Bad Behavior, Houston, Pharmacy, Texas, USA | Right | December 8, 2018
(I work at a retail pharmacy. I get a call from a patient.)
Customer: “I just came by the drive-thru, and you f****** idiots screwed up my prescription. This is completely wrong!“
(I apologize profusely and confirm the medication she was supposed to pick up.)
Me: “You certainly did pick up the correct medication for yourself. What exactly was wrong with it?”
Customer: “Last time I got ninety pills, and this time I only got thirty! What kind of business are you running here?!”
Me: “I’m sorry, that is a bit peculiar. Let me see why that was done.”
(I look up her prescription, which is a quantity of thirty with three refills.)
Me: “I see your doctor only prescribed a total of a hundred and twenty pills. On your preferences, you request ninety-day supplies. We did indeed fill it for ninety days previously, meaning only thirty were remaining on your prescription, which is what you received today. After this, you will need a new prescription from your doctor in order to get a ninety-day supply. I’m sorry for the confusion.”
Customer: “No f****** way. You guys f****** shorted me. I’m going over soon, and you guys had better give me my d*** pills. I know you offer that service, since y’all are f****** useless.”
Me: “Ma’am, we did not short you. You were meant to get thirty pills. You don’t have enough pills on your prescription to fill for ninety. I can send a refill request fax to your doctor, and perhaps she can approve for more. If it’s within seven days, we can reimburse you and get you ninety days when it’s approved.”
Customer: *scoffs* “Seriously?! What the f*** am I supposed to do without my medication?! I need this stuff to live. Just give me my f****** pills.”
(I am going around in circles, so I cut her off.)
Me: “No. I’m sorry, I cannot invent a new prescription and give you pills you do not have. You have no refills. Zero. You have thirty days’ worth you just picked up, and thirty entire days to get more. I can get you my pharmacy manager if you want a second opinion.”
(I put her on hold before she could protest or swear at me anymore, and the pharmacist who had been listening to her in disbelief picked up the call. The customer hung up, and we thankfully haven’t heard from her since.)
Health & Body, Jerk, Pennsylvania, Pharmacy, USA | Right | December 6, 2018
(I’ve just had to have minor surgery on my tongue and the roof of my mouth. My mouth is packed with gauze. We have to stop at the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics before heading home. My mom does some other shopping, but I sit in the waiting area. I’m miserable and still reeling from the drugs, and I’m texting friends. An older man comes and sits across from me in silence for a half hour. Then, suddenly, he rages out at me.)
Customer: “You know, back in my day, we would talk and not just sit with your phone in front of your face. Ignoring people! We used to dress to go shopping, too, not just pajamas in public!”
(He continues on, raging that I’m wearing PJs and that I’m on my phone. I ignore him. When my mom comes back around, he rages at her, too.)
Customer: “You need to teach your child some manners! She hasn’t even said hello, just sat there on her d*** phone!”
(Finally, I just turn and open my mouth, full of bloody gauze, and muffle out a hello. He looks horrified and backs away from me.)
Pharmacist: “Just ignore him. He comes around and never buys anything, just harasses our customers.”
Bad Behavior, Money, Pharmacy, Tennessee, USA | Right | December 4, 2018
Customer: “Excuse me, I see in your ad that you have this sale. I was wondering if I could use this coupon that expired only almost a week ago. Will that be all right?”
Me: “I’m sorry, but [Store] can no longer take any coupons past expiration date.”
Customer: “Oh? Well, that isn’t right. Are you sure?” *she then props herself against the counter and says this* “You know, I also work at [Store, but different location] and [Their Manager and Employees] took them all the time, and I know for a fact that you guys do so here also. Who is the boss tonight? Let me speak to them and I’ll show you.”
Me: “Yes, ma’am.”
(I find the store manager, tell him the situation, and he comes up after finishing helping another customer. When he walks up, she gives him a grand greeting and explains to him the situation. Though I had to help another customer and did not get to stay for the conversation, I did get to see her leaving the store saying
Customer: “Oh, well, I guess I’ll just have to try somewhere else that actually tries to make customers happy!”
(I ask my manager what he did.)
