As an Adamsdown local who vehemently supports independent companies, I have to say that I am not surprised that independent pharmacies in the Roath/Splott area are going out of business, if this pharmacy is anything to go by. The staff have an inflated superiority complex, and are down-right indifferent to any customer who walks in the shop, unless that customer has been using the pharmacy their entire lives.
I am completely dumbfounded by the impossibly slow speed at which prescriptions are given, especially when there is such a high number of staff members (up to six behind the counter and two on the till). I remember waiting for 20 minutes once to get a prescription, and another lady who was complaining out loud had been waiting for 30 minutes for her three year old's prescription who was severely ill, and waiting at home.
The staff lack useful knowledge, as it seems as though they are out to sell as many products as possible rather than actually helping the customer. I find this disgusting as many of the people who use Clifton Pharmacy are from low income families or are pensioners and find it impossible to get a doctors appointment. Therefore they rely on Clifton Pharmacy for advice which seems to be as profit driven as the larger pharmacies. I find this approach deceptive, and something you would expect in from their rival counterparts, such as Boots and Lloyds pharmacy, and not from a community pharmacy who has served local customers for years whom they have built up relationships with.
It pains me to say that I will not be using Clifton Pharmacy in the future as I am sick and tired of waiting for ridiculous amounts of time for a prescription and being treated like a second-class citizen. If I were the owner I'd take a long hard look at whom I employ and consider carefully who is surplus to requirements. From now on I will be using Lloyds Pharmacy, only a two min walk away where the staff are always polite and friendly, and the prescriptions come out in less than ten minutes (despite the fact that there are usually only 1 or 2 staff working). read more