I'm giving this place only 2 stars and both of them are for the Pharm tech Ray. He was nice, sweet and overall very apologetic for my meds not being ready after almost 2 hours when I placed them this morning before 8am online. But the other staff deserve 0 stars if it is possible! I actually think YELP needs to start a 0 star policy for exceptionally bad service. The staff lets crazy old people just come talk to them at the counter because they are bored and lonely. The pharmacist didn't or refused to processing refund and the black girl Chetay yes that's her name stated "I'm going on a break I can't deal with it" while we were talking! Not blaming her because she can only do so much but that's it professional to do in front of someone. At least the pharmacist could have apologized for her own mistake but nope she didn't. read more

This pharmacy is not legally following doctor prescription. Last Wednesday I went in to pick up an order of 30 pills that were due to me. The pharmacy only had five pills so they said I could pick up the other 25 pills in five days. Now, five days later, they say that the five pill refill counted as my monthly order and now I need a refill. This is actually the second time this has happened to me there. I will not every use this pharmacy again. This is one of their many problems. read more

Long lines. Service aight. BRING YOUR ID if you are purchasing medicine. I did not know this and waited in line forever to find out I needed an ID then had to go to my car and come back but the cashier was nice and let me go back to where I was essentially in the transaction process. They have a large variety of goods but I prefer the Albany target more. I believe prices at Target is cheaper but that is my personal preference. In addition, they do have plenty of parking and it is easy to visit other stores in the area by feet. It is located in El Cerrito Plaza which has pretty much everything. read more

I used to come here when it was a Longs. And I even remember when it was the last, lone holdout before development set in after Emporium Capwell closed. It was my go-to store for various sundries. I would even trek all the way from Berkeley to come here. The former Longs had a lot of stuff. I was excited during its renovation and its switch to CVS, thinking that they would just update the store. How disappointed I am that they streamlined a lot of things. The display shelves are shorter. I can't find the soaps I like. They really only sell national brands of everything. And I can't stand the way they are always pushing me to use their CVS customer card (but they always use the one at the counter because I know my husband has one, but I don't necessarily know which phone number is associated with it). This past year, I've actually walked in and left without buying anything. This has happened several times. That has never happened to me at a drugstore. They no longer have what I'm looking for. If I can't find it at the nearby Albertson's, I now go to Pastime Ace Hardware or Target. I miss the old Longs, but I won't miss CVS. read more

I miss Longs Pharmacy. I do like CVS, it took some time getting used to the new arrangement and placement of the products here at this location. With the exception of a few of the associates at the pharmacy, this CVS is all right. The sales associates are very nice and professional. I do like one of the sales associates, Derek, he is so sweet and will go out of his way to help customers find exactly what they are looking for. My five stars go to Derek. This CVS location is convenient. read more

This review is for the store only, as I have never used the pharmacy. I live just two blocks from the CVS on Shattuck and Rose in Berkeley -love their pharmacy, the BEST - but for other shopping, it is always so worth it for me to drive to El Cerrito Plaza if I can. The reason - fantastic customer service. The people who work there are so nice, really help you, and care too. It feels like stepping back in time, in a good way, when that was actually normal. I was in there just this morning, Christmas shopping in full swing. I asked for help locating some things, and got help, with good cheer! Other reason - it's just a bigger store, and so better selection. I found much better Xmas cards and supplies than I saw at CVS Shattuck the other day. Good place! read more

The pharmacy manager Preet has anger management issues. There was one point she clenched her fist together as growled as I was trying to clarify why a medication was not ready. She is late opening the pharmacy as well. She should be fired immediately before a patient is harmed from her temper. read more

I needed to pick up meds that I was supposed to take for two days before a surgery. I checked the Yelp website and saw that CVS was closing at 9 PM. I arrived at the store at 7:58 PM, but was told at the pharmaceutical department that they close down at 8, so I couldn't get my prescription filled. I asked the manager to be sure that they post on Yelp what time the pharmacy is actually open. read more

This is my spot for prescriptions. The staff are generally pleasant and helpful and I haven't had any issues with prescriptions. It's also a clean CVS, which isn't necessarily always the case. Passport photo process is pretty quick as well. read more

Four stars for the pharmacy, two for the store. Half of the cashiers are pleasant and friendly, while the other half seem deliberately difficult and unpleasant. I don't like the managers I've had to deal with; they seem either unpleasant, incompetent, or both. The pharmacy, on the other hand, has always been very helpful. Perhaps because I have lots of prescriptions that get refilled regularly, they seem to treat me as a valued customer. They even call when they notice that I haven't had something refilled recently. read more