Store Manager: “I know her from another store location, but it’s good you stood by our policies. When I mentioned to her about which stores are on the naughty list for accepting bad coupons and giving unnecessary store credit, of which her store was in second place, I asked her how she was dealing with that. She said never mind, and left! If we allowed it, who knows how many more customers would have come expecting this if they heard they could pull that stuff here!”
(Moral of the story: you are not there to sacrifice values and bend rules to give someone an ego boost or sense of entitlement. Stick to what you know, and keep the truth because anything can happen in retail.)
Criminal & Illegal, Health & Body, Pharmacy, UK | Legal | November 28, 2018
(I am full of a chest cold and have struggled to the pharmacy to stock up on decongestants, so I can go back to bed for as long as possible. My spouse has texted to ask me to pick up extra, as he’s starting with the same cold. As I look through the shelf of cold and flu medication, I notice that everything contains either paracetamol — acetaminophen — or ibuprofen. There are laws limiting the sale of those medications in the UK, which have significantly reduced intentional and accidental overdoses.)
Me: *pointing at shelf* “Excuse me. How many packets am I allowed to buy?”
Assistant: “Only two, I’m afraid.”
Me: “Oh, bother. For two of us poorly, that’s only two days’ worth. Never mind. I’ll just have to come back again.”
Assistant: “Well, unless you have a consultation with the pharmacist…”
(Fortunately, the pharmacist agrees to authorise sale of two packets each for me and my spouse, and after thanking her, I pay.)
Assistant: “People are so rude about the limit, though. You should hear what they’re like when we have to say no.”
Me: “What? But they do know it’s actually the law and not just [Pharmacy] policy?”
Assistant: “Yes. One man shouted at me for several minutes because I wouldn’t sell him ten packets of paracetamol in one go. Then he said, ‘I’m just going to come back in fifteen minutes to buy more and you won’t remember me.’”
Me: “I’m not sure that’s how that works.”
Assistant: “Yeah, he was pretty memorable by that point.”
Me: “And instead he could just have gone to [Shop twenty metres away] and [Shop fifty metres away], which both sell that kind of medicine.”
Bad Behavior, Oregon, Pharmacy, Portland, USA | Right | November 27, 2018
(I get a call from a lady who is very upset about some photos she sent to be printed.)
Me: “Thank you for calling [Store]. My name is [My Name]; how can I help you?”
Caller: “You ruined my Christmas! All of the photos I just ordered today have the heads cut off! I can’t use these as Christmas cards! I want a refund or a reprint!”
Me: “No problem. Let me look up your order real quick.” *looks up order* “I’m sorry, miss, but it seems you ordered these through our app or online. Unfortunately, if you want these to be cropped the way you want them, I’m going to need you to come into the store; we would be happy to redo them for free.”
Caller: “This is ridiculous! I don’t have time for this! I can’t believe you guys can’t do your f****** job!”
Me: “I’m sorry, but if that’s not something you would like, I’m sure my manager would be okay with us giving you a refund.”
Caller: “I don’t have time to come back to that store! I can’t believe you won’t remake them! This is ridiculous!”
Me: “Ma’am, I’d be happy to help you remake them or give you a refund. But for either one you have to be at our store.”
(After another five minutes of her screaming at me, I get my manager to talk to her.)
Manager: “Thank you for holding. How may I help you?”
(The lady is screaming through the phone the same things she has told me already.)
Manager: “I’m so sorry that this happened. I would be willing to help you remake them or give you a full refund if you come back in.”
(The lady on the phone is now screaming so loud I can hear from next to my manager.)
Manager: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but unfortunately, unless you’re present in our store, I can’t give you a refund or remake your photos.”
(This continues for a good ten minutes.)
Manager: “Ma’am, what would you like us to do for you?”
(The lady is still screaming something about how we can’t do our jobs correctly.)
Manager: “Ma’am, what would you like us to do for you? I’ve given you your two choices; if you’re not satisfied with that then I can give you our 1-800 number.”
(The lady continues to scream at her for not being helpful.)
Manager: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but if you’re going to continue to scream at me then I’m going to have to hang up. I’ve given you your two choices in what we can do for you. If you’re not satisfied, then you can call our 1-800 number and leave a complaint.”
(The lady continues to scream at her.)
Manager: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but that’s all I can do. I’m going to hang up now.”
