This is a review specifically for photo services, which should probably be CVS' second biggest focus behind, you know, the "pharmacy."
If you are considering buying photos/prints/etc from a store, DO NOT GO TO THIS CVS. Do not consider picking them up from this store. Don't even drive into this parking lot. Save the brain cells.
One of the biggest selling points for coming to CVS to print photos, especially Christmas cards, is that they can be picked up same day. Pretty cool, right? We quickly placed our order December 14th in the evening and looked forward to coming in the next day to pick up our photos. When we arrived that next day, we were told, in person, that the printer wasn't working and that we would be called the next day when things were sorted out. Slightly annoyed by the fact we weren't notified beforehand, we tried to at least be understanding and say we'd wait the extra day. We asked about transferring our online order that day, but were told that it was too late in the day to do so. Oh well, one extra day can't hurt.
We waited throughout the day. Nothing. No phone call. A half-assed corporate auto-generated email saying that we would be contacted. Still nothing. So we gave a call in to see what was up. Surprise, still broken. We asked again to transfer the photos and we were given a little bit of hope in the form of a "we'll get them transferred, just give us a call back in 20 minutes." Sweet. That's all we wanted after this headache.
A half hour later, we attempted, and I emphasize **attempted**, to call into the store. We had to call four separate times, each waiting over four minutes each call in for someone to pick up. That being said, I think we were able to memorize most of the phone tree prompts by heart. Pretty stellar work, corporate.
Anyways, we finally get to talk to Marcus, who just so happens to be the manager of the store. Two seconds into trying to explain how we were instructed to call back in, Marcus cuts us off not once but twice to say the printer was broken. This, obviously, was critical information and absolute news to us, lowly shoppers who had no idea what printers even were.
Losing it, I explained to him as much as I could before I could be cut off again. I explained that we placed the order days before. I explained that we had already physically been inside of the store and know that the printer is broken. I explained that we were specifically instructed to call in. All Marcus had to offer was that the employee we were working with earlier had left for the day (a lie exposed when we called back in 5 minutes later and had her answer the phone) and that only corporate could transfer those kinds of requests, offer any discounts, etc.
Thankfully, Marcus' parade of inaccurate information continued, as he A) did not know the number to corporate help for this issue, B) couldn't look it up himself, and C) had the incorrect hours of their operations.
As a result, we will be waiting until TOMORROW to ATTEMPT to call into corporate and play more phone tag just to try and get some answers on this. Not a single phone call was made to us to express any sort of delay or solution. A complete waste of time spearheaded by blatant incompetency. This all could have easily been avoided had someone said from the get-go "We're having technical issues as of 12PM today, so I would try to get into contact with corporate so they can transfer this request and you can still get your same-day pickup."
Nope. Too hard. Too much brain power. Too much talking. Too little phone tree.
We could, in theory, cancel the order altogether and re-order without the coupon which was the lipstick on the pig that goes by CVS.
At least the Postal Service is quick this time of year, in the midst of a pandemic. Wonder if they sell stamps at this location or if that's just another bait and switch like their "30% off" signs that, in extremely small print, say that they're for card holders only. CVS may want us to read the fine print, but I'll make it clear, in big, bold letters:
DO NOT SHOP AT THIS CVS.
Don't waste your time. Go to Walgreens or Walmart or just print out photos yourself on your own printer. read more