Thursday, March 30, 2017

Resistance is Futile

This lady drops off a prescription. The entire time she's on her cell phone. I think it might actually be glued to her ear. Because she's on the cell phone she didn't hear me tell her it would be a 15 minute wait. She just stands there in the middle of the aisle staring at me while she's talking on her Borg implant. She's no where near our drop off window or pick up window or "wait here for patient privacy" sign. She's just out there, in the open, yapping away and staring at me.

I fill her prescription quickly because I can tell she's a potential complaint and gift card candidate. I finish filling the prescription and start heading toward the register. Another lady walks up to the pick up window (after all, no one is standing there, and from her perspective it is completely reasonable to expect that she's next in line). You would think the Borg lady wouldn't have an issue. She's been told it is going to be 15 minutes and I'm clearly way under that, she's on some important call talking about who knows what, and she'll be out of here lickity-split, right?

No.

She belts out at the other lady, "I'm next! I've been waiting in line!" all the while plastered to her cell phone.

The other lady looks at me, looks around, can't figure out how she cut in line (when she actually didn't) and sheepishly apologizes and moves aside.

I check out the Borg witch. I try to counsel her on the medication. She pretends to hear me with fake nods. She walks off, still embroiled in her conversation.

All I can do is shake my head. There are no words.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have been known to say in a LOUD voice "I can help you when you are finished your cellphone conversation". They either hang up quickly or continue talking & get ignored by the entire pharmacy staff. One lady told me that was rude. I replied that I had to ask her some questions about her new prescription & needed her full attention in order to fill her prescription.

murgatr
Pharm. Tech. RDC'06

Anonymous said...

i will only ask questions when they start talking. ill ask random questions that i dont really care about. "how is your day? did you find everything okay? was it raining outside? etc...." if they dont get off the phone, at least ive successfully managed to piss them off. :D

Anonymous said...

I make it a point to just stand and stare until they hang up.

I know I run the risk of getting a complaint but I don't care anymore.

Unless I am having an awful day.

At that point, I just look at them straight in the face and say...

May I help who's next?