The Curiosity of Management

Inspired by a recent blog post by the Red Headed Pharmacist:

Goofmart pharmacy pushes flu shots like mad. During this time of year it's like everything else gets pushed aside momentarily and the sole focus of our existence is flu shots. Even Quake-N-Zap gets less attention this time of year.

Goofmart Pharmacy is run by Goofmart Grocers. At the retail level, we're just minions for a never-ending chain of managers. We have the Goofmart Pharmacy manager (in my store, Mickey), a regional manager over us, followed by a director for the state, district managers, a multi-state manager, and on and on all the way to the top where there are vice presidents and ultimately a president. 

I often picture the company president sitting on the iron throne like in HBO's Game of Thrones.

On occasion the multi-state manager will do a walk-thru of the store. We're told in advance of his arrival so the store can be neat and tidy (apparently just for him, not the customers) and so we can all have on our bright smiley faces when he arrives.

What's curious is that I have observed on numerous occasions district managers and the multi-state manager making comments as they walk by the pharmacy about the pharmacy, apparently unaware that their comments actually travel a distance where we can hear them. 

One day I was doing a flu clinic. I had a table set up with signs and balloons and a nice bowl of pretzels provided by the store manager (the directive from corporate was to provide a treat from the bakery, but pretzels is what my store manager provided). Anyway, the store manager was doing a walk-around with the multi-state manager and walked by our table as I was giving a flu shot. 

The store manager asked his superior, "Are you going to get a flu shot?" 

The reply, "No, what a waste of time. Those shots don't work anyway."

Laughter ensued as they walked away.

This comment tells me several things:

* Management really has no respect for health care, immunizations, or pharmacists
* Flu shots are not about health care for the customer, it's only about money
* Management has little regard for the health of their own employees

So just like the Red Headed Pharmacist points out, flu shots are only about money for corporate. Health care, if a consideration, is way, way down on the list.

Seriously, until corporate figures out some simple concepts, the pharmacy is always going to have problems with corporate. See You Have a Customer for another example of what I'm talking about.