Absolutely the worst pharmacy skill and customer service in the Bay Area. My daughter went 2x in a row. They were unable to resolve what was unclear with her Rx. Nor could they adequately articulate the issue. I phoned from out if town requesting clarity and to get the issue resolved. I was told they needed more time and would call me back. Over 2 hours later with no call, I phoned again. I am writing this after being on hold now for 37 minutes. I even called on another line and requested the manager but was sent to voicemail. Impossible to reach a person. They fail in customer service. Despite my daughter being there 2x in 2 days they did nothing to proactively resolve whatever issue they were having. I even checked with her doctor who said it looked fine from her end. I will be pulling all business from this pharmacy and alerting Health Net that CVS is not worthy if being a preferred pharmacy. read more

On hold with the pharmacy for 1 hour with no help. Why bother having a phone? You all need to hire more staff or better manage your resources. You a business. Act like one. read more

I prefer CVS over the other big chain. BUT this CVS has the most understaffed pharmacy dept. There is pretty much always a long line. Currently, I am on hold to see if a new prescription is ready. My MD said she called it in but I always need to check with CVS. I've been on hold 54 minutes and about to give up. Seriously, I could have driven there and stood in line in. I doubt anyone will answer. It is the most poorly run, understaffed pharmacy. I don't like corporate practices of big W. I'll find somewhere else. This is ridiculous. I think going here is like asking to be abused. read more

We are able to call in an Rx at night on the recorder and the patient can pick it up the next morning, no hassles. Great pharmacy! read more

I had a complicated issue with a prescription, and Jessica in the pharmacy department was very helpful even though they were very busy. She went above and beyond to help me get my insurance to cover an expensive prescription they initially were not going to cover and to help me get approval to get the prescription refilled early due to travel. She remained calm and pleasant despite a rush of customers, phone calls, questions, etc. read more

And really, that's because I have to enter a star. I just want to thank the lovely folks at CVS for screwing up my prescriptions repeatedly and then being so delightfully defensive when asked about it. Really appreciate the chance to get to know my nerve pain better through their utter incompetence. This isn't the first time I've had to go through a weekend without being able to sleep because of them, but it's the last. read more

I've been a customer of this location since it was Longs Drugs, but no more. Monday I'm calling my physician to move my prescriptions to somebody else. For a year or more, they've kept changing my prescriptions to auto-refill even though I've specifically told them not to do so. The lines are routinely long and the help behind the counter seems to usually be oblivious to it and insufficient in number. Back when I worked in a drugstore, when there were lines our first duty was to help those in line, not negotiate with people on the telephone. Today, the final straw was that after waiting in line for what seemed to be a half hour, only one of my prescriptions was ready despite me having come in day later than committed. Did they call me? No. CVS seems to think my time is worthless and today they will have leaned that it isn't. read more

After my experience at this CVS I promise to myself never going to a CVS again. The pharmacist left me waiting more than two hours to fill my prescription. It is an unacceptable neglect. I was crying of so much pain. read more

Oh this is AWFUL! Does CVS stand for Completely Valueless Sh*t? They took over the Long's chain and it's been all down hill since. Long's carried a much wider variety of products - the selection seems real paltry now. And in order to get their "sale" prices you need to sign up for their "program". They have all kinds of total crap - plastic stuff that looks like it just came out of a Dollar Store... except that now the price is $5.99. What ever happened to decent stores? read more

Aaron is long gone (I guess he dissed too many customers). So I now shop there again (rarely) just to get health-related items, when I'm in a hurry. The pharmacy continues to be pretty inadequately run, and there only ever seems to be one or two of whatever I went in to buy, anywhere on the shelf. Wouldn't shop there at all, if it weren't the nearest one to my house. read more

My soul dies a little each time I come in here. No one who works here is helpful and the average customer age here is probably 90...and they pay with pennies/ checks. read more

Worst customer service ever. I dread going to this CVS, unfortunately I needed A cover for my cast and Target didn't carry them and I happened to be near this one. So I said "eff it, go in and out" they were pretty busy but I got what I needed and waited in line. In front of me was an elderly lady and the cashier just looked like she hated her job. The customer was asking her some questions and the cashier would answeee very rudely and short. The lady actually apologized to everyone in line becauE she felt she was bonding everyone up. This would've been done but then the cashier said she qualified for a ten dollar gift card. When the customer asked if she can use it today, cashier cut her off, sai "NO" but in a dickish kind if way and then TRIED to activate the card. Wasn't happening. So we had to wait for the manager (who seemed like he was about to die, hacking and wheezing everywhere ). Everyone that works there seriously seems to hate themselves. STAY AWAY read more

This pharmacy is a joke. What ever happened to customer service. Long lines, long hold times, and terrible service . Whatever happened to multitasking, seems know one knows what that means anymore. Good customer service is a dying breed. If you want your time wasted just visit the el Cerritos plaza cvs pharmacy and they will be happy to take care of that for you. read more