(The lady continues to scream.)
Manager: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m going to hang up now. We hope to see you in soon. Have a good day.”
(The manager hangs up phone.)
Me: “Wow… she was not happy.”
Manager: “She said she was driving on her way to our store, anyway. Guess it wasn’t too much of an issue for her to come over. I’m just glad I don’t have to talk to her anymore.”
Harassment, Michigan, Pharmacy, Rude & Risque, USA | Right | November 26, 2018
I am a cashier at a pharmacy chain. A man comes in to the store and immediately asks where to find condoms. It is company policy to walk each customer to the product they are looking for if at all possible. Being a good employee, I walk the man to the “Family Planning” aisle, and show him where to find the condoms.
Rather than leaving our encounter to a minimum, he decides to ask me which condoms I like. Not only am I a woman, but I’m very uncomfortable discussing sex with anyone, especially strangers.
After explaining that I have no preference, and that it’s all up to him, he asks, “Which are the biggest ones? I need the biggest, because I am the biggest.” I am mortified.
I leave him in the aisle by himself, and he chooses a brand for purchase. No more than two minutes after ringing him out, he comes back in to the store, with the package opened, and one condom missing. He slaps the package on the counter and yells, “They’re too tight! I’m returning these, and I need your number… You single?”
I have my manager run the return as I go to the stock room to hide.
Health & Body, Language & Words, Montana, Pharmacy, USA | Right | November 20, 2018
(I work on the retail side of a pharmacy, usually stocking shelves or helping customers. One day a young lady, maybe 19 or 20, approaches me, clearly embarrassed.)
Customer: *whispering* “Do you have, um, like, douches, but, um, for, like, the…” *I can now barely hear her* “…butt?”
Me: *stifling laughter* “Enema. The word you’re looking for is ‘enema,’ and yes, over this way.”
(I will forever call them “butt douches” from now on.)
British Columbia, Canada, Language & Words, Pharmacy, Vancouver | Right | November 19, 2018
(I’m the customer in this story. I am Caucasian, of Irish and Scottish descent, and have extremely pale skin.)
Me: “Hi. Do you have melanin?”
Pharmacy Worker: “Sorry?”
Me: “Melanin, do you guys carry it?”
Pharmacy Worker: “No, I don’t think so.”
Me: “Drat, are you sure? My doctor told me I should get some before I went on my trip.”
Pharmacy Worker: “I don’t think it works like that.”
Me: “With respect, I’m going to listen to my doctor about how to treat my jet lag.”
Pharmacy Worker: “Jet lag? OH! You mean melatonin!“
Me: “Yes! Wait, did I say, ‘melanin’? Oh, my God, oops.”
(Melatonin is a sleep-related hormone you can buy over the counter in Canada; melanin is the compound that darkens your skin when you tan. I may be a bit short on melanin, but I wasn’t expecting to buy it at the pharmacy!)
At The Checkout, California, Extra Stupid, Ignoring & Inattentive, Pharmacy, USA | Right | November 15, 2018
(It’s about twenty minutes before closing and there’s one customer left in the store. This particular customer always comes in about two hours before closing every night and wanders the store until closing. He only ever buys two or three small items. He comes up to my register.)
Me: *after ringing in his items* “Your total is [total]. How would you like to pay?”
Customer: “I have a gift card.”
(We accept gift cards so I see no problem, until the customer hands me the card.)
Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but this is an Amazon gift card. You can only use it on Amazon.”
Customer: “No. I can use it here, too. You guys accept gift cards.”
Me: “We do accept certain gift cards, but you can’t use this one here.”
Customer: “Just scan it; you’ll see that it works!”
Me: “Sir, there is no barcode or magnetic strip on this card. There’s only a number on the back that you can type in on the Amazon website. You can’t use this here. Do you have another form of payment?”
Customer: *getting irritated* “I don’t know why you won’t just use it! I’ve used it here before!”
Me: “Sir, we don’t accept these. I need another form of payment.”
Customer: “Just use this card!”
(This goes back and forth for several minutes.)
Customer: “Where in here does it say I can’t use gift cards?!”
Me: “Right here on the back of the card.” *reads where the card says it can only be used on Amazon*
Customer: “Well, how was I supposed to know that?!”
