I'm helping one lady get her medication when another lady comes up to the counter. She can't wait, you see, and needs to push her way in front of the other lady. Unfortunately, this happens all too often despite the fact we have not one, not two, not three, but FOUR signs saying to "Wait here to preserve patient privacy" six feet away from the pharmacy counter. If you can't see one of the four signs, there's something SERIOUSLY WRONG with you.
Anyway, the lady says she needs something for stomach acid but can't remember the name of it. She says, "You chew it. It's like Tums but it's not Tums."
"Are you looking for Rolaids?"
"No."
"Is it Pepcid?"
"No."
"How about Mylanta? They have a chewable tablet."
"No, that's not it."
"Hmmm... Are you sure it's not Rolaids?"
"No. I'd remember if it was that."
"How about Gaviscon?"
"No."
I'm quite perplexed now. I ask, "How about Pepto-Bismal? They have a chewable tablet."
She's irritated with ME now. "No, no. That's not it. I'm going to do some shopping and see if I remember." Off she goes. Twenty minutes pass. I'm helping another lady at the register, when Mrs. Pushy pushes her way to the counter again.
"I remembered the medication. It's Rolaids!"
<big sigh>
Well, at least we know there really is something SERIOUSLY WRONG with her.
Vagabond Rx here:
ReplyDeleteI don't permit someone to push in front of the person I'm assisting at the counter (unless they gasp out "call 911" before collapsing to the floor). I very directly ask them to step back and I do not engage with them to answer their question(s) in any way. To do anything else seems completely disrespectful to the person I have actually been talking to.
My supervisors have always been supportive of my approach.
you reinforce this behavior by answering her questions?
ReplyDeleterefuse to acknowledge her (and others) when they barge in front of others or "i'm helping someone else, i'll be with you in a minute". wonder what the "well behaved" customer felt about how she was treated?
ReplyDeleteIf someone barged up to the counter, we used to tell people to back away and wait by the signs until we're done with the current patient.
ReplyDeleteSomeone complained to management about being treated rudely. When I tried to explain who was really being rude, I was told "Keep the customer happy."
I'm sure they were given a gift card for me being so rude to them.
The next time someone claims I was rude to them I’m going npg to say, “oh! I thought I was quite polite actually. How was I rude?” Then when they fumble I’ll say, “Are you sure you haven’t been using the ‘rude’ card to get your way through life, and maybe it’s time to stop using that?”
ReplyDelete