Another poor experience at this CVS. The pharmacy is staffed so that you ALWAYS wait. This time I had $42 of merchandise but my $7 coupon wasn't accepted cause I didn't have the bar code printed. And of course it didn't register on my Rewards Card. I miss Longs Drugs! Thinking of moving all my prescriptions somewhere else -- mail order perhaps. read more

This place is a mess while it morphs into a CVS. I will let you know when they finish

This CVS is really big and has good inventory . The stuff that I don't find at other CVS locations , I find here . It's much better than going to the Walgreens in the area which have a very limited selection . This CVS has a much bigger and better selection . read more

Wow, CVS in El Cerrito Plaza needs to hire better help and that's putting it nicely. My family and I have been shopping at the store for over 30 years without a single incident, but today proved to be a new low in rude employees. I could have sworn that customer service workers were supposed to provide just that- service to customers. I went in to redeem a coupon and an employee named "Mami" (probably Indian in mid to late 20s) rolled her eyes as I pulled it up from my phone- sorry for being green. She was annoyed that I didn't print it out- why I do not know. Then she took the phone from me and as she was scrolling on my touch screen she wiped her nose and then proceeded to continue scrolling on my phone after wiping her nose- are you kidding me? Needless to say I was appalled. It took me a moment to recover from shock. And then I said to her "Do you realize that you just wiped your nose and then used my phone?" She ignored me, smirked and then rolled her eyes. So I asked her if she realized that that action was rude, disgusting, and unsanitary. To which she responded "So, it's not like it was inside my nose?" "Well, at a minimum it's gross" I expanded. To which she rolled her eyes again and as I used the hand sanitizer that was right by her that she refused to use she said "Ok, I'll give you the refund but so you know that now this money is gross too." And she wiped her nose again and held onto the money. I was amazed at how rude she was. I asked her if she was the manager and she said she was the manager of the whole store. WTF. I doubt that. At least I hope CVS isn't fool enough to promote her. CVS needs to hire better help. You would think that a pharmacy would give a hoot about sanitation especially during flu season. read more

This place is horrible especially the store manager, Joe, he is so careless with the customers it almost seems as if he just puts on the act of caring, but it is so see through, although the store is well stocked half the people leave the stuff up front because the lines move at a snails pace......I've also heard employees are treated horrible such as getting no breaks or lunches and even have to work off the clock at times......I suggest a different drug store. I for sure will not be going to this one anymore, read more

When CVS is good, it is very good. When it is bad, it is very bad. Let me start with the good: CVS has some pretty cheap products, standard. Their Just the Basics brand makes various cookies and candies (yum) and some crackers and chips (go for it if you want the extra salt compared to the pricier brands). There are also some really good deals on shampoos, soaps and pet supplies at any given time. However, I have definitely noticed that I get WAY fewer "Extra Bucks" than I used to. My roommate told me that CVS gives out fewer Extra Bucks these days because they are losing money on them. In honor of my horse ranch review, I say, horse shit. CVS is losing money on Extra Bucks? Really? What about all of the Extra Bucks coupons I see crammed into the trash outside of every CVS store? I admit, one time while extremely broke and very hungry, I found a $2 Extra Bucks coupon and CVS wouldn't honor my eager purchase of an orange soda and cookies because the coupon "didn't belong to me". Well, the woman who tossed it sure as hell wasn't searching for it, so why couldn't I have my soda and cookies? I left CVS feeling very embarrassed and angry. I have overpaid CVS so many times for "deals" that weren't honored at the register, that I figure a found coupon should get me something as it would for any other store. My next beef with CVS is only a half-beef, as the pharmacy staff at CVS are generally very courteous and have advanced me some much-needed medication more than a few times, though they really weren't obligated to do so. But seriously, you don't carry Dilaudid?! Yes, I know the stuff is strong enough to tranquilize an elephant, but I didn't write the prescription myself with a post-it note and a crayon. I need this medication, on occasion, in order to stay out of the ER. But I get funny looks whenever I present the script as a relatively healthy 33 year old non-cancer patient. And every time, I am told I can get my medication in three or four days. Thank goodness I don't need it that often! The lines at CVS can be impossibly long, at all hours of the day. More than once I have returned my merchandise and left the store empty-handed due to, you know, having a job to get to or something better to do than wait in line for another 45 minutes. To be fair, Lucky has the same problem with long lines but I don't depend on them for my medication. read more

I don't like to come to this store. Customer service doesn't exist and the customer is left to fume. How can two stores be so different as the store a little farther down on San Pablo hardly has lines & are always helpful I tried to avoid this store. read more

The worse CVS I have been to. They need to hire more staff, it should not take over 45 minutes to pick up medicine.