(He grabbed his items and slammed it back down on the shelf and stormed out. By then it was twenty minutes past closing
The Bathroom Is Not The Only Thing Getting A Deep Clean
Great Stuff, Ignoring & Inattentive, North Carolina, Pharmacy, USA | Right | November 15, 2018
(I work at a very busy pharmacy. One evening, our men’s restroom takes a turn for the worst and I have the privilege of setting it straight. I post a sign on the door that says, “CLOSED FOR CLEANING,” in red marker, and gather my supplies. A few minutes into the job, the door opens, and a man sticks his head in and asks
Man: “Is the bathroom closed?”
(It has been a really long day, with a lot of stupid questions, and I just can’t help myself.)
Me: *snapping a blue glove onto my hand* “Nope, we are giving out free prostate exams. I don’t have any lube, but I do have bleach. Step on in so we can get this over with.”
Pharmacy, Providence, Rhode Island, USA | Unfiltered | November 11, 2018
(I take my nine-year-old daughter to the pharmacy because she has some pocket money to spend and wants to pick up a few treats. I enter my phone number to pull up my card number so my daughter would get any sale prices, but otherwise I am not involved in the transaction. I stand back as my daughter puts her items on the counter.)
Cashier: *looking up at me* “Would you like to donate a dollar to [charity] today?”
Me: *pointing back at my daughter* “She’s the one buying, not me.”
Cashier: *to daughter this time* “Would you like to donate a dollar to [charity] today?”
Daughter: “Sure, I’ll donate a dollar! I have the extra money, and it is for charity!”
(The cashier and her manager were shocked, but impressed, and quickly thanked my daughter!)
(I work as a cashier in a popular pharmacy. Recently our store has been doing some renovations. Nothing too big, just moving some shelves around and moving all the registers to one side of the store. One night I come into work and have this conversation with a customer.)
Customer: “You guys are going to be closed within six months.”
Me: *confused* “What do you mean, sir?”
Customer: “You moved everything around. How are we supposed to find anything?! You moved the toilet paper next to the freezers! Now what sense does that make?! You be closed within a year, mark my words.”
Me: *slightly shocked but still smiling and courteous* “Well, I hope not, sir.”
Customer: “You will. YOU WILL!”
Me: “Can I get your store card, sir?”
Customer: “…”
(I ring him up and things go smoothly until I hand him the receipt.)
Me: “Okay, here’s your receipt, sir.”
Customer: “I’ve been shopping here for seven f****** years, and you go and change things like this!”
Me: “Well, thank you for shopping with us today, sir.”
Bad Behavior, Bizarre, Children, Connecticut, Funny Kids, Pharmacy, USA | Right | November 6, 2018
(I am a pharmacy technician. At the pharmacy where I work, we have those special shopping carts for small children, shaped like cars. I’m helping a family — a mom, teenage daughter, and a preschool girl, roughly four or five — with one such cart. They have a few items to ring out besides their prescriptions. I notice the little girl is holding something in her hands. Thinking it’s a toy her mom promised to buy her, I point it out to her sister.)
Me: *pointing at the girl* “Are you buying that, as well?”
Sister: “Buying… Oh, where did you get that?! May I see that? Thank you. We’re just going to put that over here.” *puts it on the counter, clearly not buying it*
(It was a bottle of shampoo, by the way. On closer inspection, the sister pulled out — I kid you not — over twenty more bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and other hair care products. The little girl must’ve grabbed everything when they drove through the beauty section. The sister was apologetic and everything, just glad I said something, as some of the stuff was really pricey, and everything in her car easily came out to over $100. The kid’s going to have really expensive tastes when she grows up!)
Knows How To Push Your Buttons By Not Knowing How To Push Buttons
Connecticut, Extra Stupid, Ignoring & Inattentive, Pharmacy, USA | Right | November 4, 2018
(We keep certain cold medicines in a locked case due to high theft and due to teenagers using them to get high. There’s a button right next to said case, clearly labeled, to press for assistance. Pressing the button sends out a message over the PA system for a front store associate to come unlock the case and bring the items to the till. It’s a Sunday morning when this happens.)
Customer #1 : “Hi, your medicine case is locked; can you come unlock it for me?”
