lying with me. Phew!
5. Now, for the memory card from the second site. As soon as I got the sms that the product would be delivered on the day, I called on the delivery person's number & told him to not come before 3pm as no one would be home. He starts muttering on the call, saying he can't come & that the product would go back. I was shocked. Here I was, calling him so that he wouldn't have to return back on a locked house & he on the other hand, hadn't been told the etiquette of a customer call.
6. My product went back. There were no re delivery trials as is done. I do not know why. And I do not know who to ask as the replies are always vague.

All this in the span of a week. Maybe, the rush to be amongst the top E-Commerce companies, is making them forget who took them amongst the top spots in the first place- their CUSTOMERS! Still a long way to go for the E-Commerce Industry in India. Customer experience should be your top priority now!