The one star is for the pharmacy at the El Cerrito Plaza store. I won't go back. I have had several terrible experiences. The pharmacy staff is unhelpful and incompetent. There are many other pharmacies one can go to. The photo department and the general store are ok. Prices are expensive, but the staff is helpful. read more

Most of the time their system is down. They have so many people that they can't fill your prescription in a timely manor. They'll tell you to come back and then you do the next day and your prescription isn't filled or their system is down. Avoid this pharmacy at all costs! read more

With the holiday crowds, I tried to be patient as I waited around 10 minutes in line to check out. The staff seemed to be doing their best to deal with all the people and a few issues. By the time I got to the register, a couple more lines had opened up so I didn't feel bad (not that I really would have) about asking to register for a CVS card to take advantage of the significant specials on the items I was purchasing. However, they were out and unfortunately didn't even have a register copy I could use on the order. To give the clerk some credit, she asked around but when she expected me to pay full price just because I didn't have a card, I walked out leaving everything at the register. I feel a bit bad but I think it is ridiculous that I couldn't get the sales price on the items. I'm not surprised to see a bunch of one star reviews. I miss Longs. read more

Today, I had stopped by our local CVS Pharmacy to pick up something to drink to go along with my prescribed medicine. I didn't think I was being harassed at this location until today, after getting in line to make my purchase.. I overheard a worker from the beauty department of the store whisper to a colleague of his to "call security" as I was turned away. I turned around to see who the gentlemen was talking to as it couldn't had been me as I remained standing in line. He then went to another colleague who looked as if he had more authority and again whispered to him the same thing he mentioned to the previous colleague but at this time, I was facing forward looking directly at him as he was hinting that it was I that was either stealing (which I wasn't) as I remained in line to make my purchase. Instead of making a fuss about the harassment or causing a scene in the store, I felt so embarrassed and upset at the fact that either I was being profiled for being a young black guy. I have no idea why he got that idea but I felt harassed for being basically profile for looking like trouble. Didn't understand why? So I put down my juice and left outing the store. I never felt so discriminated against just for no reason at all. I didn't need to leave the pharmacy feeling that way. I doubt I'll be back at this CVS location, which sucks because it's the most convenient location. If your reading this or have had an similar experience. Don't hesitate to share your awful experience with me. I'm looking to get this review in the hands of the person in charge of the customer experience. I'm sure he would like to know how the locals in this neighborhood are being treated for being loyal shoppers at CVS. read more

Karen S is the nicest retail checkout employee I've ever met! She was really genuinely friendly and so happy! Really brightened my day, and I wasn't even having a bad day. I have no idea how someone who deals with the public on a regular basis can be so wonderful. read more

Friendly fast service never had to wait more than 10min for my perscriptions even with people in front of me. Very accessable as well!!

Terrible wait in this Pharmacy - One clerk was trying hard but the other was rude. The assistant manager was apologetic but had no clue that there was a VERY LONG wait in the pharmacy and although there's plenty of room for it, there's also no seating available - so it's particularly difficult for the elderly (of which there were quite a few in line) I complained about this to the assistant manager who told me there was a seating area but it is a long way off to one side out of sight so elderly people must wait for hours - there's no way to hold your place in line. read more

I would say yelp give them 1 star, and I will give them -1. So, it's a 0 from me. One, short staffs, nothing is really on sale like when it was long. Now, they would just do buy one get 50% off the second items not like long, you get 50% to 75% off that particular items which they they require you to buy another one in order to get a discount on an item that is on sale. 2. most employees are rude. THREE, managers are a bunch of BASTARDS, they don't give a damn about their employee and their customers. If I were you I would not get my medication from here, because even the manager of the pharmacy don't even know what the F**K they're doing! They are INSANE PEOPLE all they care about is taking advantage of people and making money for themselves off the as* of their employees! read more

I can't decide if I like this Longs better than the other El Cerrito Longs on San Pablo and Moeser. This one is cleaner and has a more modern feeling, but it might be smaller--the cosmetics section is definitely better at the other store. What I like about this Longs is that it's open til midnight, and the pharmacy is open until 10pm. However, the prices for prescription drugs here are higher than other drug stores, or so it seems. The copay for one of my allergy meds was $69!! I used the pharmacy here because of its convenient location, but it's probably smart to call around and check other pharmacies for prices to save a few bucks. It usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour between prescription dropoff and when your order is ready, so definitely take advantage of phone or online refills; for now, Longs offers free shipping on your prescriptons refills ordered online, and they've been doing so for at least 2 years now. I've never seen all of the checkout lines open at this Longs so especially between 5-7pm when people get off work and run their errands, the wait at the end can be a bit long. The photo counter has bus passes and BART tickets, but sometimes they sell out of the BART tickets. UPDATE 12/10/06: They remodeled this Longs a while ago and added a big natural beauty products section and shifted things around a bit. I think it looks better. My mind is still not used to the new layout and I still get lost, though. read more