Me: “We don’t have the keys to unlock it. You just press the button and someone will come get it.”
Boston, Extra Stupid, Massachusetts, Pharmacy, Technology, USA | Right | October 29, 2018
(I work as a pharmacy technician at one a major pharmacy chains. Recently, store management has been pushing for the pharmacy employees to try and get customers to sign up for text message alerts when their prescription is ready for pick up.)
Me: *having gone through most of the transaction* “Do you get cell phone text alerts when your scripts are ready?”
Customer: “No.”
Me: “Would you like to?”
Customer: “Sure!”
Me: “All right, what cell number should we have in our system for us to text to?”
Customer: “Oh, I don’t have a cell phone.”
Me: “Then… you can’t receive text messages.”
(Sadly, this exchange has happened at least five times!)
Connecticut, Health & Body, Pharmacy, USA | Healthy Right | October 29, 2018
(I’m a pharmacy tech at a chain pharmacy. I’m working the drive-thru. A truck pulls up blaring loud metal music, and the driver is smoking. He does not turn down the music like most people do when at the window, and I’m having a hard time hearing him.)
Customer: “I’m trying to get one prescription. I need the [Brand Antibiotic], but NOT the–” *indecipherable due to the music*
Me: “I’m sorry, which one do you want?”
Customer: *a little louder* “The [Brand Antibiotic].”
(I take down his information into the computer. I have to re-ask several times because of the music, which he still hasn’t turned down. He’s also still smoking, and flicking ash out of the window, ON MY SIDE.)
Me: “There’s only one prescription here.”
Customer: “What?”
Me: *louder* There’s only one prescription.”
Customer: “Is it the [Brand Antibiotic]?”
Me: *still loud* “I will check with the pharmacist.”
(I grab the script, which is NOT an antibiotic. I’ve shut the window to keep the smoke from getting in; the music is loud enough to be heard on the other end of the pharmacy. The pharmacist confirms this is not an antibiotic, but is a specially requested one he’d been calling to transfer over from a different pharmacy.)
Me: “Sir, this is the only one we have.”
(I show him the prescription, so he can see what it is.)
Customer: “Ok, I’ll take it.”
(I finish up the transaction; he pays and drives away. About ten minutes later, he’s back in my lane, blaring the same loud music.)
Customer: “This isn’t the one I requested. I specifically told you NOT to give me this prescription. Where’s the one that the doctor transferred over?”
Me: “This is the only one that was called in.”
Customer: “I’m not taking this prescription anymore. Why was this called in? I want to speak to the manager.”
(The manager is busy. He’s been listening to the customer and is fed up with him. I use this time to double check his profile. There’s still no record of an antibiotic being called in before, during, or after the transaction.)
Me: “Sir, nothing else has been called in.”
Customer: “I don’t want this one. I told you I didn’t want this one.”
(I apologize at least twice, and return his medication, and he drives away, with my ears ringing.)
Manager: “So what happened with [Customer]?”
(I explained the ordeal, and he was obviously annoyed at the customer’s behavior. Less than a half hour later, we received a call from an associate of the customer. The pharmacist, who had had enough of the guy, took the call personally and explained what happened. Still not sure if the guy has gotten the antibiotic yet…)
Jerk, Minnesota, Pharmacy, USA | Right | October 18, 2018
(I am waiting in line for my prescription to be ready when I see this take place.)
Cashier: “Sir, we are trying to get a hold of the number on your file, but we are unable to reach them at the moment—”
Customer: “I have been waiting, and you’re letting all these other people go. Call the number again!”
Cashier: “Again, sir, I am sorry. We’ll try the number again and let you know.”
(The cashier goes back to the phone while the customer paces and keeps calling someone.)
Cashier: “Sorry, sir, we are still trying to get a hold of someone on that number, but we’re unable to get through.”
Customer: “Well, this is bulls***. I want your name and the manager’s name.”
(The cashier sends him off with the information and he walks away grumbling. The cashier calls me up and informs me that they are bit behind, but it will be filled shortly.)
Me: “That’s no problem; I can wait.”
Cashier: “You have time to wait?”
Me: “Yeah, I understand, and I am not going to be like that guy. He was just plain rude.”
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