Buckle up--this wasn't just a delay, it was an ordeal…read more..
I rarely leave reviews anymore, but my experience at this Walgreens' photo department was so unacceptable that it warrants documenting.
I submitted a photo order at 7:07 PM, and the confirmation email stated it would be ready by 8:15 PM. At 8:10 PM, I received another email saying there was a "delay," with no explanation, no updated ETA, and no further communication for the rest of the night.
Because I needed the item for the following day, I waited. By 9:28 PM--nearly 2.5 hours past submission and an hour past the promised time--I called the store. A woman named Evelin answered, took my name, and said she would check on the order. I was placed on hold for 17 minutes. I could hear her helping other customers, talking to coworkers, and clearly forgetting I was even on the line. I eventually hung up and called back at 9:45 PM--only to have the call instantly hung up on. I called again at 9:46 PM and reached Bryant, who told me the order "was still printing" and asked whether I could come immediately since they close at 10 PM and would not be open tomorrow.
While pulling up directions, another employee abruptly took the phone and asked, "How long until you get here?"--no greeting, no courtesy, just a rude, demanding tone. I said I'd arrive in 7 minutes.
I got to the store at 9:58 PM and came face to face with that same employee, Andre. When I asked what information he needed, he stared at me for about 10 seconds, then said "I need your full name" without saying another word and a bored expression on his face. I gave him my name and told him I was the person he had spoken with on the phone. He walked to the photo area, and I followed.
Only then did I find out the truth: the order was not printing at all. They hadn't even started it. I know this because the sticker on the print clearly showed a timestamp of 9:59 PM--one minute after I arrived. He had told me it was "still printing" when it hadn't been started at all.
It took 18 minutes to complete the print. So after submitting the order at 7:07 PM--an order they promised would take about an hour--they didn't begin working on it until 9:59 PM, when I physically arrived at the store.
The store was empty, it was a typical quiet Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, and there was no legitimate reason for them to ignore the order. Instead of doing their job, they sent one vague "delay" email and then simply... stopped. No updates, no customer communication, no professionalism.
In total, I waited:
2+ hours waiting past the original promised time
17 minutes on hold
3 minutes on the follow-up call
18 minutes in-store
And not a single employee except Bryant showed even basic courtesy. Andre, in particular, was the rudest Walgreens employee I have ever encountered. His attitude, dismissiveness, and dishonesty were unacceptable. Whether he is a manager or simply acting like one, Walgreens Corporate needs to reevaluate who they allow to run their stores.
The entire experience--from the lack of communication, to the forgotten phone call, to the lie about the order status, to the rude in-person interaction--was unprofessional, inconvenient, and extremely frustrating. This experience has ensured I won't be returning to this location